The Teddies Nursery Group has been bought by Bright Horizons Family Solutions from BUPA for an undisclosed sum.

The acquisition of the 32 Teddies nurseries, along with the 101 settings it has across the UK, means that the US-based Bright Horizons has overtaken Busy Bees as the UK’s largest nursery groups with 133 day nurseries. Bright Horizons also has 12 day nurseries in the Republic of Ireland.

The sale is the first major acquisition in the private day nursery sector since Busy Bees bought the Leapfrog day nursery group from Nord Anglia for £31.2m in September 2007.

Stephen Kramer, Bright Horizons managing director, said, “BUPA has built an outstanding programme with the Teddies Nurseries, and we are excited to continue on that mission. 

“Excellent childcare replicates much of a good and loving home, where caring adults nurture children and help them grow and learn, and creating these environments in our nurseries begins with outstanding support of staff and the work that they do. 

“We are proud to welcome the Teddies Nurseries, their children, families and staff to the Bright Horizons family and into our home.”

He told Childcarer that the company was excited to have acquired Teddies and that the brand would continue “for the foreseeable future”.

BUPA’s sale of Teddies to Bright Horizons means that private health company is no longer in the childcare sector.

Mark Ellerby, managing director of BUPA Care Services, said, “Teddies is an excellent business with a highly-motivated and well-trained team providing high-quality childcare. 

“However, we believe that it has a greater opportunity to continue to grow as part of a group whose core business and focus is childcare and early year’s education.”

”Bright Horizons share a similar outlook and values to Teddies. The company is committed to the same long-term goals of providing quality, individually-tailored childcare. “