Nursery initiative has Advantage

A new company has been set up to take advantage of the change in the Government’s approach to nursery education, and plans to create a 60-strong chain of crêches.

Design consultancy Advantage has created the identity and literature for Leapfrog Day Nurseries, a new nursery concept for the specially formed holding company Leapfrog.

The first nursery opens this week in Burton-on-Trent and the client aims to roll out a further 60 over the next four years. All will carry the same design.

Interiors were designed by the French Thorpe Consultancy and the name Leapfrog was generated in-house.

“Because it’s for children the design is fun. The interiors are painted in bright colours and the logo of a frog is something children can identify with. There is also a high emphasis on security,” says a Leapfrog spokesman.

Leapfrog Day Nurseries aims to be different from existing council and small private versions.

“The Government is changing its approach to nursery education in that it wants every child under four to have one. It is looking to team up with the private sector to invest in nurseries,” says the Leapfrog spokesman. There is no new legislation as yet.

The new format centre is technically a crêche, but will group the children by age and offer them an education.

The company has been set up by entrepreneur Derek Mapp, who built up the Tom Cobleigh chain of pubs before selling them.