Cedars Day Nursery in Leighton Buzzard makes ‘Top 10’ in The Sunday Times' best places to work list

Children aren’t the only ones getting the best care and attention at Cedars Day Nursery in Leighton Buzzard, which has scooped two prestigious UK Best Workplace awards in two weeks.

Celebrating a Top 10 listing in the prestigious ‘Sunday Times Best Places to Work 2023’ lists for their employee-owned company – which was also named the only Early Years provider in the Top 20 of the UK Great Place to Work awards – staff at the setting on Mentmore Road, showed that fun is a priority for everyone not just the children in their care.

Cedars Day Nursery Manager, April Hughes, said: “It is a very personal achievement because we are all employee owners and what we say really does make a difference. When you are committed to giving young children the very best start in life, a happy supported staff team, who love their work and workplace, is vital.”

Cedars Day Nursery is part of the award-winning, Childbase Partnership which was once again the only Early Years provider to receive a 'Top 10' listing in the Sunday Times ‘Very Big Organisation’ category, was highly commended in the ‘Best Places to work for 16-34 years olds’ category and recorded overall happiness ratings 15% above others.

Ranked alongside Pizza Express, Fat Face fashion group, and David Lloyd Leisure, the company also achieved scores of 90% for pride colleagues feel for their employee-owned company and the initiatives in place to promote diversity and inclusion and environmental sustainability.

The company – which has topped Sunday Times best companies lists for over a decade – was also rated ‘Excellent’ in all areas of scrutiny measuring employee wellbeing, happiness and engagement.

Manager, April Hughes, believes the success stems from a profit-sharing approach and commitment to the individual like the £8.5 million investment programme of increased salaries, free meals at work, discounted shopping deals and wellbeing and mental health initiatives introduced in December to help colleagues meet cost of living challenges.

“This kind of support makes for happy, energised practitioners committed to delivering outstanding outcomes for our children. Ofsted inspectors have told us repeatedly that a happy and engaged staff team equals happy children. Our pride in our nursery and our company is reflected in our happy and confident children and there is nothing more rewarding or satisfying than that,” she added.

Childbase Partnership has been a ‘Sunday Times Best Company’ for over 13 years and was ranked number one and number two in 2020 and 2021 respectively. The new lists, powered by WorkL engagement specialists, do not rank by number.