Early Years Manager

Happy Days Nurseries & Pre-Schools; Portsmouth; Vor Ort; GBP 37.000 - 45.000; Vollzeit

Benefits dieser Stelle

Generous annual leave

Health & wellbeing support

Structured training & progression

Zusammenfassung

Happy Days Nurseries & Pre-Schools in Portsmouth is seeking an experienced Early Years Manager to lead our nursery and preschool. You will drive excellent care and education, oversee daily operations, and support the professional development of your team.

You will ensure safeguarding and regulatory compliance, manage staffing and budgets, and build strong ties with families and the local community to sustain high standards and occupancy.

Qualifikationen

• Experience leading an Early Years team within a nursery or preschool.
• Strong knowledge of EYFS, safeguarding and regulatory requirements.
• Proven ability to drive quality improvement and occupancy growth.

Aufgaben

• Oversee day-to-day nursery operations in line with EYFS/Ofsted.
• Lead and develop the Early Years team to deliver outstanding care and education.
• Manage staffing, budgets and resources to meet objectives.
• Build strong relationships with parents, carers and the local community.
• Maintain a safe, inclusive environment where children thrive.
• Support audits, inspections and continuous improvement.

Kenntnisse

Leadership

Communication

People management

Budgeting

Sales & marketing

Ausbildung

Level 3 in Early Years/Childcare

Jobbeschreibung

Salary: Up to £41,000 per annum + onboarding bonus

Contract: Permanent, Full-time

Hours: 40 hours per week

About Happy Days

Happy Days is growing, and we're looking for an experienced Early Years Manager to lead our Happy Days Nursery & Preschool in Portsmouth.

This is an exciting opportunity to lead a well-established nursery, inspire a dedicated team and create a high-quality, child-centred environment where children can thrive. You'll be responsible for maintaining excellent standards of care, education, safeguarding and wellbeing while supporting the continued development of the setting.

The Role

As Early Years Manager, you'll oversee the day-to-day running of the nursery and lead your team to deliver outstanding care and education in line with the EYFS and Ofsted requirements.

You'll build strong relationships with children, families, colleagues and the local community while maintaining a safe, stimulating and inclusive environment. You'll also drive quality improvement, manage the nursery's operational and commercial performance, and support the professional development of your team.

Key Responsibilities

• Oversee the day-to-day running of the nursery in line with EYFS and Ofsted requirements.
• Lead, motivate and develop the Early Years team to deliver outstanding care and education.
• Manage staffing, budgets and resources effectively to achieve operational and commercial objectives.
• Build strong relationships with parents, carers, colleagues and the local community.
• Maintain a safe, nurturing, stimulating and inclusive environment where every child can flourish.
• Ensure safeguarding, health and safety and regulatory requirements are consistently maintained.
• Monitor standards and support audits, inspections and continuous improvement.
• Ensure learning experiences support children's individual development, learning and progress.
• Manage enquiries, nursery tours and enrolments to support occupancy growth.
• Coach and mentor colleagues, supporting professional development, succession planning and high standards.

Why Join Us?

Our Portsmouth nursery is well established, with a strong community presence and a dedicated team. The setting is entering an exciting new phase focused on strengthening leadership, enhancing quality and creating an environment where children and staff can thrive.

With growing interest in the local area and continued development plans, this is an excellent opportunity to take on a key leadership role, shape the nursery's future and make a lasting difference to children, families and colleagues.

We invest in our people as much as they invest in the children and their teams. You'll benefit from structured training, leadership mentoring and clear progression opportunities to support your professional development and career growth.

What We're Looking For

We're looking for an experienced Early Years leader with a genuine passion for high-quality childcare and education.

You'll ideally have:

• A Level 3 or above qualification in Early Years, Childcare or equivalent.
• Proven leadership experience within an Early Years setting.
• Strong knowledge of the EYFS, safeguarding and regulatory requirements.
• Experience leading, motivating and developing an Early Years team.
• Strong organisational, communication and people-management skills.
• Experience managing staffing, budgets and resources effectively.
• Commercial awareness and an understanding of occupancy, sales and marketing.
• Confidence maintaining standards, leading inspections and supporting quality improvement.
• A proactive, approachable and professional leadership style.
• A genuine passion for helping children, families and colleagues thrive.

What We Offer

We're proud to provide a supportive and flexible working environment where our people can develop, progress and thrive, while maintaining a healthy work-life balance.

Learning & Development

• Structured training and ongoing professional development.
• Leadership mentoring and support from experienced Early Years leaders.
• Clear progression and career development opportunities.
• Coaching and mentoring to support your team and develop professional practice.

Health and Wellbeing

• Generous annual leave from day one
• Extra days off for Christmas and personal day
• Extensive Health and Wellbeing Support

Check out our full range of benefits here: https://happydaysnurseries.com/careers/working-for-happy-days/

Benefits are subject to eligibility criteria.

Inclusion & Safeguarding

Happy Days Nurseries is committed to creating an inclusive workplace where everyone feels valued and respected. If you require reasonable adjustments during the recruitment process, please let us know.

Happy Days Nurseries is committed to safeguarding the safety and wellbeing of the children in our care. All successful candidates will undergo the required pre-employment and vetting checks, including verification of the right to work in the UK.

Subject to eligibility criteria.

**Up to four additional gifted days off during the Christmas closedown or, where applicable, up to four days added to your annual leave entitlement, pro rata