family first
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2019
- Headquarters—
- Headcount251–500
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
family first firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- family first
- Legal name
- Family First Nurseries Group
- Website
- https://familyfirstnurseries.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2019
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 251–500 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
family first industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Early Years Childcare and Preschool Education
- NAICS
- Child Care Services (62441)
- SIC
- Services-Child Day Care Services (8351)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Full-Day Nursery Programs (EDACACAD)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Half-Day Nursery Programs (EDACACAC), Drop-In / Flexible Nursery Care (EDACACAF)
Keywords
family first business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Childcare Fees: Family First Nurseries generates revenue through recurring childcare and preschool fees charged to families. Fees are subscription-based, typically billed on a monthly basis for ongoing care. The group also participates in government childcare funding schemes (Baby & Toddler Funding, 2 Year Old Funding, 3 & 4 Year Old Funding), which provides additional revenue streams subsidised by government contributions.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Standard childcare fees (not publicly disclosed) |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
family first product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Family First Nurseries operates a group of 97 nurseries and preschools across England providing Ofsted-registered early years childcare and education for children aged 3 months to 5 years. Services include full-time and part-time childcare, government-funded childcare (Baby & Toddler, 2 Year Old, 3 & 4 Year Old Funding), holiday clubs, and activity day camps, supported by daily parent communication via the Famly App, a structured curriculum, freshly prepared meals, and safeguarding-compliant staffing.
Product overview
Family First Nurseries operates as a childcare and preschool group with 97 nurseries across the UK. The company functions as a platform model combining a main Family First brand with multiple sub-brands and independent nursery settings. Key products include the Famly App for parent communication, the Family First Flex flexible working programme, and an Apprenticeships Programme for staff development. Each nursery setting is supported by group-wide resources while maintaining individual character.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Family First Nurseries Childcare and Preschool Services Ofsted-registered early years childcare and preschool education for children aged 3 months to 5 years, delivered across 97 nurseries in England. Includes full-time and part-time care, government-funded childcare (Baby & Toddler, 2 Year Old, 3 & 4 Year Old Funding), holiday clubs and activity day camps, a structured curriculum, freshly prepared meals, Forest School and outdoor learning, and safeguarding-compliant staffing. Customers are UK families and parents.
Quantifiable outcome
- 9.4/10 average parent review score based on 4,834 reviews
Companies that use family first
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
family first technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
family first partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- NSPCCcoreFamily First Nurseries has an active safeguarding collaboration with the NSPCC (National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children). As stated on their blog: 'At Family First, the safeguarding, wellbeing and happiness of every child in our care is at the heart of everything we do.' This partnership reinforces the group's commitment to child protection, with the NSPCC providing guidance and resources to support safeguarding standards across all 97 nursery settings.
- Realise (Apprenticeship Partner)minorRealise is the apprenticeship partner supporting Family First Nurseries' apprenticeship programmes. During National Apprenticeship Week, a Realise representative surprised Lucy from Waterlooville Day Nursery as their NAW Winner. The partnership enables Family First to deliver Level 2, Level 3, and Level 5 Early Years Specialist Apprenticeships across its nursery network, with 300 active apprentices and 200 having already qualified.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
family first competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Busy Bees: Busy Bees is the largest nursery operator in the UK with several hundred settings. It competes head-to-head with Family First across full-day nursery provision, government funding uptake, and employer partnerships, and is the most direct comparable in scale, model, and target demographic (0–5 year-olds).
- N Family Club: N Family Club is a UK nursery group operating a comparable multi-site, brand-led nursery model with a similar focus on parent communication, modern facilities, and central support infrastructure. It directly overlaps Family First on customer segment, pricing tier, and D2C acquisition motion.
- Childbase Partnership: Childbase Partnership is an established UK nursery group running a comparable portfolio of day nurseries with employer-supported childcare, apprenticeship programmes, and a similar mix of private fees and government funding revenue.
- Fennies Childcare: Fennies operates a network of day nurseries across London and the South East with a similar Ofsted-registered, full-day curriculum model and parent communication emphasis. It targets the same working-family demographic as Family First in overlapping geographies.
- Tops Day Nurseries: Tops Day Nurseries is a UK nursery chain operating multiple full-day settings with a comparable fee-based model, government funding participation, and emphasis on staff training and apprenticeship pathways.
- Mulberry Bush Day Nurseries: Mulberry Bush operates a network of full-day nurseries in the UK with comparable age range (0–5), Ofsted registration, and parent communication focus. It is a directly comparable mid-market multi-site operator competing in overlapping regions.
Broad incumbents
- Bright Horizons Family Solutions: Bright Horizons is a global incumbent in employer-sponsored and standalone childcare with a sizeable UK nursery estate. It overlaps with Family First on core day nursery services but operates at much greater scale and is more diversified across corporate clients and back-up care.
- Grandir UK: Grandir UK is the UK arm of a larger European childcare operator running multi-site day nurseries with a similar full-day, curriculum-led model. It is comparable as a broader incumbent expanding in the UK roll-up market where Family First is active.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights1 record
Customer concentration
family first social profiles
Digital presencefamily first financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
family first leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
family first funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
family first 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 family first
What does family first do?
Family First Nurseries operates a group of 97 nurseries and preschools across England providing Ofsted-registered early years childcare and education for children aged 3 months to 5 years. Services include full-time and part-time childcare, government-funded childcare (Baby & Toddler, 2 Year Old, 3 & 4 Year Old Funding), holiday clubs, and activity day camps, supported by daily parent communication via the Famly App, a structured curriculum, freshly prepared meals, and safeguarding-compliant staffing.
Is family first a public or private company?
family first is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was family first founded?
family first was founded in 2019. It employs 251 to 500 people.
How does family first make money?
One revenue line is on record: childcare Fees.
Who are family first's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Busy Bees, N Family Club, Childbase Partnership, Fennies Childcare, Tops Day Nurseries and Mulberry Bush Day Nurseries. Broad incumbents are Bright Horizons Family Solutions and Grandir UK.
Does family first have an API?
No public API is recorded for family first.
What industry is family first in?
family first's product category is Early Years Childcare and Preschool Education. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDACACAD, Full-Day Nursery Programs, with a secondary code of EDACACAC, Half-Day Nursery Programs. Its NAICS code is 62441 and its SIC code is 8351.