Kids Planet

What Kids Planet does

Kids Planet Day Nurseries is a UK-headquartered (Warrington/Lymm) for-profit operator of early-years childcare nurseries and pre-schools, founded in 2008 and now running more than 300 settings across England, Wales, and Ireland following its 2026 acquisition of Tigers Childcare. The company is the UK's second-largest childcare provider, serving children from birth to age five with a child-led curriculum, its proprietary Udeskole outdoor-learning framework (a five-module accreditation system designed in-house), and an all-inclusive offer covering meals, nappies, and consumables. The platform includes a Famly parent communication app, the in-house Kids Planet Training Academy (delivering Level 2-5 apprenticeships), the 1,000 Little Adventures Challenge outdoor initiative, and Out of School Clubs for wraparound care.

Kids Planet's revenue model is predominantly subscription-recurring: parents pay a fixed monthly invoice derived from weekly sessions multiplied by 52 weeks, with a £100 non-refundable administration fee to secure a place, plus transactional fees for additional services and consumables. The business also accepts government-funded hours (15 and 30 hours for eligible working parents of children aged 9 months and over) and Tax-Free Childcare payments. Distribution is direct-to-consumer through owned nurseries, with exclusive on-site enterprise partnerships for major institutions such as the NHS (Victoria Hospital Blackpool) and the University of Oxford. Kids Planet is private, backed by private equity firm Fremman Capital, which established an oversubscribed continuation fund (Special Opportunities Fund I) in March 2026, anchored by Ares Secondaries with co-leads Committed Advisors and Kline Hill Partners, to support further M&A and international expansion.

Name

Kids Planet

Legal name

Kids Planet Nurseries

Website

https://kidsplanetdaynurseries.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Kids Planet Day Nurseries is a UK-headquartered early-years childcare operator running 300+ nurseries across England, Wales, and Ireland. Founded in 2008 and PE-backed by Fremman Capital, it serves children from birth to age five via its Udeskole outdoor-learning curriculum and Famly parent app.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Childcare and Early Years Education Services

NAICS

Child Care Services (62441), Child Care Services (624410), Child Care Services (6244)

SIC

Services-Child Day Care Services (8351)

akta.pro primary industry

Full-Day Nursery Programs (EDACACAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Part-Day Childcare Centers (EDACAAAB), Extended Day Programs at Preschools & Childcare Centers (EDACAHAB)

Keywords

• Day nursery services
• Early years education
• Childcare nurseries
• Preschool education
• Out of school clubs

Headquarters

HQ city

Lymm

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Nursery Fees: Parents pay weekly sessions multiplied by 52 weeks and divided by 12 to create fixed monthly invoices. Fees vary by nursery location. An administration fee of £100 is required to secure a place (non-refundable except for fully funded places).
2. Government Funded Childcare: Accepts government-funded hours (15 and 30 hours for eligible working parents of children aged 9 months to school age). Can be combined with Tax-Free Childcare scheme for additional cost reduction.
3. Additional Services: Charges for consumables and extras such as meals, nappies, wipes, additional hours beyond funded sessions, and trips. Sibling discounts available.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Kids Planet Day Nurseries operates a national network of 250+ UK and 34 Irish nursery settings providing full-time and part-time childcare and pre-school education for children from birth to 5 years. The core service is delivered through child-led curriculum, nature-based Udeskole outdoor learning, nutritious meals, SEND support, and school readiness programs, with fees paid by parents (including government-funded hours) and booked via a website-based nursery finder and Famly parent app.

Product overview

Kids Planet operates as a unified nursery group offering day nursery and pre-school services for children from birth to 5 years across 250+ UK settings. The core offering is supported by several integrated modules: the Udeskole outdoor learning program (a nature-based curriculum with its own accreditation framework), the Kids Planet Training Academy (internal apprenticeship and professional development), the Famly parent communication app, and Out of School Clubs/Holiday Clubs for wraparound care. The company also runs the 1,000 Little Adventures Challenge initiative to promote outdoor time.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Famly: Parent communication app for real-time updates on child's activities and achievements
• 1,000 Little Adventures Challenge
• Udeskole
• Kids Planet Training Academy

