Bright Stars is a leading independent group of premium UK and Irish nurseries, providing pre-school childcare and serving nearly 9,000 children at 111 nurseries across England.

The Bright Stars Group is one of the highest quality large nursery operators in England, with a third of nurseries rated Oftsed Outstanding and 96% rated Outstanding or Good.

Oakley acquired a majority stake in Bright Stars in May 2021, partnering with the management team to support their strategic goal to build one of the leading premium nursery groups in Europe.

Since the initial investment in 2021, the business has been highly acquisitive, doubling in size, with 74 nurseries acquired at a blended single digit entry multiple. The Group has a strong pipeline of UK acquisitions as its strategy continues to focus on single sites and small groups of nurseries across the UK, leveraging attractive sector fundamentals in a highly fragmented market and the Management team's knowledge and impressive track record in the industry. Although most of the focus has been in the UK, the business has also begun to expand into Europe, with six settings acquired in Ireland, providing a platform for further growth in the future.

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