Specialist business property adviser, Christie & Co, has announced the sale of Stepping Stones Nursery in Shepherd’s Bush, West London.
Stepping Stones Nursery, an ‘Outstanding’ rated setting registered for over 89 children aged two to five years, offers both full‑day and sessional early years education and care throughout the year. Established in 2001 by Bryony Dodd, the nursery originally operated as a term‑time‑only preschool across 38 weeks per year. In response to growing parent demand, they transitioned to a full‑time model three years ago.
The nursery is located in a spacious, converted three‑storey property in Shepherd’s Bush, which features engaging learning environments, a large indoor play area, and recently achieved planning permission for a rooftop, open‑air classroom.
Bryony, who founded the nursery with a strong background in primary education and experience as Deputy Head of Fox Primary School in Notting Hill, has been instrumental in shaping its curriculum and ethos. Under her leadership and with her team, Stepping Stones has secured three consecutive Ofsted ‘Outstanding’ ratings spanning more than a decade.
Bryony chose to explore a sale to allow her to retire. Following a confidential sales process led by Sophie Willcox at Christie & Co, the nursery has been sold to Sai Childcare Ltd, operators of eight day nurseries across London and the Home Counties.
Bryony Dodd, the former owner of Stepping Stones, comments, “It has been my honour to develop Stepping Stones into the exceptional nursery that it is today. My staff team has been both dedicated to their passion for early years education, and are also a joy to work with. I wish the nursery and the new owners every success in the future.”
Kumaran Ratnasingham, Director at Sai Childcare Ltd, comments, “We are delighted to have acquired a nursery that has maintained an ‘Outstanding’ rating for the past 15 years. We actively seek out high-quality settings like this, as they provide invaluable opportunities for learning and continuous improvement across our group. Sophie has been exceptional throughout the process, making the acquisition seamless from start to finish.”
Sophie Willcox, Director – Childcare & Education at Christie & Co, comments, “Stepping Stones is a truly exceptional nursery, situated in a wonderful part of London and operating from excellent premises. The quality of early years education provided is outstanding, and the feedback from all who viewed was exceptional. I am delighted to have supported Bryony with her plans to retire, and I wish Kumaran every success with the future of the nursery.”
Stepping Stones was sold for an undisclosed price.
