Spring by Action for Children
Spring by Action for Children is a UK charitable social enterprise operating Spring Nurseries (ages 0-5) and Spring Oscars out-of-school clubs (ages 5-14), including 16 military base nurseries, serving parent families across the United Kingdom with fee-based Ofsted-registered childcare.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded-
- HeadquartersWatford, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Spring by Action for Children does
Spring by Action for Children is a UK-based charitable social enterprise that delivers extended childcare services from birth to age 14 through two complementary brands: Spring Nurseries for children aged 0-5 and Spring Oscars Out-of-School Clubs for children aged 5-14 (including 19 after school clubs across 16 registered services and 14 breakfast clubs). The legal operating entity is Action for Children Developments Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of Action for Children, a national children's charity with approximately 150 years of operating history; all profits generated by Spring are reinvested into the parent charity to support vulnerable children. A distinguishing operational feature is Spring's presence on 16 UK military bases, providing tailored childcare for armed forces families with deployment-aware parent partnership arrangements.
The underlying technology and product surface is operationally focused rather than digitally native. Spring delivers its curriculum through research-informed pedagogical programmes aligned to the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) and the Curriculum for Excellence in Scotland, supported by Forest School outdoor learning, Eat Better Start Better accredited menus, a Thriving Twos programme for two-year-olds, a Babies programme for under-twos, and PANCo-qualified health and nutrition champions trained through a partnership with PurpleBee Learning. Digital infrastructure is third-party: the Famly app for daily parent communication, Cloudflare for web security, and Google Analytics for site analytics. There are no proprietary AI/ML capabilities, patents, or developer-facing APIs.
Revenue is generated through recurring parent fees for permanent nursery sessions billed monthly in advance, plus flexible pay-as-you-go bookings and separately billed holiday clubs, with acceptance of government-funded free childcare hours (including 15 hours free childcare for eligible 2-year-olds from April 2024). Pricing is not publicly disclosed. The go-to-market is direct-to-consumer through owned and operated physical settings, with an active acquisition pipeline targeting existing nurseries and out-of-school clubs, particularly in the South East of England. All Spring settings hold Good or Outstanding Ofsted ratings, the group carries a 9.6-9.7/10 parent rating on Day Nurseries, and Spring was a winner of the Day Nurseries Top 20 Large Nursery Groups 2026 award.
Spring by Action for Children firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Spring by Action for Children
- Legal name
- Action for Children Developments Ltd
- Website
- https://springchildcare.co.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Spring by Action for Children is a UK charitable social enterprise operating Spring Nurseries (ages 0-5) and Spring Oscars out-of-school clubs (ages 5-14), including 16 military base nurseries, serving parent families across the United Kingdom with fee-based Ofsted-registered childcare.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Spring by Action for Children industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Childcare and Early Years Education Services
- NAICS
- Child Care Services (62441), Child Care Services (6244)
- SIC
- Services-Child Day Care Services (8351)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Full-Day Nursery Programs (EDACACAD)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Extended Day Programs at Preschools & Childcare Centers (EDACAHAB), Drop-In / Flexible Nursery Care (EDACACAF)
Keywords
Where Spring by Action for Children is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Watford
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Spring by Action for Children business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Nursery Care Fees: Fees paid by parents for childcare services at Spring Nurseries (ages 0-5) and Spring Oscars out-of-school clubs (ages 5-14). Fees are charged monthly in advance, with a deposit and registration fee required. The company is part of Action for Children, a national children's charity, and all profits are reinvested into the charity to support vulnerable children.
- Out-of-School Club Fees: Fees for breakfast clubs, after school clubs, and holiday clubs through Spring Oscars. Flexible bookings are available in addition to permanent session bookings.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Permanent Booking Pattern - Regular sessions booked for at least 4 weeks |
| Usage-based | Pay-as-you-go | Flexible Bookings - Ad hoc additional sessions subject to availability |
| Subscription | Pay-as-you-go | Holiday Clubs - Sessions during school holidays |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels9 records
Spring by Action for Children product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Spring by Action for Children directly operates Ofsted-registered day nurseries (Spring Nurseries) for children aged 0-5 and out-of-school clubs (Spring Oscars) including breakfast clubs, after school clubs, and holiday clubs for children aged 5-14 across the United Kingdom. The company also delivers specialised childcare on 16 UK military bases and provides research-informed programmes such as Forest School outdoor learning, the Thriving Twos programme, and Eat Better Start Better accredited nutrition. As a charitable social enterprise under Action for Children, all profits are reinvested into the parent charity to support vulnerable children.
Product overview
Spring by Action for Children operates a dual-brand childcare portfolio consisting of Spring Nurseries for children aged 0-5 and Spring Oscars for school-age children aged 5-14. Spring Nurseries provides day care and early education through numerous nursery locations across the UK, while Spring Oscars offers out-of-school care through breakfast clubs, after school clubs, and holiday clubs. The organization also provides specialized services including Forest School outdoor learning programs, military childcare on 16 military bases, and the Thriving Two's Programme for two-year-olds. Parent communication is facilitated through the FAMLY app. All services are registered with Ofsted and operate under the charity Action for Children.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Spring Nurseries: Day nurseries for children aged 0-5 offering positive learning environments
- Spring Oscars
- Springboard
- Military Childcare
Products and services
- Spring Nurseries Ofsted-registered day nurseries providing care and early years education for children aged 0-5, aligned with the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) and Curriculum for Excellence in Scotland. Targeted at parents and families seeking high-quality full-day nursery care with parent partnership engagement via the Famly app.
- Spring Oscars Out-of-School Clubs Out-of-school childcare clubs (breakfast, after school, and holiday clubs) for children aged 5-14, currently operating 19 after school clubs from 16 registered services and 14 breakfast clubs across the United Kingdom. Targeted at working parents needing wraparound school-age care.
