Step into a leadership role where you’ll shape the daily experience, development, and safety of young children while guiding a dedicated nursery team through a key period of maternity cover. This is an opportunity to bring your expertise in early years education and operational management to a well-established setting with a strong reputation for quality care and learning.

About the Role:

As Nursery Manager (Maternity Cover), you will have overall responsibility for the day-to-day running of the nursery, ensuring a high-quality, safe, and nurturing environment for children and staff. You will lead and support the team to deliver an engaging, EYFS-aligned curriculum while maintaining robust standards in safeguarding, health and safety, and regulatory compliance. Your leadership will be central to sustaining and enhancing the nursery’s performance, culture, and outcomes during the cover period.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead, motivate, and manage the nursery team to deliver consistently high standards of care and education.
• Oversee daily nursery operations, including staffing, room deployment, routines, and resource management.
• Ensure the planning, delivery, and evaluation of an EYFS-based curriculum that supports children’s learning and development.
• Maintain rigorous safeguarding and child protection practices, acting as a key point of contact for concerns and referrals.
• Monitor and uphold health and safety standards, conducting risk assessments and ensuring a safe environment for children, staff, and visitors.
• Implement and maintain systems for performance monitoring, supervision, and appraisal to drive continuous improvement.
• Prepare for and support Ofsted inspections, ensuring all regulatory and statutory requirements are consistently met.
• Manage nursery administration, including record-keeping, reporting, and liaison with parents, external agencies, and stakeholders.

Key Requirements:

• Proven experience in a senior role within an early years or nursery setting, with responsibility for staff and operations.
• Strong leadership and team management skills, with the ability to inspire, support, and challenge staff effectively.
• In-depth knowledge and practical application of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) framework.
• Demonstrable experience in safeguarding and child protection, including implementing policies and procedures.
• Competence in nursery administration, including scheduling, documentation, and use of relevant systems.
• Clear understanding of health and safety requirements in an early years environment.
• Experience in performance monitoring, staff supervision, and quality assurance.
• Up-to-date knowledge of regulatory and Ofsted standards relevant to early years provision.

Desirable Skills:

• Experience leading or contributing to successful Ofsted inspections.
• Background in implementing new initiatives or improvements in curriculum or practice.
• Familiarity with digital systems for tracking children’s progress and managing nursery operations.
• Experience working in a similar maternity cover or interim leadership role.

Qualifications:

• Level 3 (or above) Early Years qualification (e.g. NVQ, CACHE, or equivalent) – essential.
• Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) training or willingness to complete – essential.
• Paediatric First Aid certification – essential.
• Level 5 qualification in Early Years, Childcare, or Leadership and Management – desirable.
• Evidence of ongoing professional development in early years, leadership, or safeguarding – desirable.

If you are a confident, hands-on nursery leader ready to maintain and enhance high standards during this maternity cover, we welcome your application.