We’re officially a Great Place to Work for the third year running!

We’re incredibly proud to share that N has officially been certified as a Great Place to Work for the third year in a row!

This recognition is shaped by the voices of our team, which makes it all the more meaningful. A record 91% of our team took part in this year’s survey, with 2,078 comments shared to help us understand what makes N special and where we can continue to grow.

Together, we achieved an overall Happiness Score of 8.1, exceeding our company target of 8.0 for the first time. This marks three consecutive years of improvement, rising from 7.6 to 7.9 and now 8.1.

We’re passionate about our Happiness Score because when our people feel happy, valued and supported, they’re more engaged, more likely to stay and better able to thrive in their roles. This strengthens our culture, helps us build experienced and connected teams and ultimately supports us in delivering exceptional care and education for every child and family.

Even more encouragingly, 57 of our 60 survey questions improved this year, with none meaningfully declining.

Across our nurseries, our highest-scoring site achieved a Happiness Score of 9.8, while 11 sites reached 100% survey participation.

A place where everyone belongs

Our highest-performing survey statements reflect something at the very heart of N: creating a workplace where everyone feels respected, included and able to be themselves.

Fairness regardless of sexual orientation received a score of 9.6, while fairness regardless of race and gender both scored 9.4. Fairness regardless of age also improved again this year.

These results reflect the inclusive culture our teams bring to life, where our differences are valued and everyone has the opportunity to belong and thrive.

Inclusivity was one of the three areas we committed to strengthening following last year’s survey, alongside recognition and leadership support. We’re pleased that all three areas improved this year, showing that listening to our teams and acting on their feedback makes a meaningful difference.

Feeling safe, welcomed and celebrated

Feeling safe and supported is essential to being happy at work, so we’re delighted that physical safety remained one of our highest-performing areas, receiving a score of 9.3.

Our warm N welcome also continues to shine through, with team members feeling welcomed from the moment they join. From someone’s first day to nursery celebrations and special moments across N, it’s our people who create that wonderful sense of connection and community.

When we asked our team what makes N a great place to work, the most common response was that the team feels like family. Our people also highlighted the supportive culture at N, describing it as a place with “no egos and great people”.

Growing and developing together

Training and development was another of the most common themes in our team’s feedback.

From the N Academy and funded qualifications to opportunities to grow from within, our teams value the support available to help them develop their skills and progress their careers.

Our benefits were also frequently highlighted, with team members naming free team lunches, N.set days, Me days, the round-the-world trip and the Personal Development Fund among their favourites.

Together, these programmes and benefits help us create a workplace where people feel supported both professionally and personally.

Proud of what we achieve together

Our shared commitment to delivering an exceptional experience for our families was another highlight of this year’s results, with the statement that our families would rate the service we deliver as excellent receiving a score of 9.0.

The children were also a recurring theme in our team’s comments. Our people spoke about their pride in our N Curriculum and the opportunity to see the difference they make in children’s lives every day.

Pride in N continued to grow too. More of our team members feel proud of what we accomplish together and proud to tell others where they work.

From the extraordinary care and education taking place in our nurseries to the support provided across N, these results reflect the difference our teams make every single day.

Continuing to listen and grow

Thank you to every person who took the time to complete the survey and share their honest feedback. Being recognised as a Great Place to Work for the third consecutive year is a brilliant achievement, and it belongs to our entire team.

We know that achieving a strong result doesn’t mean the work is finished. We’ll continue to celebrate what’s working well while listening, learning and focusing on the areas where we can make life at N even better.

This certification is a moment to celebrate, but it’s also another step in our ongoing journey to make N the happiest and most inspiring place to work.

Thank you to our incredible team for making N such a special place.