As children and parents are welcomed to their birthday party, Sagar and Rinu reflect on the community and the business they have built over the last 12 months.
“We now have the nursery of our dreams – a beautiful environment for young children in the heart of this busy, diverse community. Supporting our talented team of staff as they nurture and educate the children and building relationships with their families is so satisfying – we love it!”
So, what was it about Canopy that made Sagar and Rinu feel so confident that this was the right franchise for them?
Firstly, the Canopy brand, values and ethos resonated with them.
We have developed Canopy Children’s Nurseries as a fresh, new nursery concept which nurtures a unique ecosystem for babies and young children to grow, learn and thrive.
Our child-led approach to early years education creates rich environments where our unique pedagogy, ‘The Canopy Code’ can be delivered in a highly engaging way.
Curious explorers, confident communicators, independent learners and inquisitive thinkers are the life skills, attitudes and behaviours we want to nurture in our children, alongside the core EYFS curriculum.
Whilst each nursery is an entirely child-centred environment, Canopy has been developed with the needs of parents at the forefront of our minds; We listen to our customers and understand the many challenges facing today’s parents as they juggle the many demands on their time.
We work to build strong relationships with parents where they are involved and listened to. Not only is this fundamental in understanding their children but it also brings more harmony to family life.
This leads us on to the second important reassuring factor; the credentials of the franchisor.
The Canopy team bring a wealth of experience to the business, having run both nurseries and a franchise network.
I have a long career as a childcare provider, still owning a successful, highly regarded nursery in Solihull, and founded Fun Fest Holiday Club in 2014 which I subsequently franchised in 2017. Since then Fun Fest has grown steadily into a network of more than 30 clubs across the country.
Canopy was developed during lockdown, combining my team’s nursery and franchising experience with a desire to build an exciting and aspirational new brand in the nursery market.
Parents need different things from a nursery now from when I started in this business 17 years ago. Parents today work more remotely and autonomously which results in a demand for more convenient and flexible childcare to fit around their lifestyle. They expect state of the art security systems and digital technology which facilitates instant two-way communication with their child’s carers and educators. They prioritise nutrition, natural resources and outdoor play, seeking calm, natural environments where their children will be nurtured as individuals to reach their potential.
It is also encouraging to see the growing importance of ethical considerations in parents’ decision-making and this is the area where we are currently focusing our attention, developing a sustainability policy which will embed sustainable practices in all our settings and teach our children how to respect the natural world and each other.
The success of our first franchisees is crucial to demonstrate the strength of the brand and the business model. As Canopy Wembley Park exceeds performance expectations at the end of its first operating year, the mutually supportive relationship between us continues to strengthen.