Head of Education

Fennies-Day-Nurseries; Epsom; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary and bonus

Childcare discount and support

Leadership development programmes

Wellbeing and lifestyle benefits

75% childcare discount (illustrative)

Job summary

Fennies is seeking a Head of Education to own the educational vision across 29 nurseries in London and the Southeast. You will lead the 4D curriculum, ensure consistency, and drive improvement to show developmental outcomes for children.

You will report to the Managing Director, sit on the Operational Leadership Team, and coach a team including Pedagogical Coaches and an Inclusion Manager. This role blends teaching leadership with strategic oversight.

Qualifications

• A full and relevant Level 6 qualification in Early Years, Early Childhood Studies, Education or a related subject.
• Experience in day nurseries across the full 0–5 age range, including babies and toddlers.
• Senior responsibility for education, quality and outcomes across a group of at least eight nurseries.
• Expert knowledge of the EYFS, Ofsted’s Education Inspection Framework, and safeguarding.
• Ofsted experience: preparing nurseries and leading improvements.
• Budget ownership and understanding of cost, occupancy and staffing.
• Strong coaching skills and leadership development experience.
• Experience leading curriculum implementation across multiple settings.

Responsibilities

• Lead our 4D curriculum, ensuring it appears in every room and evolves.
• Set out what great Early Years education looks like and standardise it across all nurseries.
• Prepare nurseries for inspection and conduct Mocksted visits.
• Ensure safeguarding and wellbeing are part of every child’s day with Compliance.
• Coach and lead Regional Managers, Pedagogical Coaches, Inclusion Manager and Art Specialist.
• Spend time in nurseries to observe practice, coach leaders and listen to teams and families.
• Build measures showing child development and share with leadership and Board.
• Collaborate with the university research partner to translate findings into practice.
• Ensure new nurseries open with the teaching approach from day one.
• Manage the Education budget balancing quality with occupancy, staffing and cost.
• Work with Learning and Development on impactful training in rooms.
• Collaborate with Heads of Business Development, Compliance, People and Facilities.
• Share work across the sector through forums, awards and partnerships.

Skills

Leadership

Educational vision

Data-driven decision making

Budget management

People management

Change & growth management

Education

Level 6 Early Years qualification

QTS / EYTS desirable

Job description

London and the Southeast | Full-time, permanent | Reporting to the Managing Director

About the role

This is where futures begin – and we’re looking for a Head of Education to help make Early Years extraordinary across our 29 nurseries. We’re family-owned and family-run, and we always have been, with around 1,000 people across London and the Southeast.

In January, we launch our new 4D Pedagogy and Curriculum, shaped with our research partner at the University of Warwick, and built to help children thrive in a changing world. Your job as Head of Education would be to own our educational vision - bringing it to life in every room – in how our teams teach, and in what children take with them when they leave.

We measure ourselves by what children gain during their time with us - inspection outcomes matter, and we work hard for them, but they’re only part of the picture. We want to understand how children develop with us, and to show it. Building that evidence is a big part of this role.

You’ll report to our Managing Director, sit on our Operational Leadership Team and present on quality to the SLT. You’ll lead our Regional Managers, plus an Education team of Pedagogical Coaches, an Inclusion Manager and an Art Specialist.

You’ll work alongside our Heads of Business Development, Compliance, People and Facilities who manage the day-to-day operations of our nurseries, so you can focus on teaching, learning and the quality of children’s everyday experience.

This role is for someone who wants to lead on education itself. You’ll set the vision and build the framework behind it – and stay close enough to the detail to know it’s working. And you’ll bring the joy of Early Years into every room, lifting the people around you and raising the bar for what we can be.

