#Kids Academy Launch Nursery Management Franchise
After 18 months of planning and design, Warrington-based award-winning Kids Academy is now launching its children’s day nursery management franchise across the UK.
Kids Academy was set up in 1999 by Sue and Rob Jones when Rob’s career as a professional footballer ended prematurely due to injury. Rob was regarded as one of the best right backs in Premier League history and had played for Liverpool, West Ham and England, so it was a real blow to see it all end at the young age of 27. After the initial shock of this abrupt news had settled, Sue and Rob decided to put Rob’s insurance pay out to good use and set up their own children’s day nursery having been disappointed with the standard of child care offered locally to their own children.
After 14 years, Kids Academy has multiple nurseries of their own, a training academy, two care homes for adults with learning difficulties, a property company, cutting edge nursery management software, a pilot franchisee in Birmingham and an expansion contract to open 20 nurseries in the next five years across the Middle East, of which three are already open and another three will be complete by the end of the year.
The UK franchise expansion project combines the skills and expertise of Kids Academy with those of experienced franchise professional Robert Dancy. Dancy has a long family history in franchising, has worked in the industry for 12 years and has assisted many brands and innovative projects across the sector.
Dancy’s appointment in February this year came along side that of Jacqui Smith, a senior nursery business development and finance professional, with 13 years experience in the nursery industry.
Sue Jones, now Kids Academy COO, commented: We have invested a lot of hard work, time and money developing our business to what it is today, always with a central focus on quality and professionalism. Having taken a strategic decision to expand through franchising we wanted a team that would maintain our culture and ethos. We are extremely pleased with the value Robert and Jacqui have brought to the business and we are delighted to have got bfa membership so soon.
Interest in our franchise has already taken off and we hope to see the network grow from strength to strength over the coming years.