Children's nurseries to acquire in the South West
Updated 9 November 2026
Looking to acquire a children's nursery in the South West? Firmbase ranks 228 children's nurseries using public company information to help buyers prioritise firms for research and potential outreach. The Approach Score ranks firms using public signals including director age and tenure, ownership, business scale, financial strength and recent changes. These firms are not listed for sale, and the ranking does not indicate that an owner is considering a sale.
The median firm has 19 staff and has been in business for 8 years; 5 firms are owned by groups that have acquired several firms in this sector. Looking beyond the South West? Explore the full UK list of children's nurseries.
228
Firms
UK 3,244
22%
Every director 55+
UK 20%
39%
Held 75%+ by one person
UK 42%
8
Median years in business
UK 9
19
Median headcount
UK 16
£250k to £500k
Median turnover band
UK £250k to £500k · includes our estimates
5 firms owned by 1 group that has bought several firms in this sector. That is 2% of this list, against 2% across the UK. The group is Happy Days Nurseries. To have a group's name removed, email dave@firmbase.co.
Towns with the most firms
- Bristol 50 firms
- Bournemouth 25 firms
- Plymouth 15 firms
The first 25 firms, in Approach Score order
| Rank | Firm | Approach Score | The facts behind the score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Happy Hours Nursery North Somerset | Approach Score 86/100 |
More about this firm
Company no. 04966965 · Companies House |
| 2 | Pixieland (south West) Plymouth, Devon | Approach Score 84/100 |
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Company no. 04541081 · Companies House |
| 3 | Bright Eyes Nursery ST Austell, Cornwall A director sits on 4 or more companies | Approach Score 84/100 |
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Company no. 09839234 · Companies House |
| 4 | Sunbeams & Buddies Day Care Blandford Forum, Dorset | Approach Score 83/100 |
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Company no. 06222690 · Companies House |
| 5 | Fledglings DAY Nursery (fishponds) Bristol | Approach Score 83/100 |
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Company no. 12168986 · Companies House |
| 6 | Childrens House Childcare Axminster, Devon | Approach Score 83/100 |
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Company no. 09230215 · Companies House |
| 7 | Stonecroft DAY Nursery Midsomer Norton, Bath & North East Somerset | Approach Score 81/100 |
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Company no. 08333529 · Companies House |
| 8 | Hassock Moor Childcare & OUT of School Club Langport, Somerset | Approach Score 79/100 |
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Company no. 12505235 · Companies House |
| 9 | Compton Valley Nursery Paignton, Devon | Approach Score 79/100 |
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Company no. 07877031 · Companies House |
| 10 | ABC Day Nursery & Pre-school Cullompton, Devon | Approach Score 79/100 |
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Company no. 07569759 · Companies House |
| 11 | Cherished Care Devon Honiton, Devon | Approach Score 78/100 |
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Company no. 11649994 · Companies House |
| 12 | Shell 123 Tetbury, Gloucestershrie | Approach Score 78/100 |
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Company no. 07533320 · Companies House |
| 13 | Playaways Neighbourhood Nursery Glastonbury | Approach Score 77/100 |
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Company no. 04635696 · Companies House |
| 14 | Hickory Dickorys DAY Nursery Cheltenham, Gloucestershire | Approach Score 77/100 |
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Company no. 08071951 · Companies House |
| 15 | Anchor DAY Nursery Bristol A director sits on 4 or more companies | Approach Score 77/100 |
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Company no. 11102568 · Companies House |
| 16 | Ark In The Park Newton Abbot | Approach Score 77/100 |
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Company no. 04515967 · Companies House |
| 17 | SHC (weston-Super-Mare) Weston-Super-Mare, Somerset | Approach Score 76/100 |
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Company no. 08449837 · Companies House |
| 18 | Ready Steady GO Childcare Weston-Super-Mare | Approach Score 76/100 |
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Company no. 08518609 · Companies House |
| 19 | S & D Childcare Bridgwater | Approach Score 75/100 |
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Company no. 08314671 · Companies House |
| 20 | St Michael's Nursery Bideford, Devon A director sits on 4 or more companies | Approach Score 75/100 |
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Company no. 08422514 · Companies House |
| 21 | Pixieland (saltash) Plymouth, Devon | Approach Score 75/100 |
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Company no. 07295450 · Companies House |
| 22 | Apple Blossom DAY Nursery Exeter, Devon | Approach Score 74/100 |
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Company no. 06523345 · Companies House |
| 23 | ST Winnow Childcare Lostwithiel, Cornwall | Approach Score 74/100 |
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Company no. 09806386 · Companies House |
| 24 | The Learning Tree Truro, Cornwall | Approach Score 74/100 |
More about this firm
Company no. 12528965 · Companies House |
| 25 | First Friends Mangotsfield Bristol | Approach Score 74/100 |
More about this firm
Company no. 07487498 · Companies House |
203 more firms are in the list, in Approach Score order.
You're seeing the first 25. Buy all 228 for £799 + VAT, with the facts behind each score, director names, shareholders and financials.
Buy the list of all 228 firms, with director names, ages and shareholders
Each row comes with the facts behind its score, financials with dates and contact details.
What's in the file
One row per firm, in Approach Score order, as Excel + CSV.
It holds the facts behind each score, points for each part of the score, financials with dates, publicly available contact details, where identified, director names and named shareholders.
Some people with significant control appear as Other individual, with no further detail. Director email lookups are not included.
How this list is filtered
- 5 or more staff, from filed headcount or our estimate where none is filed.
- Registered office in the South West.
How this list is built
The Approach Score ranks firms mainly on public Companies House information about owner tenure and age, ownership, size, financial strength and recent register changes.
Firms with higher scores appear first in each list.
Use the ranking to order research, then check each business directly.
What it does not mean
No firm here is for sale, and the score says nothing about any owner's plans.
At least 95% of the firms where we hold directors had them checked in or after November 2026.
What we do not cover
Regulatory information is not included in this list. Buyers should check the relevant register as part of their due diligence. Check Ofsted's registered childcare search in England, Scotland's Care Inspectorate directory and Care Inspectorate Wales's service search. In Northern Ireland, confirm registration with the relevant health and social care trust.
Why age bands but no people's names
Age bands come from the month and year of birth on Companies House. This page shows no exact ages and no people's names. Both come with the purchased list. The band edges from 45 to 65 are the ages where the score changes. A row shows no age bands when a director's surname is in the firm's name, its group's name or its website. Those directors' ages still count towards the score.
Is this your firm?
You can ask us to take it off every acquisition page, and out of every list we sell after that. Give us your name and work email, and we send you a link to confirm. If your email address is on the firm's own website domain, the firm comes off once you confirm. If it is not, a person reviews your request first. A list already sold stays with its buyer.
To have personal data erased, see our privacy policy.
Other areas
Buy the list of all 228 firms, with director names, ages and shareholders
Each row comes with the facts behind its score, financials with dates and contact details.