Happy One Year Yeovil!

Yeovil were celebrating one year of being part of the Happy Days Nursery group. Formerly Yew Tree Nursery, the nursery has undergone a significant refurbishment since joining us. The newly designed spaces and fresh interiors provide a fantastic environment, perfectly equipped to provide children with the best start in life!

We’re so glad to have Yeovil as part of our growing Happy Days team.

Happy Days Nurseries and Pre-Schools is delighted to have been given the opportunity to expand its portfolio further with the acquisition of Teddy Bears Nursery School, increasing their portfolio to 29 settings across the South West, Wales, Surrey and into the South East of England.

Teddy Bears Nursery, located in Portsmouth, has been providing a high standard of care and education, offering a great service to the whole family, for nearly 20 years. Teddy Bears offer a structured, stimulating and varied routine to include exciting indoor and outdoor activities ensuring that all children are supported individually and receive the best care and education to assist them in reaching their full potential.

Marcia Viccars, Merger & Acquisitions Director, said, “We are thrilled to be growing our portfolio again with the acquisition of this fantastic nursery whose ethos of nurturing children in a warm, friendly environment aligns with our own, and we are looking forward to building on this.”

Kim Herbert, Managing Director for Happy Days Nurseries and Pre-Schools added,“ Teddy Bears values and beliefs of providing children with the very best care and education align with our own. The staff team will remain in place, and we look forward to working with them to support children to become strong and motivated learners for life and provide a top-class service to enable parents to work and live their daily lives knowing their children are cherished and cared for to the highest standard.”

Vicky Arenesarajah, the outgoing owner, said “Finding a buyer who places the same value on providing children with the building blocks they will use for the rest of their lives was extremely important to me, given the amount of passion I poured into Teddy Bears. Having the opportunity to get to know the Happy Days Team has reassured me that they do indeed share these values, and that they will take it from strength to strength.”

Happy Days Nurseries and Pre-Schools has now increased its total number of settings to 29, 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 www.happydaysnurseries.com

We are delighted to announce that from Monday 6th January 2025 Happy Days Nursery Droitwich will be visiting their local care home, Woodland View, weekly, for stay & play sessions with the residents.

They will be taking part in different activated such as singing, creative play, music & movement, and storytelling. These visits not only provide a boost for the residents, but studies have shown that children learn valuable social skills, and improves their communication, language, and literacy skills. You can read more about the benefits below:

Social Benefits for the Children

Children have often not spent a lot of time interacting with the older generation outside of their home and new experiences like this are a great way for children to practice the social skills they’ve picked up.

Communication and Language Benefits

Many children find it difficult to talk about personal and emotive feelings. The elderly can provide that space for the younger generation which allows them to open up without the worry of being judged or misunderstood.

Understanding of the World

One of the best benefits for children is that they can learn about ageing and develop an understanding and respect towards elderly people.

Increased empathy

Many of the older generations have mobility issues and children quickly realise that their new friends are a little different to the adults they are used to. Children learn to take care of the elderly and start to understand that people have different physical abilities.

Entertainment for Residents

The elderly are entertained by hearing children’s stories and singing along to nursery rhymes that they may have sung when they were younger. Not only that, but it’s precious to watch the children’s excitement when they get to sing or tell stories.

Taking part in activities

It’s an opportunity for Children to play games and sing songs with the residents who often long for company.

After developing all of the above points, children are left with an increase in self-confidence because of the positive interactions they gain with the elderly by feeling valued and important. Both have so much they can share and learn from one another.

Source – The benefits of children visiting a care home – Connect Childcare

Halloween Week at Happy Days, Droitwich

We visited the care home stay and play and has lots of activities going on throughout the week including, Halloween baking, potion making and painting and carving pumpkins!

Happy Days Nursery & Pre-School, Droitwich, celebrate receiving the Eco-Schools Green Flag Award!

Happy Days Nursery & Pre-School, Yew Tree Village, Droitwich Spa is delighted to have been successful in meeting the requirements for the Eco-Schools Green Flag Award.

Eco Schools is a global programme engaging millions of children across 67 different countries making it the largest environmental schools programme in the world. The Eco-Schools Green Flag accreditation follows a seven-step framework, enabling children to engage in a hands-on practical programme that empowers them to drive change and improve their environmental awareness. Whilst participating in the Eco School Programme children develop their understanding of important environmental issues. They develop skills and knowledge to enable them to play an active role in protecting the environment now and throughout their lifetimes, which has a positive impact on the planet.

