Happy Days Nursery Droitwich is delighted to be working in partnership with the local Family Hub and Action for Children to offer a new series of supportive workshops and community sessions for families.

Beginning on Monday 8th June, the nursery will host a six-week Fussy Eating Workshop designed to support parents and carers with practical advice, reassurance and ideas around children’s eating habits and family mealtimes.

Led by a Family Hub Practitioner, the sessions will explore topics including introducing new foods, understanding child-friendly nutrition, encouraging positive eating experiences and helping make mealtimes feel calmer and more enjoyable for the whole family.

The workshops form part of a growing partnership between Happy Days Droitwich and the Family Hub, with additional support sessions planned for the future around sleep, behaviour and parenting.

Alongside the workshops, the nursery will also host monthly drop-in weighing sessions for the local community. These sessions will take place on the second Monday of every month from 10am–11am, offering families an informal opportunity to access support and guidance in a welcoming environment.

At Happy Days, supporting families goes beyond the nursery day itself. Partnerships like this help strengthen community connections while ensuring parents and carers have access to trusted support, advice and early years guidance close to home.

Families interested in joining the Fussy Eating Workshop can book via the nursery or by emailing [email protected]. Spaces are limited.

At Happy Days Nurseries, we know that outdoor play is a vital part of children’s learning and wellbeing, but it’s just as important to ensure that children are protected from the sun while they explore and play.

That’s why we’re proud to be working in partnership with SKCIN, the UK’s leading skin cancer awareness charity, to promote vital sun safety education across our nurseries, families and wider communities.

Why Sun Safety Matters from the Start

Skin cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in the UK, and over-exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation is the direct cause of around 90% of cases. Research shows that most lifetime UV exposure occurs before the age of 18, making early years education a critical time for building lifelong protective habits.

Even one blistering sunburn in childhood or adolescence can more than double the risk of developing melanoma (the most serious form of skin cancer) later in life. The good news is that around 90% of all skin cancers are preventable simply by adopting effective sun-safe behaviours from a young age.

Building Healthy Habits for Life

Through our partnership with SKCIN and their Sun Safe Nurseries accreditation, our nurseries are helping children learn simple but powerful sun safety habits, such as:

☀️ Slip on protective clothing
☀️ Slop on sunscreen
☀️ Slap on a wide-brimmed hat
☀️ Slide on sunglasses
☀️ Shade from the sun, especially between 11am–3pm

These “Five S’s” help to embed awareness and independence in children, showing them how to look after themselves in a fun and age-appropriate way.

We also work closely with parents and carers to reinforce these messages at home, because consistent habits, both at nursery and beyond, are what make the difference.

A Shared Commitment to Prevention

“We’re delighted to be working in partnership with Happy Days Nurseries to promote vital sun safety awareness among children, staff, and families. At SKCIN, our mission is to prevent skin cancer through education, and collaborations like this are key to reaching communities where early habits are formed. By embedding sun safe practices within nursery life, we can help children understand the importance of protecting their skin from a young age, knowledge that will stay with them for life. It’s inspiring to see Happy Days taking such a proactive approach and setting a fantastic example for the early years sector.”
~ Marie Tudor, CEO of SKCIN

At Happy Days, we take pride in ensuring that sun safety is a central part of our quality standards and wellbeing programmes across all nurseries.

“Sun safety is a critical focus for us at Happy Days Nurseries as we know that children’s delicate skin is highly susceptible to sun damage, with most lifetime UV exposure happening before age 18, which increases the future skin cancer risk. We use SKCIN and its Sun Safe Nursery accreditation to assist us in educating children by empowering them with the knowledge of how to keep safe whilst in the sun. We also work with parents and carers to reinforce safe habits whilst outside.”
~ Alex Venter, Quality Lead Manager, Happy Days Nurseries

Together with SKCIN, we’re shining a light on the importance of early education in protecting children’s health, today and for the future.

