Law firm Hill Dickinson has advised Liverpool pre-school childcare provider The Ducklings Day Nursery on the sale of part of its business to national nursery group, Kids Planet.
The former independently owned Ducklings Day Nursery setting in Halewood, near Liverpool, will now be fully integrated into the Kids Planet nursery group.
The acquisition takes the number of nursery facilities in the Kids Planet nursery group to 137 across the UK and strengthens its existing presence in Liverpool.
Corporate associate Graeme Anderson led on the provision of legal advice to the sellers.
We were delighted to advise The Ducklings Day Nursery owners Aidan and Sarah Simpson on the sale of part of their business to Kids Planet. Taking the next step of entrusting a childcare business to a new owner is never an easy decision, as cultural fit is very important. We were pleased to work alongside Aidan and Sarah to ensure it was the right decision not only for the business but for the staff and the children it cares for.Graeme Anderson
Associate, Hill Dickinson
Aidan Simpson commented that:
“Selling our nursery was a very difficult decision because we had invested a great deal of time, energy and emotion into making it the best possible setting. It was important that any subsequent owner should have a similar level of commitment. Kids Planet is a family run company that is very much nursery-focused, so it felt like a natural successor that we could trust to look after the staff and children into the future.”
This transaction marks the third sale of a childcare business to Kids Planet that Hill Dickinson has advised on in recent years. It previously advised the sellers of nursery groups Kids Allowed (January 2020) and Twinkles Group (February 2022), both of which are now integrated into the Kids Planet family.
Kids Planet was founded in the north-west of England in 2008 and now provides care and education for over 11,500 children across the UK.