Over 97% Of Candidates Recommend The Happy Days Recruitment Process

1 mins

Jul 10, 2024

Happy Days Nurseries & Pre-Schools are thrilled with the latest feedback from applicants.

At the end of the Happy Days recruitment process the recruitment team send out an optional survey, in order to gather feedback on the hiring process. Questions such as ‘Overall, how satisfied were you with the recruitment/application process to hire you?’ and ‘If you can change something about the recruiting process, what would it be?’

100% of applicants were ‘Very Satisfied’ with the recruitment process. Happy Days Nurseries & Pre-Schools also asked ‘If you can change something about the recruiting process, what would it be?’. One applicant spoke ‘”I wouldn’t wish to change anything, the staff were very welcoming.”‘ and another said ‘”Nothing at all”‘.

When questioned, ‘How likely are you to recommend our company to a friend or colleague?’, 9.75/10 was the average rating Happy Days received.

Happy Days Nurseries & Pre-Schools Recruitment Manager John spoke ”For candidates, applying for jobs can be a daunting experience, which is why at Happy Days we really commit to giving people the best of us, when they are giving us the best of them during the hiring process. Feedback as positive as that we receive in our applicant feedback questionnaires reflects this commitment and we are delighted with the satisfaction levels and proud that so many colleagues joining us would recommend their friends to do the same” 

Working in childcare provides a uniquely rewarding experience that resonates far beyond the confines of a traditional job. Shaping young minds and building strong connections, along with ample opportunities for career progression, all make childcare unlike anything you’ve done before.

Visit our careers page today to explore the exciting nursery careers awaiting you at Happy Days Nurseries and join us in making a positive difference in the lives of children and families across the Southwest of England and Wales.

Inspire their future, and your future, with a career in childcare.

Back To News

Happy Days Nurseries & Pre-Schools Expands Its Portfolio With New Acquisitions

3 mins

Jul 09, 2024

Happy Days Nurseries and Pre-Schools expands its portfolio with the acquisition of Toddletown and Mulberry Corner Day Nursery.

Happy Days Nurseries and Pre-Schools is delighted to have been given the opportunity to expand its portfolio further with the acquisition of Toddletown and Mulberry Corner. Toddletown consists of two nurseries located in Godalming and Farnham, with Mulberry Corner located in Chandlers Ford. This represents a strategic acquisition as all of these areas are new to Happy Days and demonstrates its desire to move into new communities outside South West England as part of its ambitious expansion plans.

The Directors and members of the Senior Team at both Toddle Town and Happy Days have had close relationships for a number of years.  The vision and values of all the directors are closely aligned, with a focus on providing inspiring childcare and education, nurturing children to become learners for life, making Happy Days the perfect fit for this group of nurseries. Given the similarities, a catch up between a member of the Toddletown director team and Happy Days’ Marcia Viccars naturally led to an agreement to sell without going to market.

Toddletown was established in Godalming in 2020 with Farnham opening in August 2023. Both nurseries provide an environment that feels like home and where children are free to explore and lead their own play. Their open-ended resources help children with their imagination, self-confidence and problem-solving skills and they focus on helping children with their emotional wellbeing and regulation. With fantastic outdoor spaces full of opportunities for even more learning and play, the children are outdoors in all weather.

Mulberry Corner Nursery has been based in Chandlers Ford for over 30 years, with its location making it an ideal choice for families commuting and for those who live locally. Their long-standing, highly qualified and experienced staff team ensures the children in their care are respected as unique individuals with a learning programme tailored to suit their different needs and interests.

Marcia Viccars, Merger & Acquisitions Director, said, “Having known the outgoing Directors for a number of years, we were delighted to be given this exclusive opportunity as we knew that the nurseries would fit seamlessly into the Happy Days portfolio. It was a privilege and a pleasure to work with the team through this sale process.”

Kim Herbert, Managing Director for Happy Days Nurseries and Pre-Schools stated, “We are thrilled to be growing our portfolio again with this acquisition. Not only have we had the exclusive opportunity to work with the directors whose values and beliefs of providing children with the very best care and education align with our own, it has also allowed us to expand into new areas of the country. The staff team at all three settings will remain in place and we are looking forward to working with them, to continue to provide quality childcare, ensuring all children have the best possible start in life.”

