It’s been a long, hard journey to success for Danielle Dixon.

Bullied at school for her mixed race background, the daughter of a teenage single mum who was brought up on Bradford’s Holme Wood estate by her nana and aunt, Danielle could so easily have joined the ranks of the permanently disadvantaged.

Danielle had a challenging start in life, including being excluded from primary school at the age of five. Money was always tight at home, luxuries non-existent and Danielle was placed in remedial classes at school until the age of 11. But she believes such an upbringing instilled in her a determination to make the most of every opportunity.

And she’s certainly done that.

A supportive teacher at Holme Middle School helped her take an interest in school work and she continued to work hard at Tong Upper School – where her ability at sports like rounders, badminton and athletics channelled her abundant energy, helped her progress and boosted her self-esteem.

“For the first time I’d discovered something I was good at and tasted success. It was a tremendous boost for me and my family. I started to try harder at school and my teachers helped me with English and maths.

“But even so, I had poor predicted GCSE grades and was never expected to get to college,” Danielle told me in the office of her fourth Kinder Haven nursery at Waterloo Road, Pudsey.

But she confounded those low expectations, achieving five GCSEs at higher-than-expected grades, and enrolled at Shipley College on a nursery nursing course.

Her interest in working with children had shown through when, as she entered her teens, Danielle ran learning and play sessions for local youngsters in her garden shed.

She emerged from Shipley College after a two-year full-time BTEC course in nursery nursing.

“I was the first member of my family to gain a college certificate, which made my late nan Kathleen Magson and everyone very proud,” Danielle recalled.

It was the start of the road to success for this lively, outgoing and determined woman.

Danielle got a job at a day nursery and within six months was promoted to deputy manager.

“I was enjoying myself. I knew then that I wanted to run my own nursery business,” she said.

After working at other nurseries in Cleckheaton and Shipley, including implementing the National Day Nursery Association’s quality assurance scheme and learning the ropes of nursery and business management, Danielle realised her ambition in 2001.

By then a mother of two – she and husband Darren now have three children – Danielle spotted a former pub for sale on Sticker Lane. She used money she had saved from a host of part-time jobs from the age of 14 for the deposit, put a successful business plan to the bank for a business loan and sold the family house and car.

For the first few months the family lived ‘above the shop’ in one room without electricity, hot water or gas – they had to go to relatives to have a bath – while they converted the downstairs into the first Kinder Haven nursery.

“We were both working full-time and had to come home and get stuck in. It was a hard slog but something we were both determined would succeed. Pitching to the bank for a loan was a new and terrifying experience but we raised the money and roughed it for a long time while developing the premises,” Danielle said.

The fifth Kinder Haven site is now under development, again in a converted pub, the former King’s Head on Halifax Road, where 16 jobs and 68 nursery places will be created. The group also has nurseries on Wakefield Road, Westgate Hill and the Pudsey site.

All are either converted pubs or churches, and the average cost of each development is £400,000 plus the cost of buying the properties.

The Kinder Haven business employs around 90 staff looking after 400 children from around 300 families.

Danielle said investment in high-quality purpose-made equipment, a strong focus on staff training and development and using reliable secure entry and cctv systems was key to Kinder Haven’s success.

She explained: “Caring for young children is a great responsibility that we take very seriously. Our philosophy is about providing a kind, caring, safe shelter of learning. We have individual play rooms that are age-appropriate, colourful, safe, air conditioned, structured and attractive to stimulate overall development covering the principles of the Early Years Foundation Stage 2012.”

Danielle sets Fridays aside as her ‘office day’ but the rest of the week spends time at each nursery – and enjoys nothing better than getting on her hands and knees with the children.

“As the business has grown so has the administration side, especially as regulation has increased. But child care is what I’m about and I ensure that I continue to work directly with the children.” she said.

Danielle cites passion, her team, planning, customer focus and delivery as the basis for her success and the continued expansion of Kinder Haven. And while further expansion is on the cards, she believes eight nurseries would be the optimum number.

“That would enable me to retain control while staying hands-on with the children, parents and staff. Our ability to understand and listen to our customers’ needs and understand what it means to be a quality childcare provider is vital.

“In a highly-competitive childcare sector we have created a company culture that is customer-focused, reflective and innovative. We provide flexible, tailored arrangements for parents designed to fit in with their commitments and lifestyle. At the same time we’ve managed to keep our fees competitive at an average of £38 a day,” said Danielle.

Kinder Haven was named the UK’s best day nursery operation in 2008, but recognition for her personal qualities and achievements at the T&A Business Awards means a great deal to Danielle.

“This absolutely means the world to me. I was a low achiever but a hard worker. I was so emotional on the night as I wasn’t expecting it. I was just having a drink of orange and I nearly choked! It was fantastic, just amazing,” she said.