family first

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

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

• Early years childcare
• Nursery and preschool
• Day nursery group
• Ofsted-registered childcare
• Childcare services

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. 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

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core 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

Named customers4 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• NSPCCcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 June 2026Family 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)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRealise 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

Direct 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

• Facebookfacebook.com/familyfirstnurseries
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/family-first-day-nurseries

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 family first