The award-winning Puddleduck Preschools & Day Nurseries in Ascot, Berkshire, has been sold to Grandir UK, which already operates 80 educational facilities across the country.

Established in 2016, Puddleduck Preschools & Day Nurseries comprises two settings; Puddleduck Pre-School St Martins in Church Road, which caters for children aged from 10 months to two years; and Puddleduck Pre-School & Day Nursery Ascot in Priory Road, which caters for children aged 2-5 years.

The settings are located close together, so children typically transition between the two around their second birthday.

The settings have been thoughtfully planned to consider children’s interests and needs, with play at the heart of their learning.

And The Priory setting boasts a beautiful 40-acre woodland that the preschool utilises for its forest school.

The settings were founded by new mums, Laura Woodcock and Kristin Wright, who grew the business from strength to strength, leading it to win the Nursery World Award for Preschool of the Year in 2020.

Wright now lives in Canada with her family and they will continue to operate their two other preschools with Woodcock at the helm.

The sale has enabled them to regain a better work-life balance and allows them to spend more quality time with their children.

Grandir UK purchased the two settings for an undisclosed sum following a confidential sales process overseen by Sophie Willcox at Christie & Co.

Lydia Hopper, chief executive of Grandir UK, said: “Kristen and Laura have successfully crafted a stellar reputation providing childcare solutions to families in the local area.

“They have confidently left the nursery in Grandir UK’s capable hands to continue to provide high-quality childcare where children will enjoy an enriched and unique range of education programmes, along with nurturing and inspiring learning environments.”