Nursery Deputy Manager (FTC-12 months)

MP Training and Recruitment; Greater London; On-site; GBP 31,000 - 42,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Childcare discount

Bonus up to £1,500

Enhanced parental leave

25 days annual leave

Pension

Wellbeing benefits

Job summary

Bright Horizons Whetstone Day Nursery and Preschool in North London is seeking a Deputy Manager for a fixed-term contract from May 2026 for 12 months. You will lead a team, drive safeguarding practices, and support nursery operations to ensure high standards of care.

The role requires a Level 3 (or higher) Early Years qualification and prior leadership experience in a nursery. The position offers a competitive salary and generous benefits, with opportunities for professional development.

Qualifications

• Leadership experience in an Early Years setting.
• Strong safeguarding and child protection knowledge.
• Proven ability to support and develop others.

Responsibilities

• Lead, mentor and inspire a team to deliver high-quality care and education.
• Act as Designated Safeguarding Lead and oversee safeguarding policies.
• Contribute to training, partnership building and nursery budgets.

Skills

Leadership