The Old Station Nursery

What The Old Station Nursery does

The Old Station Nursery Group is a UK-headquartered operator of 71+ day nurseries caring for up to 4,744 children aged 0-5 across seven regions — East Midlands, East of England, London, North of England, South East, South West, and West Midlands. Founded in 2002 by Sarah Steel (current Managing Director) and headquartered in Bampton, the group joined La Maison Bleue, one of Europe's largest nursery groups, in 2019 and operates under the legal entity The Old Station Nursery Limited. Its core product is regulated early-years childcare delivered under the statutory EYFS framework, wrapped in a proprietary pedagogical layer called the All Aboard Approach and supplemented by the Brighter Learning Approach and an Enhancements Programme covering Forest Schools, Organic, Cookery, Languages, and Montessori-inspired modules. A Next Stop School programme supports school-readiness transition, and a Parent App provides daily communication, invoicing, and incident reporting. The group holds multiple Ofsted 'Good' and 'Outstanding' ratings across the estate and Millie's Mark paediatric first-aid accreditation at select sites.

The business model is direct-to-consumer recurring subscription: parents pay monthly in advance for nursery sessions not covered by government funding (15 hours/week for 9-month to 4-year-olds, 30 hours/week for 3-4-year-olds), with add-on charges for meals, consumables, and enhancements. Tax-Free Childcare and childcare vouchers are accepted, NHS and military discounts are offered, and fees vary by nursery with a non-refundable registration fee. Pricing is location-specific and not publicly disclosed at the line-item level; operational disclosures include a £25 late payment charge, £25 admin fee on refunds, and £10-per-15-minute late collection fee. The group runs an active M&A roll-up strategy, having acquired Small Friends Day Nursery (March 2020), Catherine House Day Nurseries (August 2022), and Little Green Rascals (March 2023), and pursues an official charity partnership with Rainbow Trust Children's Charity launched in June 2024.

Name

The Old Station Nursery

Legal name

The Old Station Nursery Limited

Website

https://theoldstationnursery.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

The Old Station Nursery Group operates 71+ UK day nurseries caring for up to 4,744 children aged 0-5 across 7 regions, delivering EYFS-based early-years education via its proprietary All Aboard Approach and enhancement modules under La Maison Bleue ownership.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Childcare and Early Years Education

NAICS

Child Care Services (62441), Child Care Services (6244)

SIC

Services-Child Day Care Services (8351)

akta.pro primary industry

Full-Day Nursery Programs (EDACACAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Nursery School Programs (2–4 Years) (EDACACAB)

Keywords

• Early childhood education
• Day nursery services
• Childcare services
• EYFS curriculum delivery
• Preschool education

Headquarters

HQ city

Bampton

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices72 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Private Nursery Fees: Fee-paying parents pay for childcare sessions not covered by government funding. Each nursery has its own fee schedule with additional terms. Full-time discount available for children attending all year round, 5 full days per week.
2. Government-Funded Childcare: Working parents receive government funding: 15 hours weekly for children 9 months to 4 years, 30 hours weekly for 3-4 year olds. Additional charges apply for meals, consumables, and extras not covered by funding.
3. Tax-Free Childcare Payments: Accepts Tax-Free Childcare payments and vouchers as payment method, which can take 5 working days to be received.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Old Station Nursery Group operates a network of 71+ day nurseries across the UK providing early years education and childcare for children from birth to 5 years. The service follows the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) framework enhanced by the proprietary All Aboard Approach curriculum, with additional enhancement options (Forest Schools, Organic, Cookery, Languages, Montessori-inspired) and a Next Stop School readiness programme. Parents pay private nursery fees, supplemented by UK government-funded childcare hours (15 hours for 9 months to 4 years, 30 hours for 3-4 year olds).

Product overview

The Old Station Nursery Group is a platform of daycare nurseries providing early years education across 71+ UK locations under multiple sub-brands (Old Station Nurseries, Sandhill Nurseries, Sunhill Nurseries, Small Friends, Townsend Montessori, and others). The core offering is built around the All Aboard Approach curriculum following the Early Years Foundation Stage framework. Add-on modules include Forest School, Organic (with SOIL ASSOCIATION/Food For Life accreditation), Cookery, Languages, and Montessori-inspired programs. The Next Stop School module provides school readiness support. Individual nurseries may offer additional enhancements such as Makaton, yoga, gardening, music, science activities, and sports programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Day Nursery Childcare Services UK-wide network of daycare nurseries providing early years education and childcare for children from birth to 5 years, operating 71+ locations across East Midlands, East of England, London, North of England, South East, South West, and West Midlands regions. Includes EYFS-aligned curriculum delivery, government-funded childcare hours (15 or 30 hours), private fee-paying sessions, key carer approach, SEND support, and on-site meals.
• All Aboard Approach Curriculum Proprietary pedagogical framework delivering the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) curriculum through real-life opportunities, hands-on experiences, and child-led learning. Organised around six core areas (Confident Speakers and Communicators, Mini Maths, My Happy and Healthy Self, Raving Readers, Super Steam, Wonderful World) that promote active engagement, critical thinking, exploration, creativity, and collaboration.
• Next Stop School Programme School readiness initiative supporting children and families through the transition to primary school. Includes school activities, teacher meet and greets, graduation ceremonies, home link learning kits, and £30 Clarks vouchers for graduating children.
• Forest School Enhancement Optional outdoor learning programme connecting children with nature through environmental education, wilderness survival techniques, and ecological conservation activities in forest areas, available at select nurseries.
• Organic Enhancement Programme using organic ingredients in meals and cooking activities, with partnerships with SOIL Association and Food For Life for accreditation at participating nurseries (e.g. Granta Park).
• Cookery Enhancement Hands-on cooking classes for children teaching measuring, counting skills, and following instructions using child-safe equipment and 'cool touch' ovens, available at select nurseries.
• Languages Enhancement Age-appropriate language lessons including baby-signing and language songs, stories, and books to support language development, available at select nurseries.
• Montessori Inspired Enhancement Teaching approach emphasising independence, confidence, and love for learning using real-life materials, carefully prepared environments, and hands-on activities that promote practical life skills, problem-solving and focus. Featured prominently at Townsend Montessori Nursery Maidstone.

