A new chapter for Storal: Welcoming Children 1st Day Nurseries

We are delighted to announce the acquisition of Children 1st Day Nurseries, a well-respected nursery group that has been a leading light of early years education since 1988.

Since its founding by Margaret Mason, Children 1st has grown into renowned nursery group and training centre serving the Midlands and South Yorkshire. Margaret has been a true leader in the sector for over three decades with an outstanding dedication to raising the standards of early years education.

Margaret shared her excitement about the next chapter for Children 1st, saying,

“I can’t imagine it in better hands. It’s been my focus for so many years and I’m delighted that it will continue to flourish under Storal’s management. I’m so proud of the amazing and experienced team who have built Children 1st alongside me for so long, and I’m confident that Sarah is the right person to lead them and the business into the future, with her experience and long-term commitment to delivering quality provision and team wellbeing. I also know from our discussions that Storal share our core values, and have the backing and resources to move what we’ve built at Children 1st forward.”

Sarah Mackenzie, our Chief Executive Officer, expressed her admiration for Margaret’s legacy,

“I’ve been following Children 1st from afar for many years. Throughout my career, I’ve looked to Children 1st as one of the great pioneers of high quality early years education in the sector. I have enormous admiration for everything Margaret has built and believe she has created an everlasting legacy – both at Children 1st and in the wider sector.”

With the addition of Children 1st, at Storal, we now proudly offer over 5,000 childcare places across our nurseries. While we continue to grow, our core focus remains unchanged – supporting our team members and delivering care that is authentic to the individual communities, families, and children we serve.

As we begin this exciting new journey together with Children 1st, our mutual commitment to quality, care, and community will remain at the heart of everything we do, ensuring every child has the best possible start in life.