🔗 Learn more about SKCIN and their Sun Safe Nursery accreditation here: https://www.skcin.org/

Happy Days Nurseries & Pre-Schools is proud to celebrate an incredible evening of success at the NMT Power List Awards 2026, with two members of our leadership team receiving national recognition for their outstanding contributions to the early years sector.

We are delighted to share that Toni Kilby, Chief Finance Officer, was named CFO of the Year, while Jackie Cambridge, Head of Quality, received the award for Education/Quality Director of the Year.

These prestigious awards recognise the leaders shaping the future of the nursery sector, celebrating innovation, excellence and impact across the UK.
Toni’s award reflects her exceptional leadership in driving sustainable growth, strengthening operational systems and helping make high-quality childcare more accessible for families. From supporting the expansion of Happy Days across new regions to leading the successful rollout of our SHINE funding model, Toni’s strategic vision continues to play a vital role in our journey.

Jackie’s recognition celebrates her unwavering commitment to children, teams and quality across every nursery. As the driving force behind our Where Children Shine curriculum, Jackie has transformed practice across the group, ensuring children are supported to become confident communicators, inquisitive thinkers, healthy explorers and resilient learners.

Adding to the celebrations, Happy Days was also proud to sponsor an award at this year’s event, presented on the evening by our CEO, Kim Herbert, further reflecting our commitment to championing excellence across the early years sector.

Kim Herbert, Chief Executive Officer at Happy Days Nurseries & Pre-Schools, said:
“We are incredibly proud of both Toni and Jackie for this well-deserved recognition. Their passion, leadership and dedication have had a huge impact not only within Happy Days but across the wider sector. To see their work celebrated on a national stage is truly wonderful.”

This double win is a reflection of the incredible people behind Happy Days and the commitment we all share to giving children the very best start in life.
A huge congratulations to Toni and Jackie on this amazing achievement.

Happy Days Nurseries & Pre-Schools is delighted to announce its continued recognition in the DayNurseries Awards 2026, once again securing a place among the Top 20 Large Nursery Groups in the UK.

In addition to this national achievement, four individual nurseries have been recognised for their outstanding quality and parent satisfaction. Congratulations to Happy Days Bradley Stoke, Happy Days Verwood, and Happy Days Charlton Heights, Happy Days Playbox in Truro all receiving special recognition among this year’s top performing settings.

The DayNurseries Awards are based entirely on reviews from parents and guardians, making this a true reflection of the positive experiences of families across the Happy Days community. This recognition highlights the trust placed in the organisation and the consistent dedication of its teams.

With nurseries across Wales and the South of England, Happy Days continue to be known for delivering high-quality early years education and care. These latest accolades celebrate the commitment, passion, and professionalism shown by teams across multiple settings.

Fiona Blackwell, Chief Operating Officer at Happy Days Nurseries, said:

“We are absolutely delighted to once again be recognised in the DayNurseries Awards. To be named in the Top 20 Large Nursery Groups, alongside seeing four of our individual nurseries receive recognition, is a fantastic achievement. What makes this especially meaningful is that it is based on feedback from our families. It truly reflects the dedication and hard work of our teams, who go above and beyond every day to provide exceptional care and learning experiences for children.”

This continued recognition reinforces Happy Days Nurseries’ commitment to providing nurturing environments where children can thrive, and to building strong, lasting partnerships with families.

We are delighted to share the wonderful news that Happy Days Nursery and Pre-School, Yeovil has been recognised as meeting the Expected Standard in all areas during our recent Ofsted inspection. We are also pleased to confirm that our safeguarding practices were judged as Met, reflecting the high priority we place on the safety and well-being of every child in our care.

Inspectors noted that our children “demonstrate that they are gaining a broad range of skills and knowledge and are prepared for their transition to the next room or school.” and “Children enjoy their time at the setting and engage enthusiastically in the wide range of learning opportunities staff provide. “

Ofsted has recently moved away from single-word grades to provide a more detailed look at how nurseries perform. Instead of a one-size-fits-all label, settings are now evaluated against specific quality standards:

🔵 Exceptional: Significantly exceeds expectations.
🔵 Strong Standard: Securely above the expected quality.
🔵 Expected Standard: Consistently and reliably meets all requirements.
🔵 Needs Attention / Urgent Improvement: Areas where further work is required.

