It’s about extending a vision, creating spaces that will keep customers coming back for more and empowering the people that make it all possible. Monkey Puzzle Day Nurseries continues to prove this through franchisees like Vjollca Niklekaj, who has just opened her second nursery with the brand, Monkey Puzzle Kingston.
Here, Grace Cole, managing director of Monkey Puzzle Day Nurseries, shares why Vjollca’s journey is such a powerful example of what their network is all about.
Vjollca first joined our network in 2019, when she opened Monkey Puzzle Surbiton. In just a few short years, she built a thriving, warm and creative environment that quickly became a trusted part of her local community.
Families spoke about the confidence their children gained, the friendships they made and the gentle, supportive ways Vjollca’s team helped them prepare for the next step into preschool and reception.
So when the opportunity came for Vjollca to open a second setting, it felt like a completely natural progression – one that would allow her to bring the same level of care and expertise to even more families in southwest London.
The new Kingston setting, which opened its doors following an open day on Friday 25th July, is just minutes from the town centre but feels like a world of its own. It’s been thoughtfully designed to spark curiosity and joy, with a dedicated music room, a sensory room, a dressing-up space and plenty of outdoor areas for children to explore. It’s a place where every corner invites discovery, and every day offers new opportunities to learn and grow.
What makes Vjollca’s story so remarkable is the path she took to get there.
She began her career as a geologist engineer in Albania before moving to the UK in 2000. After raising two children, she earned a degree in Applied and Environmental Geology from Kingston University. Inspired by her lecturers, she later completed a PGCE in Secondary Mathematics before working as a maths teacher.
But it was her growing belief that the foundations laid in the first five years of a child’s life are critical to their happiness and future success that inspired her to make the leap into early years education. In 2019, she turned that conviction into reality by opening her first Monkey Puzzle nursery – and the results speak for themselves.
Vjollca has a gift for creating spaces that feel like a true home from home, while still offering a modern, well-equipped environment for learning. She understands the importance of combining structure with freedom – giving children the safety and stability they need while encouraging their creativity and independence. This balance is at the heart of both her settings, and it’s what allows children to flourish in her care.
But the impact of her work goes beyond the children. The opening of Monkey Puzzle Kingston has created new roles and growth opportunities for her team and, when staff feel supported, it shows in the care they provide.
Parents visiting the new setting have already shared glowing feedback, praising the warm, inspiring environment Vjollca has already built.
For me, Vjollca embodies what makes Monkey Puzzle franchisees so special. She brings passion, insight and a deep personal commitment to everything she does. She’s creating nurturing, inspiring spaces where children feel safe, valued and ready to take on the world! Her journey from geology to early years is a testament to the fact that skills, experiences and passions from different walks of life can combine to create something really extraordinary.
At Monkey Puzzle, we’re proud to stand behind franchisees, like Vjollca, who go above and beyond for their communities. Every new setting is an opportunity to touch more lives, to give more children the very best start and to strengthen the bonds between families and the people who care for their little ones.
Kingston is lucky to have her, and I can’t wait to see the difference she will make there in the years to come – just as she has in her first setting in Surbiton.
