Join our award-winning outdoor nursery in a brand-new senior role that puts learning quality and school readiness at the heart of our nursery, and leadership at the heart of our Pioneers out-of-school club — working a 4-day week, paid in the top 10% locally, and supported to grow your career within our nurseries across York and Leeds.
At Muddy Boots Wilberfoss, we're proud to be an award-winning nursery, recognised for delivering exceptional early years education through meaningful outdoor learning.
Everything we do is guided by our core values - Heart, Excellence, Growth, Teamwork and Responsibility - and they shape how we care for children, support families and look after each other as a team.
We've created this role because two things matter deeply to us: that every child in our nursery is moving forward in their learning with the right support at the right time - and arrives at school genuinely ready to thrive - and that our Pioneers club (for primary-aged children, 5–12) has the dedicated leadership it needs to grow into the ambitious provision we know it can be.
This role brings both under one experienced practitioner who can move fluidly between curriculum quality work in the nursery and team leadership at Pioneers.
This is a hybrid leadership position split across two complementary strands. In term time, your Learning Lead time sits during the nursery day (when rooms are at full flow), and your Pioneers time concentrates around the before- and after-school peaks. During school holidays - when Pioneers pauses - you step fully into the Learning Lead role, giving you protected blocks for cohort analysis, planning the term ahead, building resources, and shaping the school readiness work that sets our pre-schoolers up for the leap into reception.
- Hold deep, working knowledge of the EYFS framework and the seven areas of learning, and use that to support consistent, high-quality practice across every room
- Move week-to-week between rooms, observing practice, supporting children, and getting alongside the educator team
- Work with Room Leaders and Deputy Managers to look at cohorts — understanding where groups of children are, where they're heading, and what's getting in the way
- Identify gaps and delays in learning at both individual and cohort level
- Lead our school readiness work — tracking pre-school cohorts against the markers that matter (communication and language, self-regulation, independence, listening and attention, early literacy and number), designing targeted interventions, and supporting children, families, and feeder schools through the transition to reception
- Build relationships with our main feeder primary schools to enable smooth handovers and shared expectations
- Create and lead targeted actions to close learning gaps - through modelling practice, sourcing high-impact resources, coaching the team, or reshaping continuous provision
- Build and embed a clear tracking approach so progress and impact can be measured over time (we'll design this together - your input on the right system is part of the role)
- Communicate with parents through our family app - sharing what each room is working on, the term's focus, and how families can support learning at home, including practical school readiness ideas for the pre-school year
- Use school holiday weeks for deep planning, curriculum design, parent workshop preparation, and shaping the year ahead
- Contribute to room-level quality improvement planning and inform CPD priorities
- Lead the day-to-day running of our Pioneers out-of-school club during term time, working across both cabins and providing a warm, age-appropriate, ambitious environment for children aged 5–12
- Line manage a team of four - supervisions, performance conversations, coaching, and supporting their development
- Coach the team toward consistent Ofsted readiness and confident, child-centred playwork practice
- Lead Pioneers team meetings and contribute to wider site meetings as required
- Lead on parent partnership for Pioneers families - communication, settling, behaviour conversations, school-to-club transitions
- Take responsibility for staff wellbeing across the Pioneers team, including monitoring and responding to the Friday pulse score
- Liaise closely with the Nursery Manager on safeguarding, staffing, and operational decisions
- Ensure the Pioneers environment is welcoming, well-resourced, and a genuine extension of the Muddy Boots ethos
- Holds a Level 3 Early Years qualification (or equivalent), with strong working knowledge of the EYFS framework and the seven areas of learning
- Has substantial early years experience, ideally including time in a Room Leader or more senior position
- Brings either direct experience of school readiness and transition work, or a clear interest in developing it as a core part of the role
- Has either experience of out-of-school or wraparound provision, or a clear interest in extending their practice to work confidently with primary-aged children and playwork principles
- Has people leadership experience - running supervisions, leading meetings, coaching individuals for growth
- Is highly organised and able to hold two distinct strands of work in mind without one swallowing the other
- Meets deadlines reliably and uses time well
- Communicates clearly and warmly with parents, in writing and in person
- Is a reflective practitioner with a genuine interest in pedagogy and quality of education
- Shares our values and commitment to high-quality childcare
- Has a genuine passion for outdoor learning and child-led play
Desirable (or willing to obtain):
- Level 3 Playwork qualification
- Designated Safeguarding Lead training
- Experience using observation and assessment software
- Forest School Leader training
- Existing relationships with local primary schools
You don't need to bring deep expertise in both halves of the role on day one - what matters most is that you've got the early years foundation, the leadership instinct, and the appetite to grow into both.
Muddy Boots is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. This role is subject to an enhanced DBS check, satisfactory references, and right-to-work verification in line with our safer recruitment practices.
https://www.muddybootsnursery.co.uk/muddy-boots-acomb
Situated in the grounds of Westfield Primary School, right in the heart of Acomb, this is one of our two largest York nurseries. Each nursery room has direct access to an outdoor garden space and the new edition of a full size tipi in our nature school, reflecting our hands-on, nature-led approach to early years care.
