Home » 15 Years of our franchise

2025 is an exciting year for Banana Moon, as we’re celebrating 15 years of franchising!

As a trusted nursery franchise, we’ve been building a legacy of learning, community and opportunity since 2010. We’ve helped passionate entrepreneurs transform their love for childcare into thriving businesses, and are proud to have a growing network of dedicated franchisees shaping the future of our next generation.

Now, as we mark this milestone, we’re taking a moment to reflect on our success and why we continue to thrive in a competitive market.

Stay tuned – over the course of this special year, we’ll be sharing 15 brand promises that have shaped our journey. From our people to our proven framework, community ties and family feel – it’s everything that makes us who we are.

So, whether you’re dreaming of starting your own Banana Moon franchise or are simply curious about our story, revisit this page to discover what sets us apart – and why this could be your year to make a difference.

Partnerships built on trust and shared values

And that’s a wrap! As 2025 comes to a close, it’s time to share our 15th and final brand promise that has shaped our franchising journey over the past 15 years.

We couldn’t think of a better way to round off our anniversary year than with the value: ‘Partnerships built on trust and shared values’. Whether it’s our amazing franchisees, Banana Moon team members, the outstanding companies who strengthen our safety systems and provide exceptional resources to our nurseries or our incredible sponsors at the Midnight Moon Awards, we’re extremely grateful to every single one of you.

Here’s a special message from Mark and Mike. Join them as they reflect on a remarkable year and the people who’ve made it possible.

Here’s to the exciting adventures that lie ahead in 2026!

Passion and positivity in everything we do

We pride ourselves on our energy and dedication – and the perfect example is our onboarding process.

Before you make the decision to apply to open your very own nursery, we’ll spend time with you to assess your own aims and aspirations. We’re looking for the right brand ambassadors who have the skills, drive and mindset to make their nursery a success. Because the more nurseries that get it right, the more children who benefit – and that’s what it’s all about!

Before talking to us in detail, you can discover if you’re the perfect fit for franchising with our Franchisee Flight Check. This quick and fun quiz is an excellent way to see how well you’d fit into the Banana Moon family. Want to have a go? Click here

Celebrating and rewarding our people

At Banana Moon, recognition is a culture. We firmly believe in celebrating the achievements of everyone in our community throughout the year. We mark milestones, share exciting news and celebrate accomplishments across all areas of our community – from our dedicated nursery teams and apprentices to our supportive Franchise Support Team.

Without doubt, the highlight of the year is our Midnight Moon Awards, a special event where we honour outstanding contributions, hard work and exceptional achievements across the network. From hitting the slopes, to vibrant carnivals and now diving under the sea for this year’s theme – each event has been a magical celebration of the passion, dedication and hard work across our entire network.

We have 10 awards covering the different areas that make Banana Moon such a special place, including Early Years Professional of the Year, Community Champion, Culinary Star of the Year, Excellence in Additional Needs, Nursery Management Team of the Year and, of course, our highly coveted Nursery of the Year award!

Check out some of our favourite moments from over the years!

Building communities, not just businesses

With over 50 nurseries across the UK, the Banana Moon network is rooted in a shared dedication to being truly community-focused – putting children and families’ safety and support at the centre of everything we do.

Our award-winning Little hearts, bright futures campaign is a proud reflection of that commitment. Through this initiative, every Banana Moon nursery has been equipped with an automated external defibrillator – a vital step in safeguarding the health and well-being of every child in our care.

At Banana Moon, we don’t just grow franchises – we build nurseries that make a difference in their communities. Because protecting little hearts today helps create brighter futures tomorrow.

Inspiring a lifelong love of learning

At Banana Moon, we know that a love of learning starts early – but it doesn’t end there! For the past 15 years, we’ve been nurturing children’s natural curiosity while also encouraging our franchisees and staff to embrace continuous growth and development.

To mark this special milestone, we invited our Franchise team and nursery staff to share childhood photos and reflect on what they wanted to be when they grew up. Their dreams show just how important imagination is in shaping who we become.

Of course, learning doesn’t stop when we leave childhood behind. Our people are constantly evolving in their roles – developing new skills, taking on fresh challenges and growing alongside the children they care for.

Encouraging learning through play

Learning through play is at the heart of everything we do at Banana Moon.

Play is how children discover the world around them, helping them develop confidence, curiosity and creativity. Our approach revolves around creating an environment where our little learners naturally engage in activities that captivate their interest and support essential developmental skills, as they embark on an exciting journey of discovery together.

Our unique Early Learning and Development Programme is key in championing our learn-by-play ethos and explores how we can use the world around us to educate and engage little minds.

Our latest video shows a few examples of ‘learning through play’ in action at our nurseries, including:
• Constructing, building and creating
• Role play
• Independently choosing resources to use to represent their own ideas
• Drawing different facial expressions and the emotions they represent
• Weighing and measuring when baking
• Science experiments (adult led!)
• Learning where food comes from
• Exploring the community

Ready to run a business with purpose, backed by a proven model and a strong ethos at its heart? Contact us to see how joining a nursery franchise is investing in a brighter future.

