A major nursery group has welcomed a new director to its leadership team.

Partou, which operates more than 100 nurseries across the UK including three in Bradford, has appointed Kirsty Jackson to the role of childcare and operations director.

Samantha Rhodes, managing director at Partou, said: “At Partou, our mission is to build a better tomorrow through early years care, creating safe, joyful and trusted environments where children can explore, discover and grow.

“Kirsty is a highly experienced early years professional and an ideal fit as our new Childcare and Operations Director.

“It’s a great appointment for Partou, we are thrilled to have her on board.”

The company, part of the largest childcare group in the Netherlands, says it is focusing on strengthening leadership in key areas such as quality, safeguarding and operations.

Ms Jackson brings more than seven years of experience from Kids Planet, where she led early years practice across more than 250 settings.

Her background also includes senior leadership roles overseeing multiple nursery portfolios.

Ms Jackson said: “I am passionate about creating safe, inspiring and inclusive environments where children flourish, families feel reassured and teams feel supported to grow.

“This is a challenging but hugely important time for the early years sector.”