Products and services

• Kids Planet Day Nurseries and Pre-Schools Full-time and part-time day nursery and pre-school services for children from birth to 5 years, delivered across 250+ UK and 34 Irish settings with child-led curriculum, Udeskole outdoor learning, fresh meals, and SEND support. Targeted at working families and parents seeking early years education.
• Out of School Clubs and Holiday Clubs Before and after-school childcare and holiday club services for school-age children, available at select Kids Planet nursery locations, including themed activities and outdoor play.
• Udeskole Outdoor Learning Program Nature-based outdoor learning program (Danish-inspired 'udeskole' / 'outdoor school') delivered as part of the nursery curriculum, with its own in-house 5-module accreditation framework designed by the Head of Outdoor Learning. Aimed at children attending Kids Planet nurseries.
• 1,000 Little Adventures Challenge Outdoor engagement initiative encouraging children at Kids Planet nurseries to complete 1,000 outdoor hours before starting school, supported by Adventure Passports and milestone certificates.
• Employer Partnership Nurseries (NHS and University of Oxford) Exclusive on-site workplace nursery services operated by Kids Planet for major employers, including Victoria Hospital Blackpool serving NHS and public sector staff, and the Woodstock Road nursery serving University of Oxford staff and students.

Quantifiable outcome

• Named Top 20 UK Nursery Group by daynurseries.co.uk based on parent reviews
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and major.

• Tigers ChildcarecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 May 2026Irish childcare group acquisition bringing 34 settings with 640+ colleagues caring for 3,200+ children. Kids Planet's first international expansion. Tigers Childcare founder Karen Clince remains to lead the business day-to-day. Transaction valued at approximately €75 million.
• Christie & CominorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 21 October 2024Property consultancy that facilitated the acquisition of Fieldside Day Nursery and other nursery transactions. Acts as broker for nursery sales across the UK.
• Dragon CampminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHoliday camp partner providing fun-packed holiday club activities for children aged 4 and above, with themed activities, outdoor play, and opportunities to make new friends.
• University of OxfordmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerExclusive partnership to operate Kids Planet Woodstock Road nursery exclusively for University of Oxford staff and students, one of the world's most prestigious universities.
• Victoria Hospital Blackpool (NHS)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerExclusive partnership to operate on-site nursery exclusively for NHS staff and public sector workers within Victoria Hospital grounds.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Busy Bees Nurseries: UK's largest nursery chain with ~400 nurseries. Operates a similar acquisition-led platform model offering full-day nursery and early years education for children from birth to 5 years across the UK and internationally.
• Bright Horizons Family Solutions: Global nursery and childcare operator with significant UK presence through the former HQ Nurseries acquisition. Targets working families and enterprise clients (employer-sponsored care) with a premium positioning comparable to Kids Planet.
• N Family Club: Premium London-centric nursery operator with ~30+ settings. Competes with Kids Planet in the higher-end urban nursery segment, offering similar child-led curriculum and parent communication technology.
• Childbase Partnership: Mid-sized UK nursery group operating around 50 settings. Employee-owned structure but otherwise comparable in offering full-day early years education and competing in similar regional markets as Kids Planet.
• Tops Day Nurseries: UK nursery operator with multiple settings across southern England. Offers full-day and government-funded nursery care with a similar regional roll-up strategy to Kids Planet.
• Monkey Puzzle Day Nurseries: UK nursery franchise with 60+ settings. Operates a different model (franchise rather than corporate-owned) but serves the same parent segment and competes for the same government-funded hours.
• Storal Learning: UK nursery group operating around 30+ settings, formed through acquisition of multiple regional nursery brands. Comparable acquisition-led growth strategy and child-led curriculum positioning to Kids Planet.
• Banana Moon Day Nurseries: UK nursery franchise network with 50+ settings, mostly in England and Wales. Targets the same working family segment with full-day nursery care and government-funded hours acceptance.
• Fennies Nurseries: Premium UK nursery group operating ~25 settings primarily in London and the South East. Targets higher-income families with a comparable premium curriculum approach and parent communication technology stack.

Emerging players

• Tigers Childcare: Now part of Kids Planet but was historically Ireland's largest independent childcare group with 34 settings. Important comparable for understanding Ireland-specific market dynamics and the value Kids Planet paid (€75M).

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/YourKidsPlanet
• Facebookfacebook.com/kidsplanetdaynurseries
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kids-planet-day-nurseries
• Instagraminstagram.com/kidsplanetdaynurseries
• TikToktiktok.com/@kidsplanetdaynurseries

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds3 records

Investors1 record

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

M&A12 records

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Kids Planet