Wanted: Nursery Manager
Are you the kind of person who can negotiate with tiny humans over the nutritional value of a crayon, herd a room full of energetic adults, and laugh when glitter suddenly becomes a permanent part of your wardrobe?
If you’re an inspirational early years leader who knows that great childcare is about great relationships, great practice and a great team, we’d love to hear from you.
We’re an Ofsted Oustanding Nursery In Portchester, where our ethos is all about making children independent learners, confident thinkers and active participants in their own learning.
What You'll Be Doing:
Chief Problem Solver: Fix broken toys, mediate disputes over blue plastic shovels, solve the inevitable “but she looked at me!” crisis and answer emails while pretending you cannot hear the distant sound of children screaming in delight.
Inspirational Leader: Lead, motivate and develop your team with a healthy combination of high expectations, encouragement, coffee, cake and genuine love for the incredibly important role you all play in children's lives. All whilst making sure everyone remembers why working with children beats sitting in a boring office.
Master of Disguise: Wear pirate hats, fairy wings and superhero capes on command. Act completely normal when an inspector walks in while you have a sticker on your forehead.
Professional Juggler: Balance curriculum, staffing, budgets, health and safety, safeguarding, paperwork, parents, Ofsted requirements and the occasional cuddle — without dropping anything important.
Champion of Children's Learning: Create and maintain a stimulating, inclusive and ambitious environment where children are encouraged to become independent learners and develop across all areas of the EYFS.
You'll be responsible for making sure observations, assessments and planning genuinely reflect children's interests, developmental needs and next steps.
Team Builder: Support your team to be the very best they can be through effective supervision, SMART targets, coaching, feedback, peer observations and professional development.
You'll help volunteers, students, apprentices, work experience students and agency staff feel part of the team while maintaining the standards we expect.
What You'll Bring
- A full and relevant Level 3 Early Years/Childcare qualification or higher, recognised under the current EYFS qualification requirements.
- Relevant post-qualification experience in an early years setting. Previous nursery management or supervisory experience is highly desirable.
- At least two years' experience working in an early years setting or other suitable experience, in line with the EYFS statutory requirements.
- A suitable Level 2 Maths qualification
- A strong, current understanding of the EYFS statutory framework, safeguarding, child protection and the welfare requirements for early years provision.
- Experience of leading a team and maintaining high standards of care, education and professional practice.
- A genuine passion for children's learning, development and wellbeing.
- Excellent communication skills and the ability to build positive relationships with children, parents, colleagues and other professionals.
- A commitment to equality, inclusion and ensuring every child’s individual needs are recognised and met.
- An Olympic-level sense of humour.
- The ability to drink your tea cold.
Safeguarding is at the heart of everything we do.
The successful candidate will need to satisfy all relevant safer recruitment and safeguarding requirements before starting work. This includes:
- An enhanced DBS check,
- Satisfactory employment/professional references.
- Verification of identity and right to work in the UK.
- Verification of qualifications and relevant experience.
- Meeting all suitability requirements for working with children.
- Completing all required safeguarding, paediatric first aid and other mandatory training.
All qualifications and experience will be verified as part of the recruitment process.
The successful candidate must hold a full and relevant Level 3 qualification (or higher) recognised for the purposes of the EYFS and a suitable Level 2 Maths qualification, or obtain this within the timescale permitted by the statutory framework.
Relevant post-qualification early years experience is an essential requirement for this management position.
All statutory requirements will be applied in accordance with the EYFS statutory framework, Ofsted requirements and relevant safeguarding legislation and guidance in force at the time of appointment.
The Important Stuff You'll Be Responsible For
You'll be expected to:
- Lead the delivery of a well-planned, stimulating curriculum in accordance with the EYFS and Ofsted requirements.
- Ensure effective observation, assessment and planning across the setting.
- Maintain high standards of care, education, safeguarding and wellbeing.
- Lead and support continuous quality improvement, including the use of tools such as ITERS/ECERS and peer-on-peer observations.
- Manage routines, staffing and deployment effectively.
- Support staff supervisions, appraisals and SMART targets, ensuring professional development remains a priority.
- Safeguard children and act as the Designated Safeguarding Lead
- Promote equality, diversity and inclusion and ensure children's individual needs are understood and met.
- Ensure setting policies, procedures, Ofsted requirements and Local Authority requirements are implemented and monitored.
- Support children with additional needs and work effectively with other professionals and agencies.
- Maintain accurate records relating to children's learning, development, behaviour, safeguarding and wellbeing.
- Build strong partnerships with parents and carers, including facilitating progress meetings.
- Ensure dietary, allergy and cultural requirements are properly understood and met.
- Support smooth transitions between the nursery and local schools.
- Attend training and meetings and maintain up-to-date knowledge and good practice.
- Maintain confidentiality and comply with all organisational policies and procedures.
- Undertake other reasonable duties required by the management team.
Salary
£33,280 – £37,440 per annum, depending on experience
Why Join Us?
Because no two days are ever the same.
You’ll get to lead a passionate team, make a genuine difference to children's lives, be part of an Outstanding setting and spend your working day helping children become confident, capable and independent learners. And yes - there will probably be glitter.
If you’re ready to lead, inspire, laugh, occasionally negotiate with a three-year-old and make a real difference, we’d love to hear from you.
Pay: £33,280.00-£37,440.00 per year
Benefits:
- Company events
- Employee discount
- On-site parking
Work Location: In person
