Apples and Honey Nightingale CIC

What Apples and Honey Nightingale CIC does

Apples and Honey Nightingale CIC is a UK Community Interest Company (not-for-profit social enterprise) founded in September 2017 that operates the UK's first intergenerational day nursery and pre-school. The nursery is co-located within the grounds of Nightingale House, a care home for older people owned by Nightingale Hammerson, in Nightingale Lane, London (Balham/Southfields). It serves children aged 3 months to 5 years through a small two-classroom setting plus a Baby Bees room, enrolling families of all faiths and none against a Jewish ethos grounded in Kehillah (Community), B'tzelem Elohim (Mutual Respect), Torah (Love of Learning), and Tikkun Olam (Repairing the World). The defining feature is a daily structured intergenerational programme pairing children with elderly residents for cooking, gardening, music, art, storytelling, and shared learning, created by co-founder Judith Ish-Horowicz MBE.

The operating stack combines the statutory Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum with the proprietary intergenerational model, an online learning journal for parent progress tracking, and a Google Forms-based enrollment workflow with £50 registration and £500 deposit. GTM is community-led: word-of-mouth, parent testimonials, a baby-and-toddler group as transition funnel, and a strong Outstanding Ofsted reputation across four consecutive inspections (2007-2008, 2010-2011, 2015-2016, 2020). Four consecutive Outstanding Ofsted inspections underpin the premium positioning and pricing power.

Revenue is generated through three streams: (i) parent-paid monthly nursery fees for 50-week full-time and 38-week term-time places, (ii) UK government early education funding for eligible 3- and 4-year-olds (15 and 30 hour entitlements), and (iii) AHN Education and Training Centre (AHNEd) course, qualification, and consultancy fees distributed via ahnintergenerationaltraining.co.uk. As a CIC, all surpluses are reinvested into staffing, catering, and environment. The company has no parent, no external investors, and no disclosed financial statements; founders Judith Ish-Horowicz MBE and Ali Somers (Dr Ali Somers, research contributor) retain ownership alongside a community-based Board of Directors. AHNEd operates as a wholly-owned sub-brand providing the only path to scalable, non-site-bound growth.

Name

Apples and Honey Nightingale CIC

Legal name

Apples and Honey Nightingale CIC

Website

https://applesandhoneynightingale.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Early Childhood Education and Day Nursery Services

NAICS

Child Care Services (62441)

SIC

Services-Child Day Care Services (8351)

akta.pro primary industry

Full-Day Nursery Programs (EDACACAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Nursery School Wraparound Care (Extended Hours) (EDACACAG)

Keywords

• Intergenerational nursery
• Early childhood education
• Day nursery care
• EYFS curriculum delivery
• Jewish ethos nursery

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Day Nursery Fees: Parents pay monthly fees for childcare places. The nursery operates on a not-for-profit CIC model; all fees received are reinvested into the nursery — staff training and pay, catering quality, and environment upkeep. Places are available 50 weeks per year or term-time only (38 weeks). Fees are payable monthly in advance by the 1st of each month, averaged over 12 months.
2. Government Early Education Funding: Registered nursery education provider receiving government funding for eligible 3- and 4-year-olds (15 hours flexible early education for 38 weeks). Also offers 30 Hour Funding for parents meeting eligibility criteria. Limited availability for two-year-old funding. Funding is deducted from monthly invoices.
3. AHN Education & Training Centre (AHNEd): Specialist education, training and qualifications arm offering accredited intergenerational training courses, workshops, and consultancy services to practitioners across early years, care, education, and community sectors. Revenue generated through course fees and qualification charges.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Apples and Honey Nightingale CIC operates the UK's first intergenerational nursery, providing pre-school and day care for children aged 3 months to 5 years within the grounds of Nightingale House care home in London. Children engage in daily structured activities with elderly care home residents as part of the EYFS curriculum, complemented by an online learning journal, nutritious catering, outdoor learning, and SEND support. The organisation also runs AHN Education & Training Centre (AHNEd), a wholly-owned subsidiary that delivers accredited intergenerational training, qualifications, and consultancy to early years, care, education, and community-sector practitioners nationally and internationally.

