What You’ll Gain
We invest in our people, offering a supportive and positive working environment with structured opportunities for growth, wellbeing initiatives, and a true sense of belonging.
- Flexible Working: Opportunities for flexible working arrangements, promoting work/life balance.
- Childcare Discounts: 50% off childcare fees for staff members' children.
- Paid Breaks: 50% of your lunch break is paid.
- Parking: FREE onsite parking
- Health and Wellbeing Support: Access to an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) for confidential support and wellness resources.
- Career Progression: Clear pathways for advancement within GroWild, including opportunities to step into senior management roles as we grow.
- Training and Development: Structured training plans, including Forest School and Early Years development, with a focus on professional growth.
- Team Building: Regular social & team events to foster a collaborative, positive environment.
- Supportive Community: Monthly one to one meetings with management, annual pay and performance reviews and ongoing opportunities for professional development.
About the Role
At GroWild Kindergarten, learning happens outdoors – in sunshine, wind and rain, whatever the season brings. As a Forest School nursery, everything we do is rooted in nature-based, child-led exploration, and nowhere is this more joyful, sensory and hands-on than in our 2–3s Hub.
Our “Hubs” are GroWild’s version of the traditional nursery “room” – but rather than being defined by four walls, each Hub is built around an age group’s journey through our woodland site. The 2–3s Hub is where our children take their first steps into independent outdoor exploration: splashing in puddles, discovering mud kitchens, building dens, and finding their feet – literally and figuratively – in our beautiful woodland setting!
The Hub Leader for this age group leads a small, close-knit team supporting children through one of the most transformative periods of early childhood. This role combines hands-on key person care with leadership responsibility, ensuring that every child in the 2–3s Hub is safe, secure and free to explore the natural world at their own pace.
The Hub Leader will work closely with the leadership team to ensure that standards remain high, children’s individual needs are nurtured, and GroWild’s outdoor, nature-led ethos is reflected in every routine, transition and interaction.
Key Responsibilities
1. Lead an Age-Group Hub
- Take a lead role in the day-to-day running of the 2–3s Hub, both outdoors on the woodland site and in the indoor base used for rest, meals and care routines.
- Organise routines, transitions, staffing and provision to suit the pace and needs of children in the hub, allowing plenty of time for unhurried outdoor exploration.
- Ensure the outdoor and indoor environments are safe, low-arousal, and developmentally appropriate for children who are new to walking, climbing and exploring independently.
- Create a calm, predictable and nurturing atmosphere that supports toddlers through big transitions – from home, and eventually onwards into the next Hub.
- Maintain high expectations for quality, consistency and gentle, respectful practice within the Hub.
2. Model Excellent Practice
- Be a positive role model for high-quality care and teaching with children at their stage of development.
- Demonstrate strong knowledge of child development between two and three years, including attachment, emerging independence, toileting readiness, and communication and language.
- Lead by example in warm, responsive, sensitive interactions – particularly during care routines such as nappy changing, toileting support, feeding and sleep.
3. Support Curriculum Delivery
- Support the implementation of the nursery curriculum within the hub in line with the setting’s ethos and values.
- Help plan and provide engaging experiences that reflect children’s interests, developmental needs, and the nursery environment.
- Ensure the age-group provision supports the prime and specific areas of learning through meaningful, child-centred experiences.
- Encourage staff in your hub to observe, extend, respond to, and extend children’s learning in the moment using the curriculum as a framework.
4. Oversee Children’s Learning and Development
- Support the quality and consistency of observations, assessments, and next steps within the hub.
- Help ensure children’s learning journeys are up to date, meaningful, and reflective of their experiences and progress.
- Monitor the overall quality of records, photos, and communication relating to children in the hub.
- Support staff to identify children who may need additional support and raise concerns appropriately with the leadership team.
5. Support and Guide Staff
- Act as a first point of support for educators working within the hub.
- Help guide team members in daily practice, routines, and expectations.
- Offer encouragement, modelling, and practical support to less experienced staff.
- Feedback to the leadership team on strengths, concerns, and development needs within the hub.
- Promote teamwork, communication, and a positive working culture.
6. Build Positive Relationships with Families
- Help create strong and professional relationships with parents and carers.
- Support effective communication between the nursery and families within the hub.
- Be approachable, warm, and knowledgeable when speaking with parents about children’s experiences and development.
- Escalate any significant concerns, queries, or sensitive matters to the leadership team where needed.