Eamonn O’Connor, spokesperson for the outgoing owners said “We are immensely proud of Toddletown and Mulberry Corner and the impact the nurseries have made in their respective local communities. It has been a privilege to watch so many children flourish under our exceptional nursery teams. Having known key members of the Happy Days team for some time, we are confident that the nurseries will continue to go from strength to strength and impress everyone who works at, attends, or visits the nurseries. We extend our sincere gratitude to our dedicated teams and supportive families for their loyalty and commitment. We would also like to thank the team at Harrison Drury, led by Mark Traynor, who provided valuable legal advice to us on this important transaction”.

Happy Days Nurseries and Pre-Schools has now increased its total number of settings to 27, with new nurseries in the pipeline. Anyone interested in selling their business, or a developer looking for a nursery provider to partner with, should contact Kevin Higgs: kevin.higgs@happydaysnurseries.com; Kim Herbert kim.herbert@happydaysnureries.com or Marcia Viccars marcia.viccars@happydaysnurseries.com

For more information on Happy Days Nurseries and Pre-Schools visit happydaysnurseries.com  

Back To News

Each week, Happy Days Nursery Penrice will be offering exciting stay and play activities specifically designed for children under 5. It’s a great opportunity for your child to:

• Learn new skills: From mastering a football kick to planting seeds and creating musical masterpieces, Let’s Do! offers a variety of activities to spark their curiosity and development.
• Make new friends: The social aspect of play is vital for young children. Let’s Do! provides a safe and welcoming space for your child to interact with their peers and build friendships.
• Have fun! Let’s Do! is all about creating a fun and engaging environment where your child can learn through play.

Here’s a sneak peek at our exciting activities:

• July 29th | 2pm to 3pm : Let’s Kick It! – We’ll get those little legs moving with a fun football activity. Your child will have a go at developing their passing skills and dribbling and shooting at goal.
• August 5th | 2pm to 3pm : Let’s Dig! – Get ready for some messy fun as we explore the wonderful world of gardening. When engaged in gardening activities children have the opportunity to develop their understanding of the natural world, begin to appreciate its beauty and learn to take care of it.
• August 12th | 2pm to 3pm : Let’s Cook! – We’ll be whipping up some delicious treats in our Let’s Cook session! When engaged in the cooking programme the children will be introduced to new healthy ingredients, and encouraged to explore unknown tastes, smells and textures which will increase their exposure to a wide range of fruit and vegetables, herbs, spices and foods from a variety of cultures.
• August 19th | 2pm to 3pm : Let’s Make Music! – It’s time to unleash your child’s inner musician with a musical extravaganza! Music interweaves through all areas of learning and development with particular focus on children’s communication and language development.

Spaces are limited, so don’t miss out!

Call Toni today on 01726 711 88 to book your child’s spot.

P.S. Let’s Do! is completely free to attend. We just ask that you pre-book your child’s place to ensure we have enough supplies for everyone.

Each week, Happy Days Nursery Penrice will be offering exciting stay and play activities specifically designed for children under 5. It’s a great opportunity for your child to:

• Learn new skills: From mastering a football kick to planting seeds and creating musical masterpieces, Let’s Do! offers a variety of activities to spark their curiosity and development.
• Make new friends: The social aspect of play is vital for young children. Let’s Do! provides a safe and welcoming space for your child to interact with their peers and build friendships.
• Have fun! Let’s Do! is all about creating a fun and engaging environment where your child can learn through play.