When receiving their feedback from The Eco-Schools Team, it was noted that Happy Days, Droitwich, demonstrated the passion, engagement, and confidence of their Eco-Committee members that they can create positive environmental impacts in their nursery, local community, and beyond, even though they are only 4 years old. Furthermore, they went on to say, “When creating your Action Plan, your Eco-Committee has thoughtfully considered how their Eco-School’s activities can involve and benefit their entire nursery community and beyond. Your Curriculum links exemplify your nursery’s commitment to environmental education, placing it at the forefront of sustainable learning. You have educated, inspired, and empowered young people in your nursery, and they are now carrying this passion into their homes and community, sharing it with friends and family.”

Finally, the Eco-Schools Team ended their assessment with, “It has been an absolute joy assessing your application and learning about the impact you have had, not only on our planet but also on the young people you work with every day. We can’t emphasize this enough—take great pride in your achievements, and congratulations on your Eco-Schools’ Green Flag 2024!”

Ashley Webb, Nursery Manager, stated, “This is another fantastic achievement for the team, and we are so pleased to have gained this accreditation. Our eco-school committee continue to meet and develop and extend their activities to protect the environment in the nursery, the local community and beyond.”

Sam Richardson, Early Years Operations Manager for the nursery, commented, “We are incredibly proud of Ashley and her team, they have worked tirelessly since the nursery opened last year to build a fantastic environment, providing quality care, for the local Droitwich community. The feedback they received is superb and I look forward to watching them build on this.”

Happy Days Nursery, Droitwich is located in the heart of the Yew Tree Village estate and is committed to serving the local community, providing quality childcare and education. Visit our webpage to find out more about Happy Days, Droitwich and to book your personalised tour: https://happydaysnurseries.com/our-nurseries/yew-tree-village-droitwich/

Happy Days Nurseries and Pre-Schools expands its portfolio with the acquisition of Tiddlers Day Nursery and Pre-School

Happy Days Nurseries and Pre-Schools is delighted to have been given the opportunity to expand its portfolio further with the acquisition of Tiddlers Day Nursery and Pre-School. This increases their presence in the Bristol & Bath area to eight settings.

Tiddlers Day Nursery opened in March 1997 and has been at the centre of Early Years care in Saltford since then. Babies and Toddlers are cared for in a converted bungalow on the main A4 between Bristol and Bath, with Pre-School and Before/After School Care based at a new purpose-built setting at Saltford Primary School. With a vision to ‘provide the highest quality of care and education in a warm, loving and safe environment’, Tiddlers Day Nursery fits perfectly with the mission and vision of Happy Days of providing inspiring childcare and education, where every child shines and nurturing every child to become a learner for life, enabling their future success.

Marcia Viccars, Merger & Acquisitions Director, said, “We are thrilled to be growing our portfolio again with the acquisition of this fantastic nursery whose ethos of nurturing children in a warm, friendly environment aligns with our own, and we are looking forward to building on this. We would also like to take this opportunity to thank our Solicitors, Brabners, for their support with this acquisition and the agent, Chelsea Melnyk, Associate Director at Abacus Day Nursery Sales & Blacks Business Brokers, part of Business Transfer Group.

Kim Herbert, Managing Director for Happy Days Nurseries and Pre-Schools added,“ As soon as we met Sally Turner and viewed her fantastic nursery we knew this was a setting we wanted to be associated with as her values and beliefs of providing children with the very best care and education align with our own. The staff team at Tiddlers Day Nursery and Pre-School will remain in place and we look forward to working with them to support children to become strong and motivated learners for life and provide a top-class service to enable parents to work and live their daily lives knowing their children are cherished and cared for to the highest standard.”

