I was amazed at the amount of documentation I had to provide, from Ofsted registration certificates and finances to building planning permission. Buyers are looking for deals and are prepared to work to tight timescales to secure the right opportunities. Nurseries which have strong local reputations are attractive to groups who want to grow. And the children are well-behaved and happy. As an applicant for the Early Years Register youll have to jump through a number of potentially time-consuming hoops. It was more of a celebration of what we had accomplished together as a nursery. This process, while sounding simple enough, can be tedious and costly if not done. Weve never done this before, Ensure that all staff have a clear understanding of the Early Years inspection handbook, Audit your setting against the grade descriptors in the Early Years, Ready all documents and tidy anything necessary during the 24 hours notice period, Notify parents immediately and encourage them to be a part of the inspection process, Establish an open and honest dialogue with the inspector from the outset, Be able to provide evidence of the high quality care being provided at your setting, Be ready to demonstrate that all children's needs have been assessed in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic, Be prepared to discuss policies and procedures at your setting - and how they place paramount importance on children's well being, Ensure that your learning walk is well-prepared and highlights the positives at your nursery, Also provide evidence of reflective practice - with relevant examples, Encourage staff to focus on their valuable contributions and achievements during the inspection, Help prepare staff by familiarising them with expected questions and encouraging calmness with open discussions on previous inspection experiences, Try not to panic and remember not to attempt anything new or untested on the day. In particular, you need to carefully check the remaining term of the lease; it may be there is only a few months tenure remaining, which is clearly unsatisfactory for the future stability and saleability of your business. You will need to apply to register as a daycare if you will be looking after children aged up to the 31 August following their fifth birthday in: You must register with Ofsted unless you plan to work with 3 or more people in someones home. I sold it last year as a 68-place nursery with a before- and after-school club and minibus. Advice about buying a preschool please? | Mumsnet As you might imagine, all of this checking takes time. What Are The Average Solicitors Fees For Buying Or Selling A Business? We designed our own logo and adopted the strapline Intelligent Daycare, based on the way our focus was on the child, not merely the convenience of the staff. So, if youre interested in buying a childrens nursery, as well as giving your attention to the financials, the best thing you can do to try and avoid problems both with Ofsted and the landlord of the premises is to give them your focus early on in the transaction process. Operational reports to give you the data you need. But, of course, this is far from an ideal start for any new nursery business. Easily shared with your team. Section 3: How well the Early Years provision meets the needs of the range of children who attend. The inspection at the nursery, which has 122 children on roll, took place on January 21. Our main piece of advice is to prepare these the day before the inspection. Show your inspector the impact your setting has on your observations and assessments for each child. Those nurseries that have plenty of outdoor space have found the bubbles and social distancing easier than those that dont. You have accepted additional cookies. One thing becoming more of a necessity for future acquisitions will be outdoor space, says Ms Caldwell. If you are interested in understanding the Areas of Inspection in detail, then please feel free to . Take note of your policies and procedures. Had we been newcomers, this would have broken us. Gather all the essential paperwork that buyers will want to see. Fairly large registrations those with a capacity of over 60 are still predominantly of main interest to acquirers. Fortunately, mine was the winning bid. You can change your cookie settings at any time. Providing childcare services in England - GOV.UK Buying a Nursery Franchise. I contacted Redwoods because Id seen adverts in Nursery World and found them really knowledgeable. OFSTED Requirements All nurseries must be registered with the Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills (OFSTED). Nursery regulations: what you need to know before starting Buying a Day Nursery: Ofsted registration As you probably know, children's day nurseries are nationally regulated by the Office for Standards in Education (Ofsted), which inspects all childcare provision. Do you like children? It was previously rated 'good' following an inspection in 2017. At the time, the experience was a complete nightmare. Heres our one: Doing all this makes the inspection less daunting for your staff (and you). SENDING your children to nursery can pull on the heart strings. To achieve an Outstanding, The Early Years Inspection Handbook needs to be studied and its principles put into practice at your setting. Dont worry we wont send you spam or share your email address with anyone. Receiving an Ofsted rating that left you disappointed can be frustrating. It is an offence to provide childcare without being registered, or on premises that have not been approved. The NDNA can also help individuals looking to buy or set up a nursery, and has a resource pack