Here’s a sneak peek at our exciting activities:

• July 29th | 2pm to 3pm : Let’s Kick It! – We’ll get those little legs moving with a fun football activity. Your child will have a go at developing their passing skills and dribbling and shooting at goal.
• August 5th | 2pm to 3pm : Let’s Dig! – Get ready for some messy fun as we explore the wonderful world of gardening. When engaged in gardening activities children have the opportunity to develop their understanding of the natural world, begin to appreciate its beauty and learn to take care of it.
• August 12th | 2pm to 3pm : Let’s Cook! – We’ll be whipping up some delicious treats in our Let’s Cook session! When engaged in the cooking programme the children will be introduced to new healthy ingredients, and encouraged to explore unknown tastes, smells and textures which will increase their exposure to a wide range of fruit and vegetables, herbs, spices and foods from a variety of cultures.
• August 19th | 2pm to 3pm : Let’s Make Music! – It’s time to unleash your child’s inner musician with a musical extravaganza! Music interweaves through all areas of learning and development with particular focus on children’s communication and language development.

Spaces are limited, so don’t miss out!

Call Toni today on 01726 711 88 to book your child’s spot.

P.S. Let’s Do! is completely free to attend. We just ask that you pre-book your child’s place to ensure we have enough supplies for everyone.

Each week, Happy Days Nursery Penrice will be offering exciting stay and play activities specifically designed for children under 5. It’s a great opportunity for your child to:

• Learn new skills: From mastering a football kick to planting seeds and creating musical masterpieces, Let’s Do! offers a variety of activities to spark their curiosity and development.
• Make new friends: The social aspect of play is vital for young children. Let’s Do! provides a safe and welcoming space for your child to interact with their peers and build friendships.
• Have fun! Let’s Do! is all about creating a fun and engaging environment where your child can learn through play.

Here’s a sneak peek at our exciting activities:

• July 29th | 2pm to 3pm : Let’s Kick It! – We’ll get those little legs moving with a fun football activity. Your child will have a go at developing their passing skills and dribbling and shooting at goal.
• August 5th | 2pm to 3pm : Let’s Dig! – Get ready for some messy fun as we explore the wonderful world of gardening. When engaged in gardening activities children have the opportunity to develop their understanding of the natural world, begin to appreciate its beauty and learn to take care of it.
• August 12th | 2pm to 3pm : Let’s Cook! – We’ll be whipping up some delicious treats in our Let’s Cook session! When engaged in the cooking programme the children will be introduced to new healthy ingredients, and encouraged to explore unknown tastes, smells and textures which will increase their exposure to a wide range of fruit and vegetables, herbs, spices and foods from a variety of cultures.
• August 19th | 2pm to 3pm : Let’s Make Music! – It’s time to unleash your child’s inner musician with a musical extravaganza! Music interweaves through all areas of learning and development with particular focus on children’s communication and language development.

Spaces are limited, so don’t miss out!

Call Toni today on 01726 711 88 to book your child’s spot.

P.S. Let’s Do! is completely free to attend. We just ask that you pre-book your child’s place to ensure we have enough supplies for everyone.

Each week, Happy Days Nursery Penrice will be offering exciting stay and play activities specifically designed for children under 5. It’s a great opportunity for your child to:

• Learn new skills: From mastering a football kick to planting seeds and creating musical masterpieces, Let’s Do! offers a variety of activities to spark their curiosity and development.
• Make new friends: The social aspect of play is vital for young children. Let’s Do! provides a safe and welcoming space for your child to interact with their peers and build friendships.
• Have fun! Let’s Do! is all about creating a fun and engaging environment where your child can learn through play.

Here’s a sneak peek at our exciting activities:

• July 29th | 2pm to 3pm : Let’s Kick It! – We’ll get those little legs moving with a fun football activity. Your child will have a go at developing their passing skills and dribbling and shooting at goal.
• August 5th | 2pm to 3pm : Let’s Dig! – Get ready for some messy fun as we explore the wonderful world of gardening. When engaged in gardening activities children have the opportunity to develop their understanding of the natural world, begin to appreciate its beauty and learn to take care of it.
• August 12th | 2pm to 3pm : Let’s Cook! – We’ll be whipping up some delicious treats in our Let’s Cook session! When engaged in the cooking programme the children will be introduced to new healthy ingredients, and encouraged to explore unknown tastes, smells and textures which will increase their exposure to a wide range of fruit and vegetables, herbs, spices and foods from a variety of cultures.
• August 19th | 2pm to 3pm : Let’s Make Music! – It’s time to unleash your child’s inner musician with a musical extravaganza! Music interweaves through all areas of learning and development with particular focus on children’s communication and language development.

