Sunbeams are a high-quality group of nurseries in Leeds and Harrogate that will strengthen and support Kids Planet’s existing presence in those areas.

Sunbeams Nursery Group is a privately owned day nursery and out of school club group which, across its four operational settings, has a combined capacity for 324 children and a further 60 children in out of school provision. It also includes a freehold site in Lazencroft which is currently being renovated and, once complete, will add a further 132 childcare places to the group.

The four Sunbeams nurseries are committed to meeting the needs of babies, toddlers and pre-schoolers in their own special areas.

Nick Brown, director & head of Brokerage – Childcare & Education at Christie & Co, commented: “As you would expect with nurseries of this calibre, the interest was high and, after several offers from a number of high-profile buyers, Andrew and Kate decided to progress with Kids Planet. I am sure that this will prove to be a great addition to their portfolio. The demand for high-quality settings across Yorkshire over the last few years has grown to levels not seen before. With a number of recent high-profile sales brokered by our team, and now with the sale of Sunbeams and with more in the pipeline, this is all great news for this area.”

Clare Roberts, chief executive at Kids Planet Day Nurseries, said:

“The Sunbeams group of nurseries perfectly complement our own values and ethos, and place strong emphasis on providing enabling environments for each unique child. The four settings take us to 147 nurseries across the UK and I look forward to welcoming them into the Kids Planet family.”

Kate and Andrew Plews, former owners of Sunbeams, said:

“Our focus with Sunbeams was to develop its people, with a culture of learning, where strong leadership, knowledge and autonomy could flourish. We are proud of what is a truly inspirational team delivering outstanding childcare and environments, which builds excellent foundations for life-long learning.

“Finding the right home for Sunbeams was incredibly important to us. We chose Kids Planet because they have the same values and ethos, with the capability to further develop the team and deliver high quality childcare.”

Sunbeams Day Nursery Group was sold for an undisclosed price.