called Developing a Day Nursery priced at 25 plus postage and packing. Dont try to do anything on a tight budget, and dont rely on promises from Ofsted, builders, decorators or indeed anyone else, because at least one of them is bound to let you down, sadly! What Are the Rules and Regulations for Setting Up A Nursery Allowances could also be made if a child was hungry or not hungry. This is what the final I refers to. You want to have control over it as you do not want panic to ensue. The premises must be safe and secure, and any furniture and equipment must be well maintained and conform to safety standards. Summary of how to go from Good to Outstanding. Critique your profit and loss account. You will need to register as a daycare organisation if you are running a childcare business where both of the following apply: This is known as providing childcare on domestic premises. Whether you start from scratch or buy, what size of nursery should you take on? But there are a few disadvantages too. Neccessity Childcare has become more of a necessity than a luxury for many parents in the UK. Maximise efficiency in your childcare business. A person might purchase a nursery franchise for a variety of reasons. Of course, if you have limited budget, you may not have that luxury and have to just hope for the best. If you had any safeguarding concerns about a child, what action would you take? Specialist Software Built for Preschool Businesses. Specifically, your inspector will examine: How do you know that what youre doing at your setting is making a difference? One mai All of that adds up to a lot less risk, compared with starting from scratch. According to the handbook, Joint Observations should enable the inspector to: What they are mainly looking for is the managers ability to recognise anything done well and more importantly anything that needs improving. Outstanding settings receive fewer inspections. The anticipated phone call finally comes. Inspectors are unlikely to check all policies held by the provider. Your inspector will be looking how your intent helps children make progress across the seven areas of learning and is play-based. I dont regret selling the business - I possibly should have done it sooner.. Well send you a link to a feedback form. With advice valuable for staff, children and parents. When business owners need practical legal advice, delivered by sector experts, they turn to Truelegal. Lets get in touch. Documents can be uploaded to the system for cloud-based storage and quick, stress-free access. An example of this happening is where a childminder expands their business to join with other childminders or assistants. Pay extra attention to part 2 of the handbook for your Ofsted nursery. See all new releases on Blossom. . Cornwall, England, England. Assuming it is assignable, the assignment will invariably require the landlords consent. This is when the inspector and manager (or assigned leader) will take part in observing activities together. Buying a Nursery Or Pre-School? Avoid Costly Mistakes - True Legal If you have certain activities planned, again inform your inspector so that they can make time to observe this. My main mistakes were: Thinking the best of people. To help us improve GOV.UK, wed like to know more about your visit today. We are assuming that are first steps will be to find . London (Day Nursery / Nursery School For Sale) Established in 1995 by the current owner Fees income for year-end 2021 of 169,381 with an EBITDA of 51,107 Rated 'Good' by Ofsted on its last inspection Brand new 5-year lease Places for 32 children. And thats not surprising. Heres what you can expect from this guide: 1. Its worth thinking about whether you will be able to pass on your business before you start. I found Redwoods very reassuring and helpful because of all their experience in the sector. Next, as part of your online application, you will be required to consent to Ofsted carrying out further checks on both you and any other connected individuals, including a health check and checks on premises and equipment. I can also see commuter areas being far more in demand, but central London may become quieter. Cover your policies and procedures in detail. How do practitioners interact with children, What opportunities for progress and growth you provide. Applicants for registration must be aged 18 or over and have the right to work in the United Kingdom. Anyone using the service will now receive an email afterwards directing them to an overview of all the other applications connected to their organisation's, and the status of each. However, to ensure that you can do so, you will also need to make sure that you have the right to occupy the business premises and that, in most cases, will depend on an assignment of the sellers lease. If, during the course of these checks, Ofsted has concerns about your suitability, registration will be refused unless those concerns can be resolved to Ofsteds satisfaction. This guidance is for those who are registered, or want to register, with Ofsted. Having the Right Finance is Key when looking to buy a Nursery for sale. This is where youre most likely sitting. It need not be a scary/stressful document. However, ensure that they are well prepared with specific points to highlight. If a teacher is reading a story very badly, what would you do? The assignment will also require the consent of the landlord. Is your child in the right development stage, are they behind or exceeding age bands? This can be your home, or someone else's. You can only have a maximum of 3. The 3 Is: (Intent, Implementation, Impact), 15. The companys founders, Peers and Susan Carter, ran