Step into a pivotal leadership role where you’ll shape the quality, culture and daily experience of children, families and staff in a well-established nursery setting. This is an opportunity to lead a committed team, drive high standards of care and education, and ensure the nursery is a safe, inspiring environment where every child can thrive.

About the Role:

As Nursery Manager, you will have overall responsibility for the effective day-to-day running of the nursery, leading both the operational and educational aspects. You will oversee the planning and delivery of a high-quality EYFS curriculum, maintain robust safeguarding and health and safety standards, and ensure full compliance with Ofsted and all regulatory requirements. Working closely with staff and parents, you will create a nurturing, professional environment focused on outstanding outcomes for children.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead, motivate and manage the nursery team to deliver high standards of care, education and customer service.
• Oversee the planning, implementation and evaluation of an engaging EYFS curriculum that meets the individual needs and interests of all children.
• Ensure rigorous safeguarding and child protection procedures are in place, understood and consistently followed by all staff.
• Maintain a safe, clean and well-organised environment, conducting regular health and safety checks and risk assessments.
• Manage nursery budgets, fees, occupancy levels and resources to ensure financial sustainability and effective cost control.
• Lead staff recruitment, induction, supervision, performance management and ongoing training to build a high-performing team.
• Ensure full compliance with Ofsted requirements, local authority guidelines and all relevant legislation, preparing for and managing inspections.
• Oversee behaviour management strategies, promote positive guidance, and support staff in managing challenging behaviour appropriately.
• Maintain accurate records, reports and administrative systems, including children’s files, staff records, registers and incident logs.

Key Requirements:

• Proven experience in a nursery leadership role with responsibility for staff management and operational oversight.
• Strong team leadership skills with the ability to inspire, support and develop staff at all levels.
• In-depth knowledge of the EYFS framework and best practice in early years curriculum planning.
• Demonstrable experience in safeguarding and child protection, with the ability to act as a key point of contact for concerns.
• Solid understanding of health and safety requirements in early years settings, including risk assessment processes.
• Experience managing budgets, monitoring occupancy and controlling expenditure within agreed targets.
• Confident in staff recruitment, supervision, appraisal and performance management.
• Thorough understanding of Ofsted standards and regulatory compliance in early years provision.
• Strong behaviour management skills with a consistent, positive and child-centred approach.
• Excellent organisational, record keeping and administrative skills, with attention to detail and accuracy.

Desirable Skills:

• Experience leading an Ofsted inspection and implementing action plans for improvement.
• Background in developing and implementing nursery policies and procedures.
• Experience in building strong partnerships with parents, carers and external agencies.
• Familiarity with nursery management software and digital record-keeping systems.
• Experience in marketing and promoting nursery services to maintain and grow occupancy.

Qualifications:

• Level 3 (or above) qualification in Early Years / Childcare (e.g. NVQ, CACHE, NNEB or equivalent) – essential.
• Level 5 or above qualification in Early Years, Childcare, Education or Leadership and Management – desirable.
• Up-to-date Paediatric First Aid certification – essential.
• Safeguarding and Child Protection training at a designated lead or equivalent level – essential or willingness to obtain.
• Health and Safety / Food Hygiene certifications relevant to early years settings – desirable.

If you are a confident, organised Nursery Manager ready to lead a high-quality early years setting, we would like to hear from you. Apply now to take the next step in your leadership career.