- Spring Oscars Breakfast Clubs Morning childcare sessions providing breakfast and supervision before school, operating from 14 Spring locations. Targeted at working parents of school-age children.
- Spring Oscars After School Clubs After-school supervision and activities operating from 19 Spring locations for school-age children. Targeted at working parents needing post-school care.
- Spring Oscars Holiday Clubs Holiday childcare programmes including Easter & Summer Clubs and Half Term Holiday Clubs for school-age children during school breaks, charged separately from term-time nursery fees. Targeted at working parents needing full-day cover during school holidays.
- Spring Military Childcare Specialised nursery and out-of-school childcare delivered on 16 UK military bases, with tailored parent partnership programmes and flexible arrangements to support families during deployment. Targeted at UK armed forces personnel and their families.
Quantifiable outcome
- 100% of Spring settings hold Good or Outstanding Ofsted ratings
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Spring by Action for Children
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Spring by Action for Children technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration3 records
Feature6 records
Spring by Action for Children partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- PurpleBee LearningcoreSpring partnered with PurpleBee Learning to upskill staff for Physical Activity and Nutrition Coordinator (PANCo) qualifications. Each Spring Nursery and Spring Oscars setting aims to have a PANCo championing best practice in physical activity and nutrition, leading positive change within the settings.
Scale indicators10 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Spring by Action for Children competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Premier Education Group: UK provider of wraparound childcare and out-of-school activity clubs for primary-age children. Adjacent comparator to Spring Oscars out-of-school clubs, with overlapping breakfast/after-school/holiday-club offering for ages 5–14.
Direct peers
- Tops Day Nurseries: UK nursery group with a portfolio of full-day nurseries and holiday clubs, similar in size and dual-segment structure to Spring Nurseries and Spring Oscars. Competes on quality ratings, parent satisfaction, and geographic coverage.
- Kidsunlimited (Kids Unlimited): UK chain of nurseries providing full-day care for under-5s with comparable curriculum-led positioning. Overlaps with Spring Nurseries on target customer (working parents) and product offering (full-day EYFS-aligned childcare).
- Storal Learning: Growing UK nursery group formed via acquisition of multiple regional nursery operators, directly comparable to Spring's acquisition-led growth strategy. Similar mid-market positioning with dual-segment nurseries and out-of-school provision.
- N Family Club: UK nursery group with a comparable dual-segment proposition (under-5 nurseries plus out-of-school clubs) and similar scale positioning to Spring. Competes head-to-head for the same family demographic in overlapping UK geographies.
- London Early Years Foundation (LEYF): UK charity-affiliated nursery social enterprise with a comparable mission-led positioning to Spring (Action for Children). Directly comparable as a non-profit/charity-backed nursery operator, with overlapping parent-partnership and community-focused ethos.
- Childbase Partnership: Mid-sized UK nursery group operating a portfolio of day nurseries with comparable quality positioning and Ofsted-driven reputation. Competes directly with Spring for working-parent enrolments in the South East and Midlands.
Broad incumbents
- Bright Horizons Family Solutions: International early years provider with significant UK footprint, offering nursery care, out-of-school clubs, and employer-sponsored childcare. Directly comparable dual-segment offering to Spring Nurseries and Spring Oscars, plus comparable employer- and family-facing customer base.
- Busy Bees Nurseries: One of the UK's largest nursery chains with hundreds of sites, competing with Spring for working families seeking Ofsted-registered full-day childcare. Comparable direct overlap in nursery provision, but at substantially greater scale and as a commercial operator.
Regional players
- Affinity Workforce Solutions: Provider of on-base services to UK military communities including childcare. Comparable military-base presence to Spring's 16-base footprint, though broader in scope (encompassing wraparound services beyond childcare).
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Spring by Action for Children social profiles
Digital presenceSpring by Action for Children compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance6 records
Spring by Action for Children financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Spring by Action for Children leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
Spring by Action for Children funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Spring by Action for Children M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Spring by Action for Children
What does Spring by Action for Children do?
Spring by Action for Children directly operates Ofsted-registered day nurseries (Spring Nurseries) for children aged 0-5 and out-of-school clubs (Spring Oscars) including breakfast clubs, after school clubs, and holiday clubs for children aged 5-14 across the United Kingdom. The company also delivers specialised childcare on 16 UK military bases and provides research-informed programmes such as Forest School outdoor learning, the Thriving Twos programme, and Eat Better Start Better accredited nutrition. As a charitable social enterprise under Action for Children, all profits are reinvested into the parent charity to support vulnerable children.
Is Spring by Action for Children a public or private company?
Spring by Action for Children is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Spring by Action for Children founded?
Spring by Action for Children was founded in -1. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Spring by Action for Children based?
Spring by Action for Children is headquartered in Watford, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Spring by Action for Children make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Nursery Care Fees are the primary driver. The others are out-of-School Club Fees.
Who are Spring by Action for Children's main competitors?
Premier Education Group is listed as an emerging player. Direct peers are Tops Day Nurseries, Kidsunlimited (Kids Unlimited), Storal Learning, N Family Club, London Early Years Foundation (LEYF) and Childbase Partnership. Broad incumbents are Bright Horizons Family Solutions and Busy Bees Nurseries. Affinity Workforce Solutions is listed as a regional player.
Does Spring by Action for Children have an API?
No public API is recorded for Spring by Action for Children.
What industry is Spring by Action for Children in?
Spring by Action for Children'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 EDACAHAB, Extended Day Programs at Preschools & Childcare Centers. Its NAICS code is 62441 and its SIC code is 8351.