Deputy Manager

Allscreens Nationwide Ltd

Milton Keynes

On-site

GBP 28,000 - 38,000

Full time

13 days ago

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Benefits offered by this job

65% childcare discount

Generous annual leave

Enhanced pension scheme

Cyclescheme

Techscheme

Training & development days

Job summary

Acorn Early Years – Cold Harbour Nursery in Bletchley is seeking a confident Deputy Nursery Manager to support day-to-day running, lead by example and maintain high standards of care and education.

You will oversee a designated room, mentor staff, and stand in for the Nursery Manager as needed, with a focus on safeguarding, strong partnerships with families and ongoing professional development.

Qualifications

Strong understanding of EYFS, safeguarding and early years legislation.
Leadership or management experience in an early years setting.
Excellent communication, organisational and leadership skills.
Mentoring, coaching and developing staff.

Responsibilities

Lead and support day-to-day running of the nursery with the Nursery Manager.
Oversee a designated room/area and staff team.
Ensure high-quality interactions and effective planning across the setting.
Support staff performance, development and inductions.
Fill in for the Nursery Manager in their absence.
Maintain safeguarding, compliance and partnerships with families.

Skills

Leadership

EYFS knowledge

Staff development

Safeguarding

Education

EYFS qualification

Tools

Famly

Job description

Deputy Nursery Manager

Acorn Early Years – Cold Harbour Nursery - Bletchley

If you are offered a Deputy Manager role, you will receive a £1000 recruitment bonus after successfully completing your 3 month probation period.

Acorn Early Years is seeking a confident, passionate and experienced Deputy Nursery Manager to join our leadership team at Cold Harbour Nursery. This is a key leadership role for an early years professional who is committed to high‑quality practice, strong team development and excellent outcomes for children and families.

Our day nursery is adjoined to an outdoor learning centre that builds on our popular Forest School provision and reputation for Forest School training.One of our key priorities is outdoor play and learning, which is clearly evident at Cold Harbour, where the outdoor environment and play area are available to the children all day, every day.

The nursery offers full and part-time care for up to 62 children from the age of four months to four years, and are open from 7.30am to 6.15pm, Monday to Friday, all year round.

The team strive to make the nursery a place where positive and close relationships with children and parents are welcomed and valued. They believe it is important to create a home from home experience where children feel happy, safe and secure, and as a result, thrive within our nursery.

Our Nature Kindergartenhosts outdoor playschemes, bushcraft and forest school sessions, all year round. With an additional16 term-time places available.

About the Role

Working closely with the Nursery Manager, you will support the effective day‑to‑day running of the nursery, lead by example, and play an integral role in maintaining high standards of care, education and compliance. You will hold responsibility for a designated room or area, support staff performance and development, and lead the nursery in the Manager’s absence.

Key Responsibilities

Leadership & Management

Work in partnership with the Nursery Manager to ensure the smooth and effective running of the nursery
Lead and manage the nursery in the absence of the Nursery Manager
Be accountable for your designated room/area and staff team
Effectively deploy staff across the nursery to meet operational needs
Support staff inductions, supervisions and professional development
Address staff performance issues professionally and in line with Acorn procedures
Carry out return‑to‑work interviews in the absence of the Manager
Cascade key information and updates to staff and management
Role model professionalism and act as a strong ambassador for Acorn Early Years

Quality of Practice & Curriculum

Ensure high‑quality interactions between staff and children that meet individual developmental needs
Promote and support effective planning in the moment across the nursery
Ensure children’s interests are reflected within a rich, engaging learning environment
Monitor children’s progress to ensure all children reach their full potential
Ensure regular, high‑quality observations are completed and reviewed on Famly
Oversee assessments, including initial assessments, termly reviews and two‑year checks
Support moderation of staff assessments and promote consistency of practice
Promote children’s independence, confidence, wellbeing and physical challenge
Ensure a robust and effective key person approach is embedded across the setting

Safeguarding, Compliance & Partnerships

Safeguard all children and ensure safeguarding procedures are followed at all times
Maintain compliance with statutory requirements, Ofsted expectations and Acorn policies
Ensure all required documentation is completed accurately (care plans, medicine forms, transitions, etc.)
Manage complaints, concerns, queries and compliments professionally and effectively
Build and maintain positive, professional relationships with parents and carers
Communicate confidently with external professionals and agencies, including Ofsted
Book, log and follow up nursery show rounds for prospective parents

What We’re Looking For

A strong working knowledge of the EYFS, safeguarding and early years legislation
Previous leadership or management experience within an early years setting
Excellent communication, organisational and leadership skills
Confidence in mentoring, coaching and developing staff
A calm, positive and consistent approach to behaviour management
Experience using nursery management systems such as Famly
A genuine passion for providing high‑quality, inclusive early years education

Why Join Acorn Early Years?

At Acorn, we are passionate about creating nurturing, inclusive environments where children feel happy, confident and supported to thrive. We value our teams and actively support professional development, coaching and progression.

We are committed to equality, diversity and inclusion and welcome applications from all backgrounds. Reasonable adjustments will be considered throughout the recruitment process.

Safeguarding & Compliance

Applicants must have the right to work in the UK, be able to provide two satisfactory references, and all roles are subject to an Enhanced DBS check.

Benefits

As a thank you for all of your hard work and dedication to making Acorn a safe, nurturing and fun place for our children to be, we offer: