BRADFORD has eight of the top 20 nurseries in Yorkshire and the Humber – the highest amount for one single district in the region.

There were a total of 1,011 nurseries in the running for a place on the list, which was published on leading online review site, daynurseries.

The Top 20 received an award from the site, which awarded places depending on a nursery’s reviews from parents and carers.

Chair of the site, David Ludlow said: “The brain is at its most receptive during the first five years of a child’s life, which is why we decided to recognise those nurseries which play a vital role in educating and caring for children.”

Kinder Haven Day Nurseries accounted for five of the eight Bradford locations, namely its branches in Pasture Lane, Halifax Road, Sticker Lane, Wakefield Road and Westgate Hill.

The other Bradford nurseries to make the list were Children’s Place Gateway, in Thackeray Road, Ravenscliffe, Children’s Place St James, in Chelwood Drive, Allerton, and Thornton Lodge Day Nursery, in James Street, Thornton.

Kinder Haven Sticker Lane and Westgate Hill also received awards in 2016 and 2017 when the shortlist only featured the Top 10 nurseries in the region.

Company director of Kinder Haven Day Nurseries, Danielle Dixon, said: “Our dedicated team of skilled practitioners are delighted, and this is the icing on the cake for an amazing year.”

Ms Dixon also mentioned her key ingredients for a successful nursery experience. She said: “A key to our success is our qualified, experienced and committed staff, along with our high staff to children ratios and strong partnerships with our parents.”

The group are also passionate about supporting regeneration and investing in its city.

Its latest expansion in Eccleshill is in the former Prospect Hotel on Stone Hall Road and “restores the old historic public house and mixes old with new.”

Meanwhile, Children’s Place Day Nurseries have had a ground-breaking year, with their overall group managing a place in the UK’s Top 20 Large Nursery Groups.

Directors David and Debbie Burke expressed their delight at being recognised nationally.

They said: “We are passionate about making a difference to children’s lives, so these awards feel extra special as they are awarded purely on the recommendation of the parents using our settings.”