Product overview

Apples and Honey Nightingale CIC operates a portfolio of interconnected services centred on intergenerational early years care and education. The core offering is the Apples and Honey Nightingale nursery — the UK's first intergenerational day care and pre-school for children from 3 months to 5 years, co-located within a care home. Supporting the nursery is AHN Education & Training Centre (AHNEd), which provides professional training, accredited qualifications, and consultancy services to external organisations. Additional offerings include a community Baby and Toddler Group and annual participation in Global Intergenerational Week. All services are unified by an intergenerational practice model that pairs young children with elderly care home residents for mutually beneficial daily activities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• AHN Education & Training Centre (AHNEd): The specialist education, training and qualifications arm of Apples and Honey Nightingale CIC that strengthens intergenerational practice through structured learning, accredited qualifications, and strategic embedding support for practitioners across early years, care, education, housing and community settings.

Products and services

• Apples and Honey Nightingale Day Nursery and Pre-School

Quantifiable outcome

• Ofsted Outstanding rating — all four inspections from 2007 to 2020
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 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

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Nightingale HammersoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe nursery is co-located within the grounds of Nightingale House care home, owned by Nightingale Hammerson. This is the defining partnership of the business — children and elderly residents engage in daily mutually beneficial activities. The care home provides the physical setting and resident community for the intergenerational programme, which is integral to the nursery's curriculum and unique value proposition.
• Generations Working TogethercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerA UK-based organisation that runs Global Intergenerational Week. Apples and Honey Nightingale participates annually and is a collaborator on the initiative, working with approximately 13 other countries worldwide to champion and celebrate meaningful connections between generations.
• Gen-AllcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounding member of Gen-All, a coalition working to promote intergenerational practice. The partnership is central to the nursery's advocacy and thought leadership role in the intergenerational sector, with Apples and Honey Nightingale also hosting the Centre for Intergenerational Practice Research and Development England under the Gen-All umbrella.
• Ready GenerationsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerA UK organisation focused on intergenerational care and education. Listed as a collaboration partner on the nursery's Our Partnerships page, suggesting shared learning and best practice exchange in the intergenerational space.
• Linking Generations NIminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerA Northern Ireland-based organisation focused on intergenerational connections. Listed as a collaboration partner, suggesting cross-regional knowledge sharing and mutual support in the intergenerational practice community.
• British Jewish Federation (BJF)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a partnership collaboration on the nursery's Our Partnerships page. The nursery has a Jewish ethos and operates within the context of the Jewish community in London; the BJF relationship may relate to community connection and shared values.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Storal Learning: UK nursery group operating multiple regulated early years settings across England. Comparable as a multi-site UK nursery operator serving similar parent segments, though operating at greater scale and without the care home co-location.
• N Family Club: Premium London-focused nursery group with multiple sites in similar Southwest London geographies. Comparable as a premium, design-led UK nursery serving affluent urban families; competes for the same parent demographic although without the intergenerational model.
• Kidsunlimited: UK nursery chain with multiple settings, including several in London. Comparable as a regulated UK nursery operator delivering EYFS programmes to similar parent segments, though without the intergenerational or faith-ethos positioning.
• Old Station Nursery: Established UK nursery group with multiple sites, including locations in the Greater London area. Comparable as a regulated UK nursery operator delivering the EYFS framework to families with young children in similar geographies.
• Grandir UK: UK nursery group operating multiple regulated day nurseries. Comparable as a UK EYFS-delivering nursery operator targeting working families, though operating at greater scale and lacking the care home co-location model.
• Monkey Puzzle Day Nurseries: UK nursery franchise network with many independently-operated sites. Comparable as a UK early years provider delivering EYFS to families with young children, though structured as a franchise rather than a co-located intergenerational model.
• The London Early Years Foundation (LEYF): London-based social enterprise nursery group with multiple sites across the capital. Comparable as a London-focused, mission-driven (not-for-profit) nursery operator serving similar inner-London families, though without the intergenerational or Jewish-ethos positioning.

Broad incumbents

• Busy Bees Childcare: One of the largest UK nursery chains with hundreds of sites. Comparable as a regulated UK early years day-care provider targeting working families, but operates at vastly greater scale and lacks the intergenerational co-location model.
• Bright Horizons Family Solutions: Global early years provider with a substantial UK nursery estate (and US parent listed as BFAM). Comparable as a high-quality, regulated UK nursery operator serving working families, but with a broad portfolio rather than an intergenerational niche.

Emerging players

• The Intergenerational Schools (Cleveland, US): US-based network of public charter schools built around an intergenerational learning model with on-site seniors. Comparable as an early years / primary provider explicitly structured around intergenerational daily interaction, although operating in a US public school context rather than UK nursery regulation.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/AHn_galeNursery
• Facebookfacebook.com/applesandhoneynightingale
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/apples-and-honey-nightingale

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

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 Apples and Honey Nightingale CIC