their own school and day nursery in Kent for many years. For further information about buying this book or joining the NDNA, visit the website. However, they most likely will consider your settings: When it comes to Ofsted nursery ratings, consider the 3 Is. A typical price with freehold is more likely to be in the hundreds of thousands range though. You may find that actually coming to market now will put you in a better position because there may be a flurry of nurseries coming to market next year., For anyone considering putting their nursery on the market, Redwoods offers free consultations with no obligation to sell. When business owners looking to sell their business need practical legal advice, delivered by sector experts, they turn to Truelegal. When you have completed this application, you must also: add a. The impact of this self reflective practice takes us [children, staff and parents] from strength to strength.. It is clear that the Covid-19 pandemic has increased safeguarding risks EY settings. This chapter explains when you cannot register, and when you do not have. These may be excellent, but the chances of them according with everything you think and feel is minimal. Get what you need to become a better teacher with unlimited access to exclusive free classroom resources and expert CPD downloads. By doing this, you prevent employing someone who has been barred from working with children. You need to ensure that you monitor and improve your recruitment processes. Get the latest posts and industry insights straight to your inbox. The backers wanted an additional report from a structural engineer and conducted an Ofsted-style inspection to check the standard of care and education. If you have a particular question relating to your sector, get in touch and well get Kate on the case. If your nursery follows a specific pedagogy (e.g. Buying a business If you are looking after children in your own home with fewer than 3 other childminders or assistants, you only need to register as a childminder. Please either call us now on 01392 879414 or complete our Free Online Enquiry and we will soon be in touch. This adds an extra layer of protection to your nursery. As a future owner of a nursery business, any buyer is required to go through the registration process, which may take up a number of months to complete. In practice (assuming you are taking your responsibilities seriously), it is highly unlikely that the indemnity provision will ever be invoked; but it gives your seller some comfort. Rent review frequency, repairing obligations and service charges are other key areas. We use some essential cookies to make this website work. Offers only become binding once it satisfies any stipulated conditions you may set out. Register your details with us, and be sure to let us know exactly what you are looking for, so we can actively look for you. Be prepared to show how your childrens needs and wants are being met in the context of the virus. Get your parents involved in the inspection, 12. What buyers are looking for in a nursery is very personal. For an Ofsted Good rated nursery, you usually receive a brief, 1-day inspection as they provide for all childrens needs and prepare them well to continue their education journey. Buying a Nursery: Ofsted and Assignment of a commercial Lease This includes audited accounts for the past three years, projections for the current and following years, registration documents, Ofsted reports and property valuations. To help us improve GOV.UK, wed like to know more about your visit today. Talk to the children and practitioners about the activities provided, Talk to parents to gain their views on the quality of care and education provided, Observe the interactions between practitioners and children, Gauge childrens levels of understanding and their engagement in learning, Talk to practitioners about their assessment of what children know and can do and how they are building on it, Observe care routines and how they are used to support childrens personal development, including the settings approach to toilet training. If you are registered on the Early Years register, you must meet the early years foundation stage framework standards. If you are an owner thinking that youll leave it until next year, perhaps bear in mind there may be another 500 owners are thinking the same. Ofsted nursery ratings are stressful for any setting. Make a point to inform your inspector on how you have adopted your approach and policies to ensure that: The learning walk on your inspection day encompasses a 15-20 min walk with the manager and inspector. After all the effort put into your setting, it doesnt seem right. And it can get those nerves down and your confidence up. For more information, visit schooltransfer.co.uk, You'll also receive regular updates from Teachwire with free lesson plans, great new teaching ideas, offers and more. 142 Posts. You get to select all your own staff. What impact have I made as an individual to this setting and its children? Weve saved you the trouble. Paul Edwards, managing director at . Track child development within your nursery, A summary of all your Enquiries for your setting. Some suggestions to encourage reflective practice at your setting: At some point during your inspection, there will come a time for joint observations. Razia Nurmohamed, Quality Director at our very own Blossom Tree, shares her thoughts: Reflective practice is a critical tool to improve. How To Value A Care Home Or Nursing Home Business. Sign up for free, Password must contain at least 8 characters of which 1 uppercase, 1 number and 1 special character, It's been a chaotic