Q&A: Does Kumon Franchise in the UK?

Alice Tuffery, writer

Published at 10/12/2017, Updated on 04/05/2022 , Reading time: 5 min

Q&A: Does Kumon Franchise in the UK? — Photo © kumon-franchise-information.jpg

Always wanted to join the education sector and help students reach their full potential? Kumon is the UK’s biggest supplementary education provider, with centres in over 50 countries - but are there any Kumon franchise opportunities?

Working with children across the globe, Kumon fosters a love of learning in its students to help them boost their grades and, eventually, improve their career prospects. The business’s objective is simple: to support every child to become an independent learner with a positive attitude towards study.

Kumon provides high-quality English and maths programs tailored to each pupil. Children can take control of their own learning journey, which should help them develop the ability and confidence to strive for their personal goals and aspirations.

The education business has a presence across 50 countries worldwide, and a network of more than 22,000 instructors.

Does Kumon franchise?

Kumon relies on a chain of franchisees to bring its teaching methods to students across the world. Investors who are passionate about working with children can use their knowledge and experience of their local market to launch their own Kumon centre. Benefitting from the education franchise’s proven operational model and wealth of industry expertise, they can set up a tutoring business with great potential for success.

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History of Kumon

The education franchise dates back to 1954 when Toru Kumon noticed his son Takeshi was struggling at school. Toru, who was a high school teacher at the time, started creating maths worksheets and other learning materials to help Takeshi improve. He recognised the importance of personal study and fostering a passion for learning in young students.

It wasn’t long before Toru’s work paid off and his son began to excel. He was so pleased with the result of his tuition, he invited other local children to study with them. Toru was enthusiastic about helping as many young people as possible, so he then worked towards opening the first Kumon maths centre.

This initial business opened its doors in 1955 in Osaka, Japan. Seven years later, Toru expanded the Kumon brand into Tokyo and, by 1969, it had supported more than 10,000 students.

In the seventies, Toru began to set up Kumon branches overseas and the first international centre was established in New York. He also published a book called The Secret of Kumon Maths, explaining the process behind The Kumon Method and just how effective it had been so far.

The Kumon Method is based on the conviction that it is not the child who is at fault. We have to discover each child’s potential and then provide the 'just-right' level of study. By doing this, not only parents and teachers but also, more importantly, the children themselves will be surprised at their unexpected growth and develop confidence in their ability. - Toru Kumon

Back in Japan, more and more children were benefitting from Kumon; in fact, it had registered more than 200,000 class enrolments by 1977.

In the eighties, the education franchise introduced two new programmes focusing on English and Japanese for native Japanese speakers. At the same time, Kumon came to Europe, reaching Germany in 1980 and the UK in 1983. By the end of the decade, there were Kumon centres and affiliated companies in Brazil, Canada, Hong Kong and Australia too. By this point, the number of subject enrolments had passed 1.5 million.

The 2010s brought the chance for celebration. In 2014, Kumon instructors from across the world gathered together in Japan for what would have been Toru Kumon’s 100th birthday. And in 2018, the brand was able to mark its 60th anniversary.

Today, Kumon offers learning opportunities in 50 countries and regions around the world. The franchise continues to develop the self-learning concept and encourage maths and English students to overcome challenges by themselves. This not only gives them the ability to study independently but also increases their confidence.

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Starting a Kumon franchise unit

You can join Kumon’s network of fantastic instructors helping four million students across the world to boost their grades. Here’s how:

Becoming a Kumon franchisee: Investors must be prepared to take part in ongoing training courses to provide high-quality tuition. If you join the business, you’ll be responsible for maintaining student records, controlling finances, ordering stock and recruiting fellow tutors to guide your pupils. You must also be educated to degree level or equivalent and have a driving licence. And, of course, you should be passionate about teaching and working with children.
How much you need to invest: Initial investment comes in at £3,000. This charge can be broken down: £400 for the initial franchise fee and the remaining £2,600 allocated to 12 months’ worth of marketing activity (15 months if you’re taking over an existing Kumon centre). Although profits vary from centre to centre, if you have over 100 students on your books, you could earn between £30,000 and £100,000 per year.
What you get for your investment: Kumon runs a six-part training session covering everything from the Kumon Method to admin, legal procedures and marketing. You’ll also benefit from Kumon’s wealth of experience in the sector, as well as its promotional campaigns and helpful resources.

Keep learning

You can find out about everything the Kumon franchise can offer its investors by heading to its business profile page right here on Point Franchise. If you decide it’s right for you, click on the ‘Request Information’ banner to make contact with the brand.

Alternatively, why not take a look at similar investment opportunities with other education franchises?

Or, if you’re interested in working with children but don’t want to run a tutoring business, browse children’s franchises. Our list covers businesses offering everything from childcare to swimming lessons, music classes and sports sessions.