Our nurseries are run and managed by its owners, myself (Lydia Browning) and Paul Browning. I am the Area manager and Paul helps me with the day to day running of the business and is also our handy man. Before opening Smarty Pants I had always been a nursery nurse from the minute I left school. I have worked in various day nurseries, on the children’s ward at Russell’s Hall Hospital and at Alexandra High School where I worked with children with additional needs and gained a qualification teaching nursery nursing to the sixth formers.
In April 2006 we noticed Smarty Pants for sale and made an appointment to view the 4 bed-roomed house and barber shop. We felt it was perfect for a nursery and applied to Sandwell council for planning permission to change the business use. Once we were approved we arranged the mortgage and got the keys in February 2007. We then spent 6 months converting the building and opened on 03/09/2007. We quickly became very busy and had more than 150 children on our waiting list, this is why we decided to open Lola-Belle’s on 03/09/2009, exactly 2 years to the day after Smarty Pants. Lola-Belle’s is named after our daughter and is only 1 mile from Smarty Pants.
On 03/09/2017, ten years after opening Smarty Pants we opened our third and forth nurseries, Smarty Pants @ Lightwoods House and Smarty Pants @ Lye. Lightwoods House is a building recently restored by Sandwell council and the lottery heritage fund with £5.2 million.The old stables attached to the building is where the nursery is based on Lightwoods Park The Lye nursery is based within the children's centre.
We have two children, Lola-Belle and James- who are both at school.
Myself and many of the managers have gained our foundation degree in Early Years and I now also have the full BA hons degree in Early Years.
We have very experienced and professional managers who run every nursery and I am very hands on, visiting every day.
