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 is N Family Club?
Founded in 2017, N Family Club set out to rethink early years – developing a progressive curriculum, building a sector-leading team culture, and a nursery service that adds real value and a sense of community for families. We currently have 45 nurseries across London, the wider South-East and the West Midlands and have been consistently in the top 4 of Nursery World's Ofsted Quality table since 2022, achieving 1st position in 2022 and 2023.
How many locations does N Family Club currently have?
We currently have 45 operating nurseries, predominantly located in the South-East, with our latest openings in Guildford, Wimbledon and Beckenham, with a number of further launches announced for the second half of 2025 – these include East Dulwich, Buckhurst Hill and Barnet.
Target locations?
We are looking for nursery sites across the South of England and in the West Midlands. A list of key location criteria is included on our requirements flyer, but it's by no means exhaustive, and so, if anybody has a property in a location they think could work for us, my message is always to send it across to us!
We are operating from a wide range of buildings, ranging from purpose-built units as part of wider residential developments to characterful former churches and schools, 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 depending on location.
How many new locations are you targeting?
We are targeting between 12 and 16 new openings each year, for the next few years.
Size requirements?
Anywhere from 4,000 to 10,000 sq. ft, depending on a range of considerations such as number of floors, access to outdoor space and amount of lost circulation space – we put more focus on the number of places we are 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 to use. 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 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?
In 2025, we have launched six nurseries in Leatherhead, Hove, Camberwell, Wimbledon, Beckenham and Guildford, with further openings in Barnet, East Dulwich, Buckhurst Hill and Blackheath planned for the second part of the year.
Contact details?
Email – Aaron.Grainger@nfamilyclub.com
Tel – 07949 308417