year but Year 6 children still deserve the best ending to their primary journey, Lady Macbeth quotes Key lines for studying Shakespeares Macbeth in KS4 English, Sexual Health Week 2022 Great RSE education resources to use in school, Creative writing prompts Best activities and resources for KS1 and KS2 English, Drama games Help SEND pupils explore what makes them unique, Representation and leadership My first placement school was an eye-opener, Student inclusion How to craft PE lessons for everyone, Skills for life Preparing SEND pupils for the post-primary world, Neurodiversity in schools A letter to my ND colleagues. It may be your pride and joy, but listen to the brokers advice on a realistic selling price or be prepared for a slow sale. The reason for the closure is unclear, but it comes around one month after Ofsted found the. This is not a change in law or practice. According to the handbook, they will: Based on evidence gathered (and the criteria set out in part 2 of the handbook as set out above) your inspector will put forward a grade for your setting. Registering as the wrong type of childcarer may delay when you can start work. We know about OFSTED and nursery fee funding; therefore, we can hit the ground running and deliver solutions not problems. Please either call us now on 01392 879414 or complete our Free Online Enquiry and we will soon be in touch. Im now working alongside the new owner for a handover period, which is giving us all time to gradually adjust. Where a day nursery changes hands, or a new business is set up, the new owner must go through the registration process. In this case, you can choose to register either with Ofsted or with a childminder agency. Have you had supervision? Published by MA Education Limited, St Jude's Church, Dulwich Road, Herne Hill, London SE24 0PB, a company registered in England and Wales no. Guidance for preparing for your OFSTED visit | Stonebridge Associated This self analysis is uncomfortable for many people until they realise the impact it has on developing and extending their knowledge and practice. Beware The Elephant In The Room. Check out these examples of inspection questions: The inspector will most likely ask several staff members about one of their key children and their development questions such as: Your inspector only sees a snapshot of your setting on inspection day. Day Nurseries For Sale UK & Nursery Schools For Sale UK It is important to consider the positives as well as considering things that dont always go well. Nurseries are registered with Ofsted and can then be run by private individuals, community groups, organisations or employers. Buying a Nursery: Ofsted and Assignment of a commercial Lease by Seb Wals | Dec 13, 2018 | Blogs, Healthcare, Nursery Like any commercial matter, the buying of a business and property can often be daunting task trying to understand and undertake. To avoid the possibility of your day nursery being unlicensed for any period youll need to be proactive with the seller early on in the transaction process. I thought the sale would be a slow process because of Brexit, but all the interest took me by surprise and made it feel very real. This makes sure that you carry out thorough and legal policies and procedures. If you decide to go forward with an interview, ask them to bring along their certificates and other evidence of qualifications. A DBS check, formerly known as a CRB check, scans your history for prior criminal convictions to ensure you are suitable to look after . Buying a business: Nurseries | Startups.co.uk Many buyers will research other childcare businesses within a ten-mile radius, so know your competition. But if you are determined to run your own nursery and have a clear vision for how it will work, then good on you and the very best of good fortune! Ms Caldwell agrees, The childcare market, or any market regardless of sector, is always going to be strongest when the buyer market outweighs the supply and that is very much the case. How do you get your point across? If EY providers make use of any modifications and disapplicatons, details on where to apply reasonable endeavours and best endeavours are included. Ofsted Sleep Rules | BabyCentre Dont worry we wont send you spam or share your email address with anyone. You will need to pay 2 fees and have separate inspections. You can create your own image and ethos for the business, and market it in the way you wish. In England, you can go a step further and check qualifications with the Department for Education on the website. Its sensible to think about your eventual exit before you enter into a purchase. Well, a lot will obviously depend upon your budget and the amount of energy you have but with one eye on selling the nursery on at some point in the future, I would advise investing in the biggest nursery you can afford. Choose a broker on their experience, references and whether you feel you can have a good working relationship with them. It helps us to think honestly and raises our self awareness. At all stages in the recruitment process (and in life generally), it is imperative that you do not adopt any attitude of discrimination. While demand for nurseries remains strong, Ms Caldwell has seen a slight shift in those wishing to purchase. Save Time & Money with Blossoms Nursery Management Software. What are some positive changes that I have made? Fiddling around at the eleventh hour to find papers is the last thing you want on the day (and it is avoidable stress). Starting a nursery or other daycare and running the business These are all analysed and evaluated. A dozen or so years ago, I saw a building in Gravesend that had once