NURSERY FINANCE CLARITY

You didn't open a nursery to drown in the numbers.

But if you don’t understand your numbers, they will quietly run your business into the ground. I help nursery owners get crystal-clear on their finances, without the jargon and without the fear.

5+

nursery settings owned & operated

£10,000s

in funding gaps identified for clients

15 & 30

hour funding — decoded

100%

practitioner, not a theorist.

I’m not an accountant telling you what your P&L means. I’m a nursery director who has lived these numbers, and turned struggling settings around using them.

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Understanding your numbers

Most nursery owners can tell you how many children they have on roll. Far fewer can tell you what it costs to care for each one — and even fewer know whether they’re actually making money doing it. This is where we start.

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Cost per child calculation

Understand exactly what it costs you to care for each child per hour, per day, and per week, broken down by room, age band, and staff ratio. This single number will transform the way you think about your business.

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Break-even analysis

Know precisely how many funded and fee-paying children you need in each room to cover your costs. Stop guessing. Start planning.

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Occupancy rate optimisation

What percentage occupancy do you need to be profitable, and how close are you to it? We'll map the gap and build a clear action plan to close it.

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Fee rate review

Are your private fees actually covering the shortfall left by government funding rates? Many nursery owners are unknowingly subsidising the state. We'll run the numbers and tell you the truth.

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Funding clarity

Government childcare funding should support your setting. For too many providers, it quietly undermines it. I help you understand exactly what you’re receiving, what you should be claiming, and where the funding gap is costing you money you don’t have to lose.

"The hourly rate I receive doesn't cover what it costs me to deliver the hour. I just didn't know by how much."

— A reality shared by the majority of nursery providers in England

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15 & 30-hour funding demystified

I'll show you exactly what your local authority is paying you per hour and set it against your true cost of delivery. The gap is usually eye-opening.

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Funding gap analysis

A clear, documented picture of the shortfall between what the government pays and what it costs you to provide the funded places. Essential for any funding advocacy, fee-setting, or business planning.

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Stretched vs non-stretched hours

Which model works better financially for your setting? We'll model both scenarios against your actual cost base so you can make the decision with confidence.

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Supplement & enhanced rate review

Is your setting claiming every supplement and enhanced payment your local authority offers? Many providers leave money on the table simply because they don't know it exists.

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Financial health checks

Your accountant files your accounts. I help you actually understand them — and use them to make smarter decisions. Think of this as your nursery’s annual health check, but for the numbers that drive your sustainability.

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P&L plain-English review

We'll go through your profit and loss statement line by line, in plain English, and translate it into decisions you can actually act on. No jargon. No judgement. Just clarity.

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Staffing ratio cost modelling

What does one additional staff member actually cost you across a full year? When you factor in NI, pension, training, cover, and management time, the number is always higher than owners expect.

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Wage bill benchmarking

Your wage bill should sit between 65–75% of your income. Are you over or under? Either extreme signals a problem. We'll locate you on the spectrum and explain what it means.

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Setting viability assessment

An honest, evidence-based evaluation of whether your setting is financially sustainable, or whether it needs urgent intervention before the situation becomes unrecoverable.

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For buyers & turnarounds

Thinking about acquiring a nursery? Already own one that’s haemorrhaging cash and you can’t work out why? This is the work I’m most known for and most passionate about. I have bought distressed settings, walked into chaos, and built profitable, Ofsted-ready operations from the ground up. I know exactly what to look for.

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Pre-acquisition financial due diligence

Before you sign anything, let me look at the numbers. I know what a healthy nursery's finances look like and I know every warning sign of one that will cost you more than it earns. Don't buy blind.

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Distressed setting triage

You've inherited a setting with problems, or you've watched your own setting deteriorate. I'll identify exactly where the money is leaking, prioritise the fixes, and give you a clear-eyed picture of what you're actually dealing with.

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Turnaround roadmap

A structured, phased financial recovery plan for settings that are underperforming. Not a generic template, but a plan built around your specific numbers, your staff, your community, and your goals.

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Training & workshops

Understanding your numbers shouldn’t be something only directors have access to. When your managers and team leaders understand the financial context of the decisions they make, everything gets sharper, from staffing to resource ordering to how they think about funded places.

"Know Your Numbers" Workshop

Half-day or full-day for nursery owners and senior managers. Practical, hands-on, and built around real nursery finances. You'll leave with a completed financial picture of your own setting.

Half-day

Full-day

In-person or online

Finance for non-financial managers

For deputy managers, room leaders, and administrators who need to understand budgets, wage costs, and occupancy without being overwhelmed. Plain English. Real examples. Immediate application.

Team training

CPD certified

1:1 Finance clarity coaching

For nursery owners who feel overwhelmed, embarrassed, or just stuck when it comes to their own finances. Private, judgement-free sessions designed to give you control and confidence.

Monthly package

One-off session

READY TO GET CLEAR?

Your numbers are trying to tell you something.

Let’s make sure you’re listening. Book a free 30-minute Finance Clarity Call and we’ll identify the one number in your business you need to fix first.