Open your nursery with a clear plan and expert guidance, while you stay in control
The Nursery Business Mentorship Programme is for founders who are comfortable leading their own project but want structure, accountability and personalised advice when important decisions arise.
£997 one-off programme fee. Business Mentorship is designed for a founder-led project with expert guidance rather than hands-on project management.
Built for founders who want guidance without handing over the project
Business Mentorship sits between a self-guided course and the much more hands-on Complete Mentorship programme.
Business Mentorship is a strong fit if…
- You are prepared to lead your nursery project and complete the practical work yourself.
- You want an experienced person to sense-check important decisions and help you avoid obvious mistakes.
- You want personalised advice around property, finance, staffing, registration and Ofsted.
- You value accountability and having structured one-to-one sessions to keep moving forward.
- You want access to expert support without paying for the more intensive done-with-you package.
You may need Complete Mentorship if…
- You want Curtly closely involved in property searches, negotiation and major project decisions.
- You want in-person nursery building visits included.
- You want priority WhatsApp support and faster response priority.
- You need broader implementation support with documents, recruitment, branding and launch planning.
- You want a more hands-on working partnership rather than five structured mentorship calls.
Five core areas of support, built around your nursery
You get the structure of the full nursery-opening course plus personalised support where your decisions become specific to your building, finances and plans.
Five private one-hour mentorship calls
Use your sessions for the issues that matter most to your project, such as property, finance, staffing, registration strategy, business planning or the next decisions you need to make.
Lifetime access to the full nursery course
Follow the structured opening roadmap in your own time and return to the training whenever you need to revisit a stage of the process.
Personal nursery business plan review
Receive personalised feedback on your nursery business plan so you can strengthen the thinking behind your costs, market, operations and overall business model.
2–3 hour Ofsted mock preparation session
Prepare over Teams for the pre-registration conversation, including leadership, safeguarding, your nursery environment and the types of questions you should be ready to discuss confidently.
Six months of standard email support
Ask questions between sessions while you are actively progressing your nursery. This is standard email support rather than the priority email and WhatsApp access included with Complete Mentorship.
Your sessions follow your project, not a generic script
Your five calls can be used around the milestones where personalised input is most valuable. Your journey may look different, but these are common points where founders need support.
Set the direction
Clarify your opening plan, timescale, budget, priorities and immediate next actions.
Assess decisions
Talk through property, finance, local demand, staffing or other important choices before committing.
Strengthen the plan
Use your business plan review and sessions to challenge assumptions and improve commercial thinking.
Prepare to register
Work through readiness, safeguarding, leadership knowledge and the nursery environment.
Prepare for Ofsted
Use the dedicated 2–3 hour mock preparation session to practise and identify gaps before your visit.
Know exactly what continues after the six-month email period
The programme separates ongoing communication from the included services so you are clear about what you are buying.
After six months
- Standard email support ends at the end of the six-month support period.
- Your full nursery course remains available for lifetime access.
- Your included mentorship calls, business plan review and Ofsted preparation may be used after the six-month email-support period, subject to the programme’s current booking and usage terms.
- Unused email-support time does not become a cash credit or refund.
A mentorship programme, not a done-for-you nursery-opening service
Clear boundaries help you choose the right package before you buy.
Business Mentorship does not include
- ×Nursery building visits
- ×Ongoing priority WhatsApp support
- ×Hands-on project management or completion of tasks on your behalf
- ×A guarantee of an Ofsted outcome, property, funding decision or opening date
Your role in the programme
- Complete the practical actions needed to move your nursery forward.
- Use the course and resources between your one-to-one sessions.
- Bring your decisions, questions and obstacles to your calls and email support.
- Remain responsible for your business decisions and third-party applications.
Guidance grounded in what founders actually face
These are examples of nursery founders Curtly has supported across different services and programmes. Their journeys show the kinds of decisions and obstacles nursery owners regularly need help with.
Venus — Fulham’s Angels
After previous unsuccessful registration visits, support focused on the nursery environment, preparation and building confidence around the registration process.
Mary — Senter Light Childcare
Mary received practical support as she moved from childminding towards nursery provision, including guidance around the building and registration journey.
Mohsin — Little Peaches
Support covered the location, brand, systems and Ofsted preparation as Little Peaches was built with future growth in mind.
Client examples above reflect support provided across Open a Nursery UK services and are not presented as a guarantee of individual results.
Personal support without the cost of the done-with-you package
One-off Nursery Business Mentorship programme fee
You receive the five private calls, business plan review, Ofsted mock preparation, six months of standard email support and lifetime access to the full nursery-opening course.
Book a £49 Mentorship Fit Call. If you join either mentorship programme within 14 days, the £49 call fee can be deducted from your programme price, subject to the current fit-call terms.
Ready to join?
Purchase the Nursery Business Mentorship Programme and start with a structured plan for your next steps.
Join Business Mentorship — £997 Book the £49 Fit CallComplete Mentorship may be the better fit
Business Mentorship is deliberately designed for people who will lead their own project. If you want Curtly much more closely involved across the major stages, compare it with Complete Mentorship.
Complete Mentorship adds
Questions before you join
Do I need to have found a nursery building before joining?
No. Business Mentorship can support you before you secure a property. Property advice can be discussed through your mentorship calls and standard email support, although in-person building visits are not included in this programme.
Does the programme mean I will open within six months?
No fixed opening date can be guaranteed. Your timeline depends on factors including property, planning, funding, building work, recruitment, local authority processes and Ofsted. The six months refers to the standard email-support period, not a guaranteed opening deadline.
What happens when the six months of email support ends?
Standard email support ends after six months. Your full nursery course remains available for lifetime access. Included calls, the business plan review and Ofsted preparation may be used after the email-support period, subject to the programme’s current booking and usage terms.
Do I have to use one mentorship call every month?
No. The programme includes five private one-hour mentorship calls. They should be used strategically around the stages where personalised guidance will be most useful rather than being forced into a monthly schedule.
Are nursery building visits included?
No. Business Mentorship includes property guidance through your calls and email support but does not include in-person building visits. Building visits can be booked separately, or you can consider Complete Mentorship where two visits are included.
Is WhatsApp support included?
Ongoing priority WhatsApp support is not included in Business Mentorship. The programme includes six months of standard email support. Priority email and WhatsApp support are features of Complete Mentorship.
Is Ofsted registration guaranteed?
No. The programme helps you prepare thoroughly, understand the registration process and identify areas to strengthen, but Ofsted makes its own independent registration decisions and no particular outcome can be guaranteed.
Can I upgrade to Complete Mentorship later?
This may be possible where Complete Mentorship capacity is available. Any upgrade arrangement and credit for previous payments should be agreed in writing before moving between programmes.
Lead your nursery project with an experienced adviser in your corner
Get the structure of the full course, personalised one-to-one support and expert feedback when the decisions become specific to your nursery.
The Nursery Business Mentorship Programme provides guidance and support. You remain responsible for your business decisions, actions and third-party applications.