At Banana Moon Day Nursery Franchise, we invest in our people as much as we invest in the children in our care. That’s why professional development is woven into every level of our network, helping franchisees and nursery teams to continue to grow throughout their journey with us – creating successful, sustainable businesses across the UK.
We’re proud to create a culture where ambition is encouraged, progression is visible and support is always accessible. From safeguarding updates and curriculum guidance to new nursery initiatives and sector developments, our ongoing training is designed to help our teams feel equipped and deliver high-quality childcare and early years education with confidence.
Last year alone, 100 hours of training were delivered across the network. Building on this, 2026 brings even more opportunities for development, with a full calendar of training events designed to support our franchisees and teams at every stage of their journey.
What sets our early years training apart?
At Banana Moon, training isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach. Training matters, systems matter, results matter – but none of them happen without people feeling energised, respected and part of something worthwhile.
We understand that every nursery, franchisee and practitioner has different strengths, experiences and development goals. That’s why we tailor training specifically for franchisees from day one, ensuring that every individual receives relevant and practical support.
Through a combination of virtual sessions, face-to-face workshops, HQ events, on-site support visits and one-to-one coaching, franchisees and practitioners can access support in ways that work best for them.
Most importantly, our training is designed to support real-world childcare challenges. We constantly review trends across the early years sector, monitor legislative updates and listen closely to feedback from managers and franchisees. And with more Gen Z practitioners entering early years settings, we’ve introduced additional support to help nursery leaders better understand, mentor and develop younger teams in the workplace.
Career progression that’s achievable
At Banana Moon, career progression is encouraged and actively supported. Retention comes from giving people reasons to stay. We invest in them, listen to them and create opportunities that match their ambitions. This year, our partnership with Eden Training Solutions introduced dedicated leadership pathways for:
- Apprentices beginning their early years careers
- Aspiring nursery managers
- Experienced leaders
- Future franchise owners
The impact has already been rewarding to see, with three nursery managers recently progressing to become directors of their own Banana Moon franchises.
Through our Banana Moon Training Academy, franchisees and their teams can access a wide programme of development opportunities at no additional cost, so they can grow their knowledge, confidence and leadership skills.
Responsive training that supports nurseries quickly
One of the key strengths of our development approach is how quickly we respond to the needs of our nurseries.
If a setting identifies an area where additional support is required, we can quickly use our resources and deliver targeted training – often within a week.
This agility has been vital in a fast-changing sector and helps us maintain consistently high standards across the network while providing reassurance and practical support to our nursery teams when they need it.
Dedicated support from experienced professionals
Much of our training and development is overseen by our Head of Training and Development, Nichola Patel, who works closely with training and development officers, franchisees and nursery managers across the network to create learning opportunities that are accessible, inclusive and meaningful. She says:
“What sets our approach to team development apart is that it goes beyond simply delivering ‘good practice’ or meeting minimum expectations. We’re very intentional about ensuring that everything we offer adds real value and has a lasting impact, not just on practitioners, but on the children and families they support.”
Nichola’s approach focuses on creating supportive learning environments where practitioners feel confident to reflect, ask questions and apply their learning in practice.
Training is carefully shaped using:
- Safeguarding and curriculum audit trends
- Regulatory inspection feedback
- Sector developments and legislation updates
- Feedback from practitioners and managers across the network
Supporting continuous professional development
A culture of training and continuous professional development (CPD) is also strongly embedded within our Franchise Support Office. We encourage team members to take ownership of their professional learning through self-directed CPD opportunities, alongside regular collaborative meetings focused on sharing knowledge, reflecting on practice and responding to emerging childcare trends.
This ongoing commitment to learning helps ensure that the support available to franchisees remains aligned with best practice across the childcare sector.
Thinking about franchising with Banana Moon?
Here at Banana Moon, we’re committed to helping our franchisees and teams succeed through industry-leading childcare training, responsive support and genuine opportunities for progression.
Development is never treated as a compliance exercise. We see it through a much wider lens: the impact it has on confidence, careers, nursery quality, family experience and the strength of our network as a whole.
Whether you’re an experienced childcare professional or completely new to franchising, we’ll support you every step of the way. Take our Franchise Flight Check to discover how well suited you are to starting your franchising journey.
Find out how you and your nursery could benefit from the training, development and ongoing support available through our website and start the conversation today.