By achieving the Expected Standard across the board, Happy Days has proven to be a secure, effective, and high-quality environment for early years education.

The inspection team praised our warm and inclusive atmosphere. They observed first-hand how our children; from our curious babies to our confident pre-schoolers – settle in quickly and form deep, trusting relationships with our nursery team.

The report highlighted several key strengths:

🟡 Leaders and staff create an inclusive environment where all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and those facing barriers to learning, access learning opportunities alongside their peers
🟡 Staff support children’s emotional development by encouraging them to use calm spaces when needed and by talking about and naming feelings.
🟡 Children take part in cooking activities that help them to learn about healthy food choices and develop their understanding of nutrition. 

While we are incredibly proud of this result, we see it as a foundation to build upon. Our leadership team is already moving forward with plans to further enhance our communication with parents and create even more opportunities for our children to grow in independence and resilience.

Read the full report here.

To learn more about the way Ofsted reports work now, visit our blog.

Happy Days Opens New Boorley Green Nursery Following 10-Year Journey

Happy Days Nurseries & Pre-Schools proudly celebrated the grand opening of our new Boorley Green setting yesterday, with a special ribbon-cutting ceremony for invited colleagues and members of the local community, where the ribbon was officially cut by Happy Days Executive Chairman, Mark Beadle

The opening marks the result of a decade-long journey, as CEO Kim Herbert reflected on the project’s origins and the challenges overcome along the way. “This has been a long 10-year journey, since our first discussions back in 2016,” she said. “Despite planning delays and the challenges of the pandemic, we remained committed especially as we continued to hear from families in the area who were in need of high-quality childcare. We were delighted to receive planning approval in February 2024 and to open earlier this year. At the heart of everything we do at Happy Days is the simple aim to offer more children the very best opportunities.

“I would like to personally recognise Kevin Higgs, Developments Director, and Nicola Brooks, Head of Development, both of whom have been involved in this project for ten years. Their dedication and commitment have been invaluable throughout the journey. I would also like to extend my thanks to Jackie Cambridge, Head of Quality, for her support in the final stages leading up to opening.

“Finally, I would like to thank Kim Amos for her leadership and commitment, and wish her and her team the very best for the future as they begin this exciting new chapter at Boorley Green.”

The development was delivered in partnership with NH Developments Limited, led by Nick, Jim, and project manager Adrian Long, whose collaboration played a key role in bringing the vision to life.

The new nursery will provide much-needed, high-quality childcare for local families, supporting children to shine and giving them the very best start in life.

We’re proud to share that Happy Days Nurseries and Pre-Schools has grown to 43 settings following the acquisition of Boys & Girls Nursery, an exciting step forward in our continued expansion.

Boys & Girls Nursery operates four well established settings across Hertfordshire and Greater London; Croxley Green, Stanmore, Rickmansworth and Watford, and has been delivering high-quality childcare for more than 15 years.

This acquisition is a strong fit for us, with both organisations sharing similar values and a commitment to nurturing, educating and inspiring children to become confident, lifelong learners and valued members of their communities. Boys & Girls Nursery creates engaging environments that encourage creativity, curiosity and imagination, an approach that closely reflects our own.

We’re pleased to confirm that all existing staff teams will remain in place, ensuring continuity for children and families. We look forward to working alongside our new colleagues and getting to know the communities they serve, as we continue to support every child’s development and enjoyment of learning.

Our Chief Executive Officer, Kim Herbert, said: “We are delighted to welcome Boys & Girls Nursery Group into the Happy Days family. Their commitment to high-quality care and education aligns closely with our vision of giving every child the best possible start in life. We look forward to spending time in our new nurseries, getting to know our colleagues, families and local communities.”