Championing diversity and inclusivity

Here at Banana Moon, we’re committed to championing diversity and inclusivity in everything we do. We’ve curated our Early Learning and Development Programme (ELDP) to work for every child and family, with a strong focus on individuality and bringing communities together. We want to empower children to see themselves reflected within our provision – not just in our curriculum, but in everything from our resources to our menus.

Our inclusive approach also extends beyond our little ones, ensuring that all franchise and nursery team members have equal opportunities. We’re proud to have created a business where everyone feels valued, respected and has a sense of belonging.

But don’t just take our word for it. We asked our Franchise team, franchisees, nursery staff and our Banana Moon children to summarise what the phrase ‘diversity and inclusivity’ means to them…

Embracing the magic of childhood

Did you know that our first Banana Moon nursery opened its doors in 2006? Although we started franchising in 2010 – hence, our 15-year franchise anniversary – our values have been in place for over 21 years.

Today, we're celebrating one of these key values: Encouraging children to be children, while learning through play.

The first years of a child’s life are magical. No two days are the same, and they develop at a rate that will never be repeated! We're excited by this and have designed our bespoke curriculum to support these unique developmental journeys.

Our mission to create a world of memories and inspire a generation has resonated with franchisees across the UK, and together, we're embracing the magic of childhood!

Turning franchisees' dreams into reality

15 years. Over 50 nurseries. And we’re just getting started…

Since 2010, we've been proud to help turn passionate people’s dreams into thriving nursery businesses.

Our map is lighting up with happy little learners – and fulfilled franchisees – across the UK.

Want to be part of something big?

Find out how to get started here

Supporting little hearts to have brighter futures

We’re extremely proud of our Little Hearts, Bright Futures initiative, where we installed a life-saving defibrillator in each of our 50+ nurseries, supporting the children, teams and local areas. This lifesaving equipment will help us to ensure our children have the best chance of a bright future, no matter what life throws at us.

The initiative was driven by a deep sense of responsibility. As well as reassuring parents that their little ones are in the best possible care in our nursery settings, it positively benefits franchisees by cementing our commitment to best practice in the childcare industry. We were recently awarded the Natalia Shvarts QFP Community Builder of the Year Award at the Elite Franchise Awards, for our positive community impact.

Here’s to little hearts and bright futures!

15 years of a successful franchise framework

We firmly believe being part of an established franchise can be one of the safest and most reliable ways to own your own business. We’ve spent years perfecting our business model and, when followed, franchisees are able to reap the benefits. Indeed, we’ve seen first-hand how dedication to the proven franchise system leads to success.

And the proof is in the pudding – we’re delighted to be recognised in the Top 20 Large Nursery Groups in the daynurseries.co.uk awards for the second year in a row.

Feeling part of a family

What sets Banana Moon apart from other childcare franchises is our deep-rooted family ethos.

We’re proud to have three generations of directors: our MD and Founder, Mark; his father and our Chairman and Founder, Mike; and Mark’s nephew (Mike’s grandson) and Director, Josh. Together, they’re dedicated to the same mission: to become The Most Loved nursery group and franchise.

Our journey began when Mark struggled to find quality childcare. He and Mike quickly realised that families everywhere faced the same challenge. That light-bulb moment sparked them to co-found Banana Moon and open their first nursery – a local business that soon evolved into a vision for something much greater: a national franchise network.

“Continuing to grow the family legacy fills me with great pride as it represents not only honouring the hard work and dedication that built this business, but also ensuring that its values, vision and impact continue to thrive for future generations.”
– Mike Bates, Chairman

Our directors play a key role in driving the business forward, ensuring our franchisees receive expert support. And being family means open and transparent conversations, while sharing a common vision for Banana Moon’s future!

Find out more about our directors individual Banana Moon stories.

Mike's story Mark's story Josh's story

Shaping the future of our next generation

The first years of a child’s life are magical – no two days are the same, as they develop at the fastest rate of their lifetimes! We’re excited by this and have designed Our Early Learning and Development Programme (ELDP) to support these unique developmental journeys.

Here’s how our ELDP contributes to our mission to create a world of memories and inspire a generation, and why it sets our franchisees apart!

Growing together as a franchise

Did you know that more of our franchisees own multiple nurseries, compared to those with a single unit? What’s more, several are moving on to their fourth and fifth territories – something that’s rare in nursery franchising!

This growth shows just how passionate our franchisees are about our mission to inspire a generation, as well as how we’re supporting them in scaling their nurseries for success.

Here, our Director and Founder Mark talks to Susie Glenister, who was of our first franchisee in 2010. Together, they reminisce about the last 15 years, which have seen Susie open multiple units, and discuss what our brand promise ’15 years of growing together as a franchise’ means to her.