Acquisition
17 November 2003 - 8:00AM
UK Regulatory
RNS Number:1159S
Creative Education Corp Plc
17 November 2003
Embargoed 0700hrs, 17th November 2003
Creative Education Corporation plc
"Creative Education" or "the Company"
Creative Education, a leading nursery school provider, is pleased to announce
that it has acquired an 18.5% interest in Academy Childcare Group plc, for a
total consideration of #288,600.
Academy Childcare Group plc was established in 1996 and operates from 12 sites
throughout the United Kingdom
David Alexander, Chief Executive, commented;
"We are delighted to have acquired this stake in Academy Childcare as this will
considerably strengthen our position within the market place. We currently have
11 nurseries and 1 Pre-Prep School, and it is the Boards intention to further
expand our portfolio through acquisition. The market within the United Kingdom
for pre school childcare is highly fragmented and our strategy for growing our
business through consolidation will show very positive returns for our
shareholders in the years to come."
-Ends-
For further information please contact,
David Alexander
Chief Executive 020 8864 5147
Brigitte Atkinson
Hansard Communications 020 7245 1100
Notes to Editors:
About Creative Education:
The Creative Education Corporation plc was the first nursery school business to
be listed on the Alternative Investment Market. It began trading on AIM in April
2003. Creative Education is now one of the leading providers of quality
pre-school education in the UK. Today, the company operates 11 nurseries and 1
Pre-Prep School under the brand of Primary Steps caring for over 400 children in
areas of high demand across the country. Nurseries are located in Bedford,
Illford, Bushey, Chiswick, East Sheen, Hemel Hempstead, Milton Keynes, North
Finchley and Watford.
About Academy Childcare Group plc:
Academy Childcare was founded in 1996 and operates its business from 12 sites
with 1,082 places. The sites are located in Kent, West Midlands, Bristol,
Ipswich, York, Chorley and Brighton.
The value of the UK children's nursery market is estimated at over #2 billion
(2002) and the private sector nurseries generate an estimated income of nearly
#1.9 billion (2002). The children's nursery market has grown rapidly in the last
10 years, and is now five times the size (in nominal value terms) that at the
start of the 1990s. The fastest growing segment in the UK childcare market is
professionally managed, privately run day nurseries to which the Government is
committed to continuing funds.
This information is provided by RNS
The company news service from the London Stock Exchange
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