been an old farmhouse and thought it would make a perfect day nursery. With specialist nursery brokers Redwoods Dowling Kerr reporting enquiries rising by a staggering 142 per cent since lockdown it is currently very much a sellers market. What is your relationship like with other staff members? It was exhausting and made harder because I had to keep it secret from my staff so I did not jeopardise the sale. Nursery Franchise Opportunities For Sale | FranchiseDirect.co.uk We get an equal split of enquiries for leasehold as we do for freehold as long as the leasehold has a secure lease in place.. . Who would you approach or contact if you had any safeguarding concerns regarding a child or adult? The nursery was very much my baby and, rather than rush a sale, I wanted to be selective so that it went to the right person, not just for the right price. Photos are excellent tangible evidence that your inspector can collect all in support of improving your rating. News stories, speeches, letters and notices, Reports, analysis and official statistics, Data, Freedom of Information releases and corporate reports. You get to select all your own staff. If you then do hit problems as we did, at least youll have been prepared for it. It was bought by a growing group which wanted to expand in the area and has a model of buying four nurseries in a ten-mile radius overseen by an area manager. Setting up a holding organisation above their existing structure and/or create new subsidiaries below; this, of course, makes perfect business sense. This will help you -and your staff- gain a thorough understanding of what an Outstanding setting entails. They need to be continuously improving as childrens safety is of paramount importance. Steps to buying and selling Find a confidential broker who has experience in the nursery sector. Make job offers conditional. Unfortunately, this is another straightforward sounding process which can often prove problematic for buyers. Therefore we are hoping you wouldbe able to offer us some advise on general start up costs for any business. Not only is it illegal, but you want to create a recruitment process that focuses on respect, equality, inclusivity, and diversity. This excited and relaxed energy carried into the inspection the next day which the inspector immediately picked up on. Thankfully, there is a better way to make sure that business continuity is not lost. Guide toSelling and buying a nursery business Lets talk about The Early Years Inspection Handbook, 6. How to avoid 2 common problems when buying a children's nursery Establishing whether or not the lease is a protected business lease can make a big difference to the value of a business where location is important and alternative premises are scarce. Gain an insight into the effectiveness of the provisions professional development programme for practitioners, Learn about the providers view of staffs interactions with children, See the quality of the implementation of the curriculum/educational programmes. How buying a nursery with us works. We walk clients through how to prepare their business for sale and we can highlight their businesss unique selling points., Willowbrook Nursery in North Mymms, Hertfordshire. So whatever particular educational approach you take (whether it be Montessori like ours or others), show how it centres around the childrens growth. News stories, speeches, letters and notices, Reports, analysis and official statistics, Data, Freedom of Information releases and corporate reports. Kate Truman, Solicitor (Non-practising): Business Sector Research and Marketing at Truelegal Solicitors: Kate qualified as a solicitor over 25 years ago specialising in intellectual property and technology businesses. The building belonged to the Mormon Church, and they wanted to sell it in order to expand. Nursery and Garden Centers For Sale - BizBuySell Our Blossomers are able to link all observations to both EYFS and Montessori frameworks, as well as track observations and child development to show the inspector what the 3 Is mean at their setting. buying a nursery: ofsted I therefore spent half the night before working out what I thought everyone else might bid and then bid 501 more. And most important of all, you will have money coming in from the very day you become the owner. PDF Setting up a nursery - guidance And this is the time to let the nursery shine! Step 2. Of course, setting up your own day nursery has a number of advantages. Fixed pricing and personal hand-holding from transaction start to finish, and beyond, are what set Truelegal apart from the rest.. Lets break it down. After spending every moment with them since birth, having them go off for days at a time can be strange, and stressful. We will have an indepth discussion of the current market value, and if this doesnt meet expectations we can provide informationregarding how to reach desired goals, says Mr Yates. Nurseries across the UK use Blossom to increase efficiency across their finance, learning journeys, operations & occupancy. Resource packs to supercharge your planning, I would like to receive regular updates from Teachwire with free lesson plans, great new teaching ideas, offers and more. Working on the assumption that your application is successful, you will need to be one of the following: You can find out more information on registered individuals as well as the registered person and the nominated individual of a daycare. And finally, Outstanding. To receive this rating, your nursery needs to be exceeding expectations on every level and stand out from the average. Sorting documents for the inspection can get a bit confusing and stressful.