Bright Stars Childcare day nursery in Sutton-in-Ashfield, Nottinghamshire, has been sold to Storal, taking the early years provider to 33 registered settings across England.

Bright Stars Childcare is a highly-regarded, ‘Good’-rated day nursery that offers a ‘home from home’ atmosphere.

It was originally founded by Karen and Peter Quinton as a childminding business in 2004 which traded from their home.

The business transitioned to childcare on domestic premises in 2012 and, in 2022, was re-registered to childcare on non-domestic premises as the pair moved out of the residential part of the property and converted this to additional nursery space to now offer 73 places.

With an abundance of outdoor space and a highly-qualified and long-tenured staff team, the sale attracted a lot of interest.

Led by David Eaves at Christie & Co, the site has now been purchased by Storal.

Sarah Mackenzie, chief executive at Storal, said: “We’re delighted to welcome Bright Stars Childcare, which shares Storal’s passion and ethos around early childhood education.

“We were attracted to the nursery due to its emphasis on ensuring children’s experiences at the nursery are memorable and educational, its positive local reputation, not just with parents but with local agencies and local schools too, and its high-quality facilities.

“As with all of our acquisitions, we look forward to blending Bright Star Childcare’s strengths with Storal’s values and strong support structure whilst embracing its uniqueness and individual story.”

Eaves added: “Since first meeting Karen and Peter over two years ago we have navigated the change of use from childcare on domestic premises to childcare on non-domestic premises, the change of planning to increase the capacity to 73 places, and the relative merits of a leasehold vs freehold sale.

“Having overcome these hurdles, we were delighted to introduce Storal and I’m sure Sarah and the team will build on the fantastic legacy Karen and Peter leave behind.

“This is a further example of the continued high levels of demand for good opportunities across the East Midlands and beyond.”

Bright Stars Childcare was sold for an undisclosed price.