More than half of unemployed parents would look for work in order to take advantage of the 30 free hours of childcare, according to Department for Education research.
School nurseries in London will share an £8m fund designed to encourage them to open from 8am to 6pm and offer more free early education places for children from two upwards.
Danielle Butler, Tommies Childcare, West Midlands
The UK’s largest nursery group has partnered with Montessori Centre International as part of a long-term commitment to support quality Montessori provision.
Meadow Lane Children’s Nursery, St Ives, Cambridgeshire
Busy Bees Childcare, the largest nursery group in the UK, has bought Egg Day Nurseries, a family-owned organisation located in Andover and Winchester, which offers a total of 181 places for children.
The UK’s second largest nursery chain Bright Horizons has bought Little Unicorn Day Nurseries, a group of four nurseries in London.
When children enjoy their food and eat well, mealtimes can be pleasurable, sociable occasions for everyone. However, for many families with children aged under five, the experience is quite different....
Winner - Little Me Day Nurseries, Basingstoke