Just Childcare

What Just Childcare does

Just Childcare is a UK-based for-profit operator of day nurseries and pre-schools providing early years education and childcare services for children from infancy through preschool age. Founded in 2004 and headquartered in Manchester, the company operates a multi-site network of nurseries across the United Kingdom, delivering a play-based learning curriculum designed around early childhood development, school readiness preparation, safeguarding, and food and nutrition programs aligned with DfE guidance. The core technology is its early childhood education and care curriculum rather than any software platform; supporting digital infrastructure includes an online payment portal and a location-based nursery search tool on its website.

The company primarily serves individual families (parents and households) seeking nursery care and early childhood education, with horizontal segmentation across the consumer market. Its go-to-market relies on physical nursery locations, community-driven brand building through open day events, content marketing, and active social media presence on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. Pricing is not publicly disclosed; the business participates in UK government childcare funding schemes, including the expanded 30 hours free childcare program for eligible working families, providing a partial revenue offset via public funding.

The leadership team consists of co-founders David Johnson (CEO) and Jacqueline Johnson (COO), alongside CFO Rick Smith and Head of HR Brian Richbell. In October 2019, the company raised approximately $61.7 million in a growth funding round (investor undisclosed), indicating a PE-backed or strategic expansion mandate. Source content suggests the business has operated under or alongside the Partou Nurseries & Childcare brand, with operational infrastructure spanning nurseries, a payment portal, careers platform, and apprenticeship pipeline supporting workforce scaling.

Name

Just Childcare

Website

https://justchildcare.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Just Childcare is a UK-based for-profit operator of day nurseries and pre-schools founded in 2004 and headquartered in Manchester, providing play-based early childhood education, school readiness, and childcare services to families with young children across multiple UK locations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Childcare Services

NAICS

Child Care Services (62441)

SIC

Services-Child Day Care Services (8351)

akta.pro primary industry

Full-Day Childcare Centers (EDACAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Full-Day Nursery Programs (EDACACAD), Infant-Focused Childcare Centers (EDACAAAF), Toddler-Focused Childcare Centers (EDACAAAG)

Keywords

• Day nursery services
• Early childhood education
• Preschool childcare
• Nursery care
• Child development programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Manchester

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Just Childcare operates a group of day nurseries and pre-schools across the UK providing early childhood education and care for children from infancy through preschool age. The company delivers a play-based learning curriculum focused on curiosity, exploration, and school readiness, supported by safeguarding, food and nutrition programs, and government childcare funding guidance for working families.

Product overview

Partou Nurseries & Childcare operates as a nursery and early years education provider offering childcare services across multiple locations. The core offering includes nursery care with curriculum-based learning and play activities, supported by safeguarding measures and school readiness programs. Additional services include food and nutrition programs with expert-developed menus, childcare funding support for government schemes, and an online payment system for parents. The company also provides employment opportunities through apprenticeships and flexible working arrangements.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Nursery & Childcare Services Early years education and childcare services for children, including curriculum-based learning, play activities, safeguarding, and school preparation programs delivered across multiple UK nursery locations.
• Childcare Funding Support Guidance and assistance for families to access government childcare funding schemes including the '30 hours free childcare' program available to eligible working families in the UK.
• Food & Nutrition Program Expert-developed nursery menus created using DfE guidance, supporting children to enjoy mealtimes as part of nursery life, with menus developed by an in-house nutrition specialist.
• Online Payment System Online portal at pay.partou.co.uk for families to make nursery fee payments to their enrolled nursery location.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Busy Bees Nurseries: Largest UK nursery chain with hundreds of sites offering full-day early years education and childcare. Directly comparable multi-location operating model, customer segment, and reliance on government funding schemes.
• Childbase Partnership: UK-based employee-owned nursery chain operating multiple day nurseries. Closely comparable operating model, target families, and service offering including funded-hour support and school readiness.
• N Family Club: Premium UK nursery group offering full-day childcare and pre-school education. Comparable in customer segment (urban, professional families), curriculum approach, and funded-hour services.
• Kidsunlimited: UK nursery chain providing early years education and care across multiple sites. Directly comparable multi-site day nursery model serving working families with funded-hour eligibility.
• Tops Day Nurseries: UK day nursery operator with a multi-location footprint focused on quality early years care and education. Comparable in services offered, customer base, and reliance on the 30 hours funding scheme.
• Storal Learning: Group of UK nurseries delivering early years education through a multi-site network. Directly comparable offering, target families, and curriculum-driven operating approach.
• Lighthaus: UK-based nursery operator providing early years care and education across multiple sites. Comparable in multi-site day nursery model, customer base, and use of government-funded childcare schemes.
• Berries Nursery Group: Regional UK nursery group offering full-day early years care with a curriculum-led approach. Comparable in operating model, target families, and government-funded hour participation.

Broad incumbents

• Bright Horizons Family Solutions: Global early-years and employer-sponsored childcare operator with significant UK presence. Comparable in full-day nursery services and curriculum-led care, though broader in scope and publicly listed.

Regional players

• Grandir UK: European-headquartered nursery group with UK operations offering full-day early years education. Comparable services and target segment but rooted in a different home market with cross-border operating dynamics.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/justchildcare
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/just-childcare-limited

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Just Childcare