Busy Bees expands in Jersey

Friday 04 March 2022

A UK nursery school operator has expanded its presence in Jersey with the purchase of Springfield Stadium-based Leeward Childcare.

Leeward Childcare was founded 24 years ago and looks after 100 children aged up to five years old. It has a long-standing team in place, including Centre Director Emma Eden, who has been with the nursery for 20 years.

The nursery has two main buildings: Springfield and Le Coie. Springfield caters for children up to three years and features a baby room and a separate sleep area. 

Le Coie caters for children from three to five years old and has two rooms for children to learn and play, both with access to an outdoor area. Preschool children also have access to a purpose-built childcare zone that features a large outdoor garden.

Following the acquisition, Busy Bees now has three early years settings in the island, with Leeward joining Castle Quay and La Providence, which were acquired from Organic Kids in 2019. 

Cheryl Creaser, Europe CEO at Busy Bees, said: “We are delighted to welcome Leeward Childcare to our growing family. Its vision for providing children with the best start aligns with our own and we are looking forward to continuing their great work. 

“Leeward Childcare has a great reputation for delivering exceptional childcare and this acquisition expands our offering in Jersey and cements our vision of being the childcare provider of choice on the Island. 

“Over the next few months, we will be working closely with the team and building on the service they provide to ensure children can grow, learn and have fun in a nurturing environment.”

Tanya and Tim Brint, Owners of Leeward Childcare, said: “We have thoroughly enjoyed caring for hundreds of children over the years, growing and working alongside our dedicated team of childcare professionals, who have an ever-deepening knowledge and expertise of working with families and children.

“Busy Bees shares our mission to ensure every child’s happiness, wellbeing and progress are prioritised, so we have no doubt that Leeward Childcare is in safe hands. They have an excellent reputation for providing outstanding, quality childcare and a deep wealth of resources and experience that our staff, parents and children will benefit from. We wish them the very best.”

The Busy Bees group cares for more than 40,000 children across 379 nurseries in the UK and Ireland, and 55,000 children globally across eight countries.