Early Years Solicitors
Changing government funding models and evolving regulatory requirements continue to shape the early years sector.
Our expert legal team provides clear, practical guidance to help nurseries and other early years and childcare providers stay compliant, manage risks, and plan for the future with confidence.
Early years and childcare providers operate in a highly regulated sector, balancing safeguarding requirements, staffing challenges, and relationships with parents and local authorities.
With decades of experience, our specialist education lawyers provide clear, practical advice to help nurseries and other childcare providers stay compliant, manage risks, and focus on delivering high-quality early education.
Whether you're buying or selling a nursery, navigating regulatory compliance, managing employment matters, or responding to incidents, our team offers seamless legal support. We work closely with nurseries to meet your needs and resolve complex issues efficiently.
Recognised as a leading law firm in the education sector by Chambers & Partners and Legal 500, VWV has also been awarded Top Legal Adviser of the Year for Dealmaking by Education Investor in 2023 and honoured with the Legal Advisors to Education Institutions Award in 2024.
These accolades reflect our market-leading expertise and the trust our clients place in us to deliver effective, results-driven legal solutions.
Our expertise
We provide comprehensive legal support tailored to the needs of early years and childcare providers, covering:
We guide you through every step of buying or selling a nursery, from due diligence to structuring deals, ensuring a smooth transaction that protects your interests.
We provide practical advice on registration and regulation. We understand the different requirements of the Childcare and Early Years Registers, of registered proprietors and settings and the role of nominated individuals. We can help you to ensure you are properly registered, making correct notifications, and to manage the compliance requirements relating to safeguarding and welfare, special educational needs and disability and learning and development, reducing risk and ensuring smooth operations.
Whether helping to review policies and procedures for compliance, dealing with an often complex safeguarding-related incident or conducting an audit in order to assess your culture and practice, our safeguarding experts understand the requirements as they relate to your setting and will advise with calm reassurance.
We support registered early years and childcare providers in preparing for inspection by Ofsted or ISI, ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements and addressing potential issues proactively. Where necessary, we can help you to complain about the approach taken and/or to challenge findings.
We draft and review contracts that ensure compliance, avoid the risk of 'topping up' and clearly define rights and responsibilities, including funding, reducing the risk of disputes.
We provide expert HR and employment law support, from contracts and policies to managing disputes and ensuring compliance.
We offer expert legal guidance in managing complaints and/or incidents, ensuring regulatory compliance while mitigating risk.
We assist with leasing, buying, and selling premises, ensuring your property arrangements align with business needs.
We provide strategic advice on governance, mergers, and acquisitions, supporting long-term sustainability and growth.
We help nurseries manage reputational risk and ensure compliance with GDPR and data protection regulations, including in the use of CCTV.
We advise providers on protecting their intellectual property, including brand identity, curriculum materials, trademarks, and digital content. Our team helps ensure that your creative assets are properly safeguarded, preventing misuse and maintaining your unique position in the market.
Samantha Chaney offers strength in M&A and corporate financings across a range of sectors, particularly education.
Our work highlights
Sale of a 10-Site nursery chain
We advised a national nursery operator on the sale of a 10-site nursery chain, supporting with due diligence, property transfers, and share sale structuring to ensure a seamless handover for staff and parents.
Due diligence for a nursery investment
We acted as co-counsel on a due diligence project for a large pension fund acquiring an international nursery chain, ensuring regulatory compliance and reviewing parent contracts.
Safeguarding incident
We acted for a large nursery operator following the arrest of a member of staff on suspicion of offences relating to child cruelty and on its subsequent communications with Ofsted and the local authority.
Get in touch today
Are you looking for legal services?
Fill out our form to find out how our specialist lawyers can help you.