You will:

• Lead our 4D curriculum, making sure it shows up in every room and keeps evolving
• Set out what great Early Years education looks like, and make sure it’s the same in every Fennies nursery
• Set our bar above Ofsted, and get our nurseries ready for inspection, including our own Mocksted visits
• Work with our Head of Compliance to keep safeguarding and wellbeing part of every child’s day
• Coach and lead our Regional Managers, Pedagogical Coaches, Inclusion Manager and Art Specialist
• Spend real time in our nurseries – watching practice, coaching leaders, and listening to our teams and families
• Build the measures that show how children develop with us, and share them with our leadership team and Board
• Lead our work with our university research partner, and help our teams put what we learn into practice
• Make sure every new nursery opens with our way of teaching in place from day one
• Manage the Education budget, balancing quality with occupancy, staffing and cost
• Work with our Learning and Development team on training that makes a real difference in the room
• Work as a peer to our Heads of Business Development, Compliance, People and Facilities
• Share our work across the sector, through forums, awards and partnerships

What we’re looking for

Someone who:

• Loves being in nurseries, rather than running them from a distance
• Wants to know why something works, not just whether it does
• Can set a direction for the next few years, and plan how to get there
• Is comfortable with numbers, and can tell a trend from a blip
• Thinks about cost and staffing when making decisions about education
• Sets high standards, and builds a team that meets them without being chased
• Can explain what great Early Years education looks like, and why it matters
• Is resilient, innovative and enjoys pace, change and growth

Essential qualifications and experience

• A full and relevant Level 6 qualification in Early Years, Early Childhood Studies, Education or a related subject
• Experience in day nurseries across the full 0–5 age range, including babies and toddlers (experience only in schools or Reception classes will not meet this threshold)
• Senior responsibility for education, quality and outcomes across a group of at least eight nurseries
• A track record of raising standards across a group of settings, and maintaining consistency
• Expert knowledge of the EYFS, Ofsted’s Education Inspection Framework, and safeguarding and statutory requirements
• Ofsted experience: preparing nurseries, leading through inspection and subsequent improvements
• Experience line managing senior leaders, such as regional, area or multi-site managers
• Experience bringing a curriculum or teaching approach to life across multiple settings
• Confidence using data to make decisions, and presenting to a leadership team or Board
• Budget ownership, and an understanding of how quality, occupancy and staffing costs fit together
• Strong coaching skills, with a record of growing leaders
• Credibility with everyone from practitioners and parents to academics and directors
• Up-to-date knowledge of Early Years practice, research and national policy
• A full UK driving licence

Desirable qualifications and experience

• QTS, Early Years Teacher Status or a similar postgraduate qualification
• A Master’s in Early Years, Education or Leadership
• A leadership, management or coaching qualification
• Experience in a growing nursery group, including opening new nurseries
• Leading SEND and inclusion across several settings
• Working with universities or researchers
• Representing an organisation externally, through events, awards or articles
• Experience in a family-owned business

Become part of the Fennies DNA

We’re family-owned and family-run; this guides our culture, our decision-making, and what it feels like to be part of our team. We have a strong sense of community, with connections that bring us together and the systems and processes that mean our educators can focus on what they do best. Quality matters to us – starting with our people and curriculum, through to our beautiful buildings and inspiring environments. We’re investing into Fennies, into our teams, and into the education we provide our children. Our People Promise inspires us to build the kind of culture that is ambitious, passionate and supportive. We provide the environment where you can:

• Be Yourself
• Come Together
• Be All In
• Go Further

If this sounds like you, or you just want to know more about what it means to be part of the Fennies family, make contact with us today for a chat.

Why join Fennies?

Competitive salary and bonus

• Performance-related bonus

Childcare discount and support

• Up to 75% discount on childcare

Leadership Development

• Personalised Clifton Strengths leadership coaching
• Dedicated learning and development programmes

Wellbeing and Lifestyle benefits

• 25 days annual leave increasing by 1 day per year of service (up to 30) plus bank holidays
• Free daily meals from the Fennies Café

A community of committed, high-achieving people

• Regular leadership forums and networking
• Summer BBQs, Christmas events and company celebrations
• Recognition and reward through the Fennies Club long service awards

Diversity & Inclusion

We believe inclusive teams make better places for children to learn. We welcome applicants from all backgrounds, and we want everyone here to feel valued and supported.

Safeguarding

Fennies is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people. All successful applicants are required to complete an enhanced DBS check and provide proof of identity. In line with Safer Recruitment guidance, we may carry out online searches (including social media checks) for shortlisted candidates