Partou in the running for five national nursery awards

Leading day nursery provider Partou, which operates numerous settings across Yorkshore, has been shortlisted in five categories for the National NMT Nursery Awards which recognise excellence in the UK early years sector.

The Partou Academy, which has successfully embedded a people-first learning culture across the organisation following last year’s merger of Just Childcare and All About Children to become Partou UK, is a finalist for both the Nursery Training and Development Award and the Apprenticeship Scheme of the Year.

Partou Storytimes Day Nursery and Pre-School in Atherton has also been shortlisted for Nursery Team of the Year, with Sharon Magee, who leads Partou Ashmoor in Shipley, making the cut for Nursery Manager of the Year, and Zuzanna Goebel in the running for Deputy Nursery Manager of the Year for her work at Partou Kids Corner in Sandbach.

Founded in 1975 and celebrating its 50th birthday this year, Partou is the biggest childcare group in the Netherlands with more than 700 settings, over 70,000 children and 9,000 team members.

After announcing the acquisition of Nature Trail Nursery Group last month, it now operates 114 settings in the UK. They collectively care for around 9,000 children and employ more than 2,000 dedicated childcare professionals, including 240 apprentices.

Samantha Rhodes, Partou Managing Director, said: “Congratulations to our all finalists.

“In a little over a year since its creation, the team behind the Partou Academy has established it as a trailblazer for training and development in the early years sector, including our standout apprenticeship scheme which is also up for an award.

“It was important to make our mark across our UK settings as quickly as we could to earn the trust of families whose needs we are here to serve.

“Sharon and Zuzanna are nursery leaders of the highest calibre, with the Partou Storytimes team rightly recognised for their excellence in everything they do.

“Being shortlisted for five National NMT Nursery Awards is a fantastic achievement which underlines that we are very much on track with our UK roll out of the Partou ethos that puts children in the lead.”

Josie Mortimer, Partou People and Culture Director, said: “We are proud of Sharon, Zuzanna and our colleagues at Partou Storytimes and wish them well at the awards ceremony later this year.

“When Partou was formed in the UK through the merger of Just Childcare and All About Children, we asked our team what mattered most to them. One answer stood out: continuous learning. It mattered so much that we made it one of our company values.

“This feedback, combined with the merger, gave us a fresh opportunity to reimagine training from the ground up – bringing together the best of both organisations to build something even better.

“From this, the Partou Academy was born: a people-first learning culture where everyone can grow, connect, and thrive.

“With the apprenticeship scheme an integral part of its success, we are thrilled that both have been shortlisted for awards.”

The winners of the National NMT Nursery Awards 2025 will be announced in London on 8 November.