Natasha Kirby, outgoing owner of Boys & Girls Nursery, said: “We received a number of strong offers, reflecting the quality and reputation of our group. After careful consideration, we chose Happy Days because we believe they are the right fit for our children, families and team. Their values closely mirror our own, and we are confident they will build on the strong foundations we’ve created while ensuring a smooth and positive transition.”

Marcia Viccars, M&A Director at Happy Days, added: “This is an exciting step for Happy Days as we continue to grow our family of nurseries. Boys & Girls has built an excellent reputation for delivering high-quality early years education, and we’re proud to welcome their talented teams, children and families into our organisation. We look forward to building on this strong foundation together.”

We’re excited about the future and the opportunity to continue delivering high-quality early years experiences for even more children and families.

Children at Happy Days Nursery Droitwich recently took part in a litter pick around their nursery car park, supporting both the Eco-Schools programme and Global Recycling Day.

Working together to tidy the area, the children showed great enthusiasm as they collected and sorted litter. Along the way, they discussed recycling, why it is important to look after the environment, and how even small actions can make a big difference.

These hands-on experiences are an important part of helping children build a real understanding of the world around them. By learning through doing, they are able to connect ideas such as sustainability and environmental responsibility to real-life actions.

The activity also supported the development of teamwork, responsibility and a sense of pride in their surroundings. As they moved, collected and sorted materials, the children were also developing important physical skills in a meaningful and engaging way.

The litter pick forms part of the nursery’s involvement in the Eco-Schools programme, a global initiative engaging millions of children across 67 countries. Across all of our nurseries, we work towards achieving Eco-Schools Green Flag accreditation each year, following a seven-step framework that encourages children to take an active role in caring for their environment.

Through this programme, children develop their understanding of important environmental issues while gaining the skills and knowledge needed to help protect the planet, both now and in the future.

We are very proud of the children at Happy Days Nursery Droitwich and their growing awareness of how they can make a positive impact on the world around them.

Our team at Happy Days Swindon has successfully collected and delivered Easter eggs to families spending the holiday in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at Great Western Hospital, helping to bring comfort during what can often be a challenging and emotional time.

From the start, the response from the community was incredibly heartwarming. Generous donations came in from individuals, families, and local workplaces, all coming together with a shared goal of supporting NICU families over the Easter period.

We’d like to give a special thank you to Tilly’s nan and everyone at Aspen Concepts Ltd , who gathered a large collection of Easter eggs through their workplace. Their kindness was a wonderful example of the community spirit that made this initiative possible.

Once all donations were received, our team ensured the Easter eggs were delivered in time for Easter, ready to bring small moments of joy to families who may be facing difficult circumstances.

We’re incredibly proud to be part of something that brings people together to support others when it matters most. This initiative highlights the compassion and generosity within our community, and the difference that can be made through simple acts of kindness.

Happy Days Nurseries & Pre-Schools is proud to have collaborated with the Department for Education on a national campaign promoting careers in early years, with a particular focus on apprenticeships.

The campaign aims to challenge outdated perceptions of the sector and highlight the skill, creativity and impact involved in working in early years education.

Filming took place across two Happy Days settings, Playbox and Derriford, where the internal marketing team captured authentic, day-to-day experiences within the nursery environment. The content was then used as part of the wider campaign.

Two of Happy Days’ apprentices, Kayla and Abigail, played a central role in the project. Through engaging video content, they shared real insights into their roles, including preparing learning environments and supporting children’s development through play.

The campaign focuses on presenting a more accurate picture of early years careers, demonstrating that the role goes far beyond common misconceptions, requiring creativity, knowledge, care and professionalism.

At Happy Days, apprenticeships are a key part of developing future talent within the sector. By combining hands-on experience with structured learning, apprentices are supported to build the skills and confidence needed to progress in their careers.

Happy Days is proud to have contributed to this important campaign and remains committed to promoting early years as a meaningful and rewarding career choice.