Q&A with Aaron Grainger, Head of Expansion at N Family Club
Q&A with Aaron Grainger, Head of Expansion at N Family Club
Name: Aaron Grainger
Role: Head of Expansion at N Family Club
Who are N Family Club?
Founded in 2017, N Family Club set out to rethink early years education – developing a progressive curriculum, building a sector-leading team culture, and a service that adds real value for families. We currently have 33 nurseries across London, Home Counties, Cambridge and the West Midlands, and were rated the highest quality nursery group in the UK by Nursery World in 2023.
How many locations do N Family Club currently have?
We currently have 33 operating nurseries, predominantly located in the South-East with our latest openings in Reading, Greenwich & Leyton with new sites to launch in Maidenhead (pictured) and Walthamstow in the next few months.
Target locations?
We are operating from a wide range of buildings ranging from purpose-built units as part of wider residential developments to characterful former churches, along with a number of former offices – we are happy to consider a broad range of opportunities.
Our focus is on affluent residential areas with a strong demographic catchment within a 20-minute travel time, either walking or driving dependant on location.
How many new locations are you targeting?
We are aiming to grow to 80 nurseries in the next few years.
Size requirements?
Anywhere from 4,000 – 10,000 sq.ft, depending on a range of considerations such as number of floors, access to outdoor space & amount of lost circulation space – we put more focus on the number of places we’re able to achieve rather than the floor areas themselves.
Additional requirements?
We require at least 1,000 sq.ft of outdoor play space at each nursery to create great gardens for our children.
If within London we are targeting locations close to transport links or if outside of London adequate car parking is required.
Planning consent?
We fall within the Use Class E in the current planning categories, however we’re happy to look at properties subject to planning and work with landlords or developers to secure the necessary permissions.
Freehold or Leasehold?
Whilst we will only take on leases ourselves we have a number of Landlord partners we’ve worked with on multiple occasions with whom we can partner with on Freehold opportunities as required.
Recent openings or new locations in the pipeline?
Already in 2024 we have launched nurseries in Leyton & Greenwich, with sites in Twickenham, Walthamstow & Maidenhead all to launch before the end of Summer.
Contact details?
Email – Aaron.Grainger@nfamilyclub.com
Tel – 07949 308417
