Childcare company in Milton Keynes named THE best big company to work for

Not only did the company land the Best Big Companies to Work For title, but founder and chairman Mike Thompson CBE was also rated best leader with the company given firsts in five of the eight categories measuring workplace engagement.

Mike paid tribute to his 2,000-plus colleagues at the Newport Pagnell-based company which has 43 day nurseries in the South of England including the Ofsted-rated ‘Outstanding’ Woodlands in Milton Keynes.

He said: “I am lucky there are so many great leaders in my company, I just happen to sit in the chairman’s seat. Success is never about the individual - everything achieved is built on the hard work and dedication of every single employee in our business. Making sure that is recognised and celebrated is what life is all about."

Emma Rooney, Childbase partnership managing director, described the successes as "nothing short of extraordinary", given the competition.

She said: “Committed to giving children the best possible start in life and working in a highly regulated, government inspected sector requires a particular dedication. The work maybe highly rewarding but it is also very demanding and my nursery colleagues don’t have the luxury of working environments that are designed for their happiness and well-being. The focus is

always on the children in their care.”

The company beat the likes of giants Iceland, Halfords and Admiral Motor Insurance to the top slots, and came first in five of the eight categories measuring workplace engagement.

These included the pride employees feel; the opportunities they have for developing their careers; the pay, benefits and bonus culture and charity fundraising.