Kids Planet
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.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2008
- HeadquartersLymm, United Kingdom
- Headcount1,001–5,000
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
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.
Kids Planet firmographics
Firmographics- 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
Kids Planet industry classification
Industry- 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
Where Kids Planet is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Lymm
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
Kids Planet business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- 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).
- 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.
- Additional Services: Charges for consumables and extras such as meals, nappies, wipes, additional hours beyond funded sessions, and trips. Sibling discounts available.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Standard nursery fees vary by location |
| Subscription | Annual | Government funded childcare - 30 hours per week |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
Kids Planet product offering
Product offeringCore 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
Companies that use Kids Planet
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Kids Planet technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration1 record
Feature2 records
Kids Planet partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and major.
- Tigers ChildcarecoreIrish 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 & CominorProperty consultancy that facilitated the acquisition of Fieldside Day Nursery and other nursery transactions. Acts as broker for nursery sales across the UK.
- Dragon CampminorHoliday 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 OxfordmajorExclusive 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)majorExclusive 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
Kids Planet competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect 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
Kids Planet social profiles
Digital presenceKids Planet compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
Kids Planet financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Kids Planet leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles8 records
Kids Planet subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries9 records
Kids Planet funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds3 records
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Kids Planet M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A12 records
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Kids Planet
What does Kids Planet do?
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.
Is Kids Planet a public or private company?
Kids Planet is a private company. It is classified as private equity controlled and is currently operating.
When was Kids Planet founded?
Kids Planet was founded in 2008. It employs 1,001 to 5,000 people.
Where is Kids Planet based?
Kids Planet is headquartered in Lymm, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Kids Planet make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Nursery Fees are the primary driver. The others are government Funded Childcare and additional Services.
Who are Kids Planet's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Busy Bees Nurseries, Bright Horizons Family Solutions, N Family Club, Childbase Partnership, Tops Day Nurseries, Monkey Puzzle Day Nurseries, Storal Learning, Banana Moon Day Nurseries and Fennies Nurseries. Tigers Childcare is listed as an emerging player.
Does Kids Planet have an API?
No public API is recorded for Kids Planet.
What industry is Kids Planet in?
Kids Planet's product category is Childcare and Early Years Education Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDACACAD, Full-Day Nursery Programs, with a secondary code of EDACAAAB, Part-Day Childcare Centers. Its NAICS code is 62441 and its SIC code is 8351.