Nursery World - Interview

Fiona Smith is responsible for bringing The Learning Experience (TLE) from the US and driving its franchise expansion, with the aim to open 70 nurseries in the UK. Founded in Florida 40 years ago, TLE has more than 275 settings, 90 per cent of them franchises. Ms Smith, who has a background in franchising, oversaw the recent UK nursery launch.

Fiona Smith, UK managing director of The Learning Experience

A business graduate, Ms Smith, who has previously been responsible for franchising for companies including Pizza Hut and Starbucks, opened The Learning Experience’s first corporate-owned UK nursery in East Finchley, London in October 2020, and plans to recruit franchise partners from early next year.

WHAT ARE THE PLANS FOR TLE IN THE UK?

Over the last year in the US, TLE has grown rapidly at around one centre a week, so the expansion is very fast. The corporate-owned site in East Finchley is the first in the UK and we will be looking to start partnering with franchise partners in the UK, as we do in the US, to help us on that expansion journey. That will probably start at the beginning of 2021. We may also open one or two more corporate-owned centres.

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