Magic Story

Children 1st Day Nurseries is born! We purchased our first nursery on Breedon Street in Long Eaton. This nursery was called ‘The Berries’ and had only 24 registered children at the time.

Opened Children 1st @ Main Street nursery in Long Eaton. This ever popular nursery is currently rated as “Outstanding in All Areas” by Ofsted

Opened Children 1st @ Chesterfield Royal Hospital, our first nursery in Chesterfield. Located within the grounds of the hospital and popular with hospital staff, this nursery is currently rated as “Outstanding in all areas” by Ofsted and as one of the Top 10 day nurseries in the East Midlands by www.daynurseries.co.uk

Children 1st @ Derby Road opens. Our second nursery in Long Eaton, Children 1st @ Derby Road is also currently rated as “Outstanding in All Areas” by Ofsted.

Expanding further across the East Midlands, we opened Children 1st @ Leicester in 2005.

2006 was a busy year for Children 1st as we also opened Children 1st @ Clowne. Located within a purpose built building, this nursery is truly unique and has been shortlisted for the Nursery Management Today Indoor and Outdoor Learning Environment Awards.

In 2009 we opened what was to become another of our “Outstanding in All Areas” nurseries. Children 1st @ Shepshed is located within a huge 400 year old building and features an amazing outside space which all children love.

In 2011 we were delighted to be named Business of the Year at the Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire Chamber of Commerce's Nottinghamshire's BEST Business Awards.

Staying in Staffordshire, in 2012 we opened Children 1st @ Acorns Upper Tean. Set within beautiful countryside, this nursery is also rated as “Outstanding in All Areas.”

Just before Christmas 2013, Jessica Lee MP for Erewash opened our New Head Office and Training Academy at Mayfield House in Long Eaton. The enhanced training academy has enabled us to expand our partnership with local schools and colleges, Job Centres and Government agencies such as the Skills Funding Agency and to provide an increased number of apprenticeships for young people wanting to work in early years’ education. Please click here to read press coverage about the academy.

More award success for Children 1st founder Margaret Mason. Margaret was named as one of the most influential people within early years education at the Nursery Management Today Power 20 Awards.

We opened Children 1st @ Leek Pre-School and Children 1st @ Buckinghams in Leek, Staffordshire.

The founder and chief executive of Children 1st Day Nurseries, Margaret Mason, received her OBE from the Duke of Cambridge at the Buckingham Palace investiture ceremony. The award was presented in recognition of Margaret’s services to raising the standards of early years education across the UK.

Five Children 1st nurseries were placed in ‘Top 20’ nursery providers in the East Midlands and that the company as a whole was recognised as one of the ‘Top 20’ large nursery groups in the UK in listings complied by DayNurseries.co.uk. • Children 1st @ Main Street (Long Eaton) • Children 1st @ Newark Town (Newark) • Children 1st @ Plumtree (Nottinghamshire) • Children 1st @ Wragby Road (Lincoln) • Children 1st @ St Peter & St Paul (Chesterfield)