Step into a pivotal leadership role where you’ll shape the vision, standards, and culture of a thriving nursery in Warwick. This is a permanent opportunity to lead a dedicated team, drive outstanding outcomes for children, and ensure the nursery remains a trusted, high-quality provision for families.

About the Role:

As Nursery Manager, you will take full responsibility for the day-to-day running of the setting, providing clear leadership and direction to the staff team. You will ensure the delivery of a high-quality early years curriculum in line with EYFS, maintaining a safe, nurturing environment where children can flourish. Your role will directly impact the nursery’s reputation, regulatory compliance, and continuous improvement.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead, motivate and manage the nursery team to deliver high standards of care and education.
• Oversee planning, implementation and evaluation of the early years curriculum in line with EYFS requirements.
• Ensure robust safeguarding and child protection procedures are implemented and followed at all times.
• Manage nursery budgets, including fee income, expenditure and financial reporting to meet agreed targets.
• Maintain full compliance with Ofsted, EYFS and all relevant regulatory and statutory requirements.
• Lead staff recruitment, induction, supervision, appraisal and ongoing training to build a high-performing team.
• Oversee health and safety across the setting, including risk assessments, incident reporting and safe working practices.
• Ensure accurate record keeping and efficient administration, including children’s records, staffing, and regulatory documentation.
• Drive quality assurance and continuous improvement initiatives, monitoring performance and implementing action plans.

Key Requirements:

• Proven experience in a nursery or early years setting with responsibility for day-to-day operations.
• Strong leadership and people management skills, with experience supervising and developing staff.
• In-depth knowledge of the EYFS framework and best practice in early years curriculum planning.
• Demonstrable understanding of safeguarding and child protection, with ability to implement policies effectively.
• Experience of budgeting and financial management within an early years or similar setting.
• Solid understanding of Ofsted requirements and experience preparing for and responding to inspections.
• Strong organisational, administrative and record-keeping skills with attention to detail.
• Confident decision-maker with the ability to handle complex situations and maintain professional standards.

Desirable Skills:

• Experience managing a nursery rated Good or Outstanding by Ofsted.
• Background in leading quality improvement or accreditation projects within early years.
• Experience delivering staff training or mentoring to support professional development.
• Familiarity with digital nursery management systems and tools to streamline administration.
• Knowledge of local early years networks and community engagement initiatives.

Qualifications:

• Level 3 or above qualification in Early Years Education/Childcare (e.g. NVQ, CACHE, NNEB or equivalent) – essential.
• Evidence of ongoing professional development in leadership, management or early years practice – essential.
• Designated Safeguarding Lead training or equivalent – preferred.
• Relevant health and safety training (e.g. Paediatric First Aid, H&S awareness) – preferred.
• Higher-level qualification in Early Childhood Studies, Education or Management – desirable.

If you are a confident nursery leader ready to take ownership of a permanent management role in Warwick, we’d like to hear from you. Apply now to take the next step in your early years career.