Banana Moon builds on nearly two decades of success with the added scale, expertise and resources of The Learning Experience.
WARWICK, United Kingdom, Aug. 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Banana Moon Day Nursery, one of the UK’s most respected nursery franchises, has been acquired by The Learning Experience® (TLE), one of the fastest-growing educational childcare companies in the United States. The acquisition marks an exciting new chapter for Banana Moon and strengthens The Learning Experience’s long-term commitment to the UK early years sector.
Every existing Banana Moon nursery across the network will continue to operate under the Banana Moon name and brand, led by Co-Founder and Managing Director Mark Bates and the same experienced local leadership team. Founded by father-and-son team Michael and Mark Bates, Banana Moon will continue under Mark’s leadership as Michael begins his well-earned retirement. There will be no disruption to the day-to-day experience for children, families or staff.
“For more than three years, we got to know Mark, his father Michael, and the wider Banana Moon team, and it became clear this was a business that shared our values and our commitment to putting children first and building a brand families can trust,” said Richard Weissman, Co-Founder, Chairman and CEO of The Learning Experience. “We didn’t join forces with Banana Moon to change what makes it special. We joined forces to help it grow. Banana Moon keeps its name, its people and its culture, and together we’re creating even greater opportunities for Banana Moon, its franchisees and the families they serve.”
The partnership brings together the strengths of two established early years organizations, creating new opportunities to share best practices, invest in innovation and expand the resources available to Banana Moon franchisees. Over time, franchisees will benefit from additional technology, marketing, educational and operational support while Banana Moon continues to operate under its established brand and leadership.
Franchisees will also gain access to CORE, TLE’s proprietary technology platform, which provides real-time dashboards, AI-supported coaching and predictive analytics to key areas including attendance, family communications, scheduling and billing, giving owners and their teams greater visibility into their businesses and helping simplify day-to-day operations.
“We’re incredibly proud of what Banana Moon has built over the past two decades,” said Bates. “This partnership allows us to build on that success while staying true to the values, culture and relationships that define Banana Moon. Together, we’re creating even greater opportunities to grow our network, support our franchisees and bring the Banana Moon experience to more families across the UK.”
The partnership marks the beginning of a new phase of growth for Banana Moon across the UK. The Learning Experience is committed to investing in the continued expansion of the Banana Moon network, actively seeking opportunities to open new nursery locations throughout the United Kingdom while continuing to support growth and occupancy across existing nurseries.
For prospective franchisees, Banana Moon continues to offer an established British nursery brand, an experienced leadership team and a strong franchise community. Through the partnership with The Learning Experience, franchisees will also benefit from the scale, experience and resources of one of the world’s leading educational childcare franchise organizations.
The announcement comes as expanded government-funded childcare is increasing access to early years places across England, creating a significant opportunity for franchise growth.
“What excites me most is that we don’t have to choose between protecting what we’ve built and moving the business forward,” Bates said. “We can do both. Banana Moon has a strong identity, an experienced team and franchisees who care deeply about their nurseries. Together, we’re well positioned to continue growing the Banana Moon network while staying true to the values and culture that have defined our brand from the beginning.”
For more information about becoming a Banana Moon franchisee, visit www.bananamoonfranchise.com.
About Banana Moon Day Nursery
Founded in 2006, Banana Moon Day Nursery is one of the UK’s leading nursery franchise brands, providing high-quality early years education and care in nurturing, purpose-built environments. Built on a child-first philosophy and a commitment to supporting children, families and franchisees, Banana Moon has grown into a nationwide network of nurseries known for delivering exceptional care, inspiring learning experiences and strong community connections. With an experienced leadership team and a successful franchise model, Banana Moon continues to expand its presence across the UK while remaining focused on helping every child thrive.
About The Learning Experience
The Learning Experience® is one of the most innovative brands in early childhood education. With approximately 500 nurseries open and more than 300 additional locations in development across the U.S. and U.K., the company provides high-quality early education and care for children from six weeks to six years old. Family-founded and rooted in a passion for purposeful learning, The Learning Experience empowers children to reach their full potential through its proprietary L.E.A.P.® Curriculum, which nurtures cognitive, social and emotional development. Guided by its mission to make a positive difference in the lives of children, families and the communities it serves, the company creates joyful learning experiences that inspire confidence and a lifelong love of learning. Beyond the classroom, The Learning Experience extends learning through Bubbles and Friends®, its award-winning educational media platform featuring original characters, music, video content and a companion app that supports learning anytime, anywhere. The Learning Experience has earned numerous industry accolades, including recognition as the No. 1 Childcare Franchise by Entrepreneur magazine and the No. 1 Education Franchise by Franchise Business Review.
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