(HO) Nursery Manager

RAF Association; Ipswich; On-site; GBP 38,000 - 46,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Enhanced childcare discount 40%

Healthcare cash back for family

Free GP access

Health and stress support

Gym discount

Refer a Friend bonus

Generous leave including Christmas

Group Associate Membership discounts

Travel and overnight expenses for site

Informal telephone interviews

Gala event invitations

Job summary

RAFAKidz Honington in Suffolk is seeking a Nursery Manager to lead daily nursery operations, ensuring high standards of care and education. You will manage a team of 24 and oversee a 69-child setting, working with regulatory requirements and safeguarding responsibilities.

The role requires hands-on leadership, a relevant qualification for the post, and a passion for early years education. RAFAKidz offers strong development opportunities and a supportive management team.

Responsibilities

• Provide professional leadership and day-to-day management of nurseries.
• Ensure delivery of the highest standards of care and education.
• Ensure compliance with policies, procedures and regulatory requirements.
• Ensure financial sustainability of the nursery.
• Act as the Designated Safeguarding Lead.
• Mentor and develop staff skills and knowledge.

Job description

Nursery Manager

RAFAKidz at RAF Honington, Bury St Edmunds IP31 1LJ

£42000 plus £5000 sign on bonus plus 10% annual performance bonus

40 hours per week

Why you should consider a career with RAFAKidz, a multi award winning nursery group and the largest provider of early years childcare to the RAF

• Enhanced childcare discount of 40% for permanent employees
• Healthcare cash back for you and your children to cover prescription, dental and optician costs
• Free access to virtual GP
• Health and Stress Support plus gym discount
• Unlimited Refer a Friend bonus payments
• Generous leave with time off to relax and recharge over the Christmas period
• Group Associate Membership - savings and discounts on household bills and more!
• Guaranteed transfer to another nursery (for spouses and families being redeployed)
• Preparing for promotion? We pay travel and overnight expenses to allow you to experience another of our fabulous settings
• First Stage Informal Telephone Interviews - let's get to know each other before arranging a visit
• Opportunities to attend gala evenings to celebrate our big nominations and wins together!

About us

2025 was a phenomenal year for RAFAKidz! Our special awards include

Nursery Group of the Year Nursery World

Medium Sized Nursery Group of the Year National NMT Nursery Awards

Outdoor Learning Environment National NMT Nursery Awards

If you’re a talented, passionate and dedicated childcare professional looking for your next step, our welcoming and warm nursery at RAFAKidz Honington is the place for you! With our friendly team and small room sizes we can offer exciting experiences every day. Located in a beautiful setting close to Bury St Edmunds and Thetford, our little RAFAKidz family are always busy with trips out, picnics, parties and outdoor learning. For every child that comes through the doors of RAFAKidz, no matter their ability, background or circumstances, we provide experiences that will help them be confident and reach their full potential.

As one of our busiest nurseries, you can expect to be fully 'hands on' to create a stimulating and exciting nursery setting, using many of the tools and resources RAFAKidz have already developed, to strengthen and grow the quality of our care and our team. Managing a team of 24 employees and with places for 69 children, you will be fully supported by our wider management team including an Operations Manager, Operations Director and our amazing HR team. As an experienced Nursery Manager, you’ll have a great understanding of putting children at the heart of everything you do. Equally important, we are looking for someone to harness the passion and commitment of our colleagues to nurture and develop them into the very best educators and support them on their career pathways. As you would expect, you will need to have an in-depth knowledge of all regulatory requirements and come with the relevant qualifications to hold this post. A full role profile is available to view on our website however core objectives for a RAFAKidz Nursery Manager include;

Core objectives for a RAFAKidz Nursery Manager include

• To provide professional leadership and day-to-day management of nurseries.
• To ensure the delivery of the highest standards of care and education
• To ensure compliance with all policies, procedures and regulatory requirements.
• To ensure the financial sustainability of the nursery
• To be the Designated Safeguarding Lead
• Mentor and develop staff skills and knowledge

This post requires a satisfactory, enhanced Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) check on appointment and every three years thereafter. As part of our inclusive culture, we encourage applications across all cultural backgrounds, genders and abilities