Spaces are limited, so don’t miss out!

Call Toni today on 01726 711 88 to book your child’s spot.

P.S. Let’s Do! is completely free to attend. We just ask that you pre-book your child’s place to ensure we have enough supplies for everyone.

Case Study: The Hollies Daycare Nursery on the Camau Journey

2 mins

Jul 04, 2024

We opened our first nursery in 1991 and now operate 22 nurseries throughout the South West and Wales, with a further two opening in 2024!
With over thirty years of expert experience and an ethos to support children to become strong and motivated learners for life, we pride ourselves on providing a service to enable parents to work and live their daily lives knowing their children are cherished and cared for to the highest standard.

The Hollies Daycare Nursery was established in March 2002 and quickly established an excellent reputation for providing first-class quality care for children of pre-school age in the Canton area of Cardiff.

We are registered with Care Inspectorate Wales for 148 children. Opening hours are Monday to Friday 8am to 6pm.
We offer breakfast club, wrap around and after school club. We promote and offer the Childcare Offer in Wales.
to foster the development of the Welsh language and its culture in order to provide a continuum of care and education between home and nursery.

Where did you hear about Camau?

We wanted to increase our Welsh within our daily routine and contacted NDNA Cymru. A meeting was set up and we heard about Camau through the Welsh promise, and this is why we decided to get some staff on the training.

2 of our Staff, Kim and Sam embarked and complete the on the self-study Camau course. This Welsh language course is bespoke to the childcare and early years sector. The Camau Mynediad 1 gave us the basic Welsh, such as colours, number, pronunciations, and greetings.

Kim said:

“The course was helpful as it refreshed knowledge already known and it was good to be able to do this on my own time.”

Sam said:
“I now feel more confident to use more Welsh in the setting and be confident to converse with fluent Welsh speaking children. The course met expectations and I’m now doing the foundation 1 level”

How do you incorporate into your setting now?

Staff have been able to use more incidental Welsh when communicating with the children. As a setting we decided to enrol onto the Welsh Promise. As the Welsh Promise is a way for Childcare and Play settings to increase their use of Welsh and demonstrates that we are working towards achieving the Active Offer into manageable bite-sized sections.

We had to provide evidence to NDNA Cymru of our commitment to the language and to evaluate our use of Welsh within the setting. We ensure that the Welsh language is seen and heard through incidental Welsh being used by staff and we display greetings bilingually. Our display boards are all bilingual.

Here at the Hollies we provide learning opportunities for the children which include some Welsh and make every effort to greet people at the setting bilingually.

Some of our introductory paperwork is now available bilingually. We embrace and celebrate Welsh Language and culture by making special dates throughout they year and through stories, singing and variety of daily circle time activities.

We have attended 2 of the NDNA Cymru Welsh Language webinars, “Dydd Miwsig Cymru” and “amser stori”. The children really enjoy the webinars.

Welsh is incorporated daily through incidental Welsh, Welsh singing and stories, bilingual display boards

Case study: Case study The Hollies on the Camau journey V0.1 – March, 2024

Links to further support and resources:
Welsh language in nurseries and early years – NDNA

Back To News

S4 EP4: How Can You Use Boogie Mites At Home?

1 mins

Jul 01, 2024

Welcome back to our final episode of the series. We’ve been discussing all about Boogie Mites, the benefits of it and how it works in nursery settings. But how can you Boogie Mite outside of the nursery setting?

In this episode we’ll cover activities you can do, recourses available, tips, tricks and frequently asked questions.

Listen Here

Back To News

S4 EP3: What Are The Benefits Of Boogie Mites?

1 mins

Jul 01, 2024

Hello and welcome back to another season of the Happy Days Nursery Podcast. We’re super excited about this episode as we’ll be talking all about the science behind Boogie Mites and why it’s so beneficial for children, parents and nursery practitioners.

Listen Here

Back To News