7. Maintain High Standards of Care, Safeguarding and Compliance
- Ensure safeguarding procedures are understood and followed at all times.
- Support safe practice, supervision, and risk awareness within the hub.
- Help maintain high standards of hygiene, health and safety, and daily operational practice.
- Ensure policies, procedures, and nursery expectations are consistently followed by staff within the hub.
- Report any concerns relating to safeguarding, welfare, staff practice, or health and safety immediately.
8. Contribute to the Wider Leadership of the Setting
- Attend relevant meetings and contribute ideas, feedback, and solutions.
- Support the leadership team with the development of systems, routines, and quality improvements.
- Help embed nursery values, vision, and expectations across the team.
- Take ownership of agreed actions and responsibilities linked to the hub.
A Day in the Life of a Hub Leader at GroWild Kindergarten
- Start the day by setting up the Hub – checking the outdoor space is safe and ready, and that indoor areas for rest and care are warm and welcoming.
- Check in with your team, making sure everyone knows their roles, including who is leading care routines and who is supporting outdoor exploration.
- Welcome children and families at drop-off, supporting little ones (and grown-ups) through goodbyes with warmth and reassurance.
- Move between hands-on time with the children – mud kitchen play, den building, woodland walks – and supporting your colleagues with guidance and encouragement.
- Lead or support intimate care routines – nappy changes, toileting, feeding and nap time – with patience and consistency.
- Capture meaningful moments in children’s learning journeys through observations, photos and notes, particularly around language and independence.
- Keep an eye on how the Hub is running – are children safe and engaged outdoors, are routines flowing smoothly, is the team communicating well?
- Support a colleague who may need help navigating a tricky moment, whether a toileting setback or big emotions.
- Connect with parents at pick-up, sharing highlights, muddy adventures and milestones from their child’s day.
- Take time at the end of the session to check in with your team, complete outstanding observations, and flag anything that needs escalating.
- Report to the leadership team with feedback – sharing strengths, concerns and anything needing their attention.
- Reflect on the day – what went well, what could be improved, and what tomorrow’s adventure might look like.
Benefits & Training
At GroWild Kindergarten, we invest in our team as much as we invest in the children in our care. As a Hub Leader, you can expect:
Training and Development
- A structured induction covering our Forest School ethos, safeguarding, and practice.
- 50% of lunch break paid.
- Free Parking
- Funded or subsidised Forest School Leader training, appropriate to your role and experience.
- Ongoing paediatric first aid, food hygiene and safeguarding refresher training, kept fully up to date.
- Access to CPD
- Support and funding towards relevant Level 3+ or leadership qualifications, including mentoring and management training as you progress.
- Regular supervision, coaching and reflective practice sessions with the leadership team.
- Clear progression pathways within GroWild, including routes towards Management roles.
Benefits
- Competitive hourly rate, with pay progression linked to qualifications and experience.
- Holiday allowance, plus bank holidays.
- Workplace pension scheme.
- Childcare discount for staff with children attending GroWild.
- All-weather outdoor kit provided, so you're ready for muddy, wet or wintry days with the children.
- A supportive, close-knit team culture with regular staff wellbeing initiatives and social events.
- DBS check costs covered by GroWild Kindergarten.
Person SpecificationEssential
- Relevant Level 3 qualification in Early Years or above.
- Experience of working in an early years setting.
- Strong understanding of child development and the EYFS.
- Ability to lead by example and model high-quality practice.
- Good communication and organisational skills.
- Ability to work collaboratively as part of a team.
- Commitment to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children.
- Warm, positive, and professional approach with children, families, and colleagues.
Desirable
- Experience of supporting or mentoring other staff.
- Forest School, outdoor learning, or nature-based learning experience.
- Experience of leading a room, age group, or area of provision.
- Knowledge of observation and assessment systems.
- Confidence in helping to maintain quality and consistency across a team.
Key Skills and Qualities
- Positive and proactive attitude
- Strong sense of responsibility
- Calm and solution-focused
- Organised and dependable
- Reflective and open to feedback
- Able to motivate and support others
- Passionate about high-quality early years practice
Job Types: Full-time, Part-time, Permanent
Pay: From £13.91 per hour
Benefits:
- Childcare
- Company events
- Company pension
- Employee discount
- Free parking
- Health & wellbeing programme
- On-site parking
Experience:
- Early childhood education/ Childcare: 2 years (required)
Licence/Certification:
- Level 3 Early Years Qualification (required)
Work Location: In person