Sally Turner, the outgoing owner, said, “After owning Tiddlers Day Nurseries for nearly 24 years I have decided to step back and spend more time with my family. Saltford is a wonderful village and it has been a pleasure getting to know all the lovely families in the area. Caring for the children and watching them grow over the years has been a privilege and I have loved been part of these little people’s lives. I have been fortunate to employ some amazing staff, who will continue to work at Tiddlers and maintain the high standards of care. Handing over to Happy Day Nurseries ensures that the children and families will be at the heart of everything they do, and I strongly believe they are the best company to look after Tiddlers. I would like to thank Marcia Viccars from Happy Days for her knowledge, skills and patience during the acquisition and Chubb Bulleid solicitors in Street who have provided an excellent service.

Tiddlers has a special place in my heart and although a sad time for me personally it’s an exciting time for Tiddlers.”

Happy Days Nurseries and Pre-Schools has now increased its total number of settings to 28, 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 www.happydaysnurseries.com.

Happy Days Nurseries & Pre-Schools officially opened its doors in Verwood on Tuesday, September 24th, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony attended by Deputy Mayor Councillor Toni Coombs.

Deputy Mayor Coombs toured the newly purpose built nursery, met the enthusiastic staff, and praised the nurturing environment designed to foster young minds. The highlight of the ceremony was a collaborative ribbon cutting, officially marking the nursery’s opening to the Verwood community.

In addition to Deputy Mayor Coombs, other guests at the event included Happy Days Directors and Senior Team leaders, as well as Councillor Simon Gibson and the Atkins family – Nick, Jim, and Oscar – who were the developers behind this exciting project.

“We are thrilled to finally welcome families to Happy Days Verwood,” said Kim Herbert, Managing Director for Happy Days. “This purpose-built nursery boasts stimulating learning spaces and a beautiful outdoor area, providing the perfect environment for children to learn, play, and grow.”

Deputy Mayor Coombs echoed the sentiment, stating, “The Happy Days Verwood facility is truly impressive. From the engaging classrooms to the expansive outdoor play area, it’s clear that children will thrive here. I’m delighted to see this fantastic resource become part of the Verwood community.”

Happy Days Verwood is now accepting enrolments and invites families to schedule a tour to experience the nursery firsthand.

Phone: 01202 806 004 | Email: verwood@happydaysnurseries.com

📖Strong and Confident Communicator📖

The children in Droitwich Adventurers have been exploring their favourite books. We aim to support a lifelong love of reading at the nursery, which underpins many of our daily activities and routines. The children have enjoyed sharing them with their peers and practitioners and explaining why it is special to them. The children have then developed this further by creating their own version of the story and acting out the story with puppets and props.

This activity forms part of our Strong and Confident Communicator which is a part of the unique Happy Days ‘Where Children Shine Curriculum’. This activity is developing and enabling the children to talk about events and principal characters in stories, retelling stories and to use talk imaginatively in their play.😄

We all enjoyed exploring “The Tiger That Came For Tea” and “The Gruffalo” which proved to be a lot of children’s favourite bedtime story.

Happy Days Nursery and Pre-School, Droitwich are celebrating a significant milestone as it commemorates its first year of operation. The occasion was marked with a cheerful event attended by ex elected mayor Cllr Kate Fellows, staff members and children.

A purpose built nursery & pre-school, perfectly located within the heart of Yew Tree Village, just south of Droitwich Spa. After opening in September 2023 the nursery has illuminated tranquillity with neutral and calming environments to enrich play and learning opportunities for children.

Amongst celebrating a successful first year of operation, Ashley, the manager of Droitwich was presented with a certificate and flowers to commemorate becoming a finalists in Nursery Management Today NMT Awards 2024. Well deserved recognition of the immense dedication and effort Ashley has put into Happy Days Nursery, Droitwich over the last year.

The nursery send special thanks to Cllr Kate Fellows for joining Happy Days Nursery and Pre-School, Droitwich on the day of celebration. The team would also like to pay thanks to The Wedding House for providing an incredible balloon arch that sat within the nursery.

The birthday celebration of Happy Days Nursery was not only a significant achievement for the nursery but also a proof of the strong sense of community that has developed among parents, early years practitioners, and Local Authority. As Happy Days Nursery enters its second year in Droitwich, the team looks forward to pursuing its mission of nurturing every child to become a lifelong learner and to enable their future success.

To find out more about Happy Days Nursery and Pre-School, Droitwich click here, to book a tour and view this incredible space click here. Alternatively you can get in touch with the nursery via the contact information below.

Phone: 01905 590500 | Email: droitwich@happydaysnurseries.com