Quantifiable outcome

• 9.6/10 average rating on daynurseries.co.uk from 4,941 reviews
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Rainbow Trust Children's CharitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2024Official charity partnership launched in June 2024. The Old Station Nursery Group raised £11,971 for Rainbow Trust during the first year of the partnership. The charity provides vital emotional and practical support to families caring for a seriously ill child. Fundraising activities took place throughout the year with key months in July, October, and December.
• SOIL AssociationminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Partnership for organic food accreditation at The Old Station Nursery Granta Park, working alongside Food For Life for accreditation.
• Food For LifeminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Partnership for organic food accreditation at The Old Station Nursery Granta Park, working alongside SOIL Association.
• Little Green RascalscoreOthers · 16 March 2023Acquisition completed March 2023. Little Green Rascals, a York-based organic children's nursery founded in 2009, was acquired by The Old Station Nursery Group. The acquisition aims to build on Little Green Rascals' eco-friendly ethos and improve support and education for children across the combined network.
• Catherine House Day NurseriescoreOthers · 22 August 2022Acquisition completed August 2022. Catherine House, a group of four well-established nurseries in the West Midlands and London, with 35 years of experience, joined The Old Station Nursery Group. This expanded the group to caring for up to 4,744 children across 71 nurseries.
• Small Friends Day NurserycoreOthers · 27 March 2020Acquisition completed March 2020. Small Friends Day Nursery, an Ofsted rated 'Outstanding' nursery situated in Leigh-on-Sea, joined The Old Station Nursery Group. The nursery offers year-round care for up to 72 children, operating from 7:30am to 6:30pm. Previously an independent nursery with 17+ years of history.
• La Maison BleuecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019The Old Station Nursery Group joined La Maison Bleue in 2019. La Maison Bleue is a larger nursery group founded in 2004 and is now one of the largest nursery groups in Europe, with operations across Switzerland, France, and Luxembourg.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Kidsunlimited (Busy Bees): Kidsunlimited is a UK nursery chain now part of Busy Bees, offering full-day nursery care and early-years education. It is a direct peer with comparable curriculum-led positioning and parent-funded plus government-funded revenue structure.
• Tops Day Nurseries: Tops Day Nurseries is a UK-based nursery group offering full-day childcare and early-years education across multiple regions, with a similar mix of private fees and government-funded hours. It is a direct competitor in the multi-site UK nursery operator space.
• Partou: Partou is one of the largest UK nursery groups, operating over 180 settings. It is a direct peer competing in the same multi-region, full-day nursery segment with comparable reliance on government funding and parent fees.
• Busy Bees Nurseries: Busy Bees is the UK's largest nursery group operating hundreds of nurseries nationwide. It is the most directly comparable peer to The Old Station Nursery Group in terms of multi-region UK footprint, full-day nursery offerings following EYFS, and parent-funded plus government-funded revenue mix.
• Storal Learning: Storal Learning is a UK nursery group that operates and acquires nurseries across multiple regions. It competes directly with The Old Station Nursery Group for parent customers and follows a similar roll-up consolidation strategy, making it a strong direct peer.
• N Family Club: N Family Club is a fast-growing UK nursery group offering full-day childcare and early-years education across multiple regions. It directly competes with The Old Station Nursery Group for working-parent customers using government funding, with a comparable premium-brand positioning and urban/suburban focus.
• Childbase Partnership: Childbase Partnership operates a network of day nurseries across the UK providing full-day childcare and early-years education. It is a closely comparable direct peer in terms of multi-site UK nursery operations, government-funded hour participation, and parent subscription revenue model.

Broad incumbents

• Bright Horizons Family Solutions: Bright Horizons is a major global operator of nurseries and early-years centres with a substantial UK presence. It overlaps directly with The Old Station Nursery's full-day nursery model but operates at significantly larger scale and also serves corporate-sponsored employer childcare partnerships, making it a broader incumbent peer.

Emerging players

• Banana Moon Day Nurseries: Banana Moon is a UK nursery franchise with multiple sites providing full-day childcare and early-years education. It overlaps with The Old Station Nursery's core offering but as a smaller, franchise-based operator rather than a unified corporate group.
• Family First Nurseries: Family First Nurseries is a UK nursery operator with a growing network of settings providing full-day childcare. It is an emerging peer competing in overlapping UK regions with comparable service offerings, though at smaller scale than The Old Station Nursery Group.

Market position

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/TOSNgroup
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@theoldstationnurserygroup
• Facebookfacebook.com/TheOldStationNurseryGroup
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/about
• Instagraminstagram.com/oldstationnursery
• Pinterestpinterest.co.uk/TOSNgroup

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A1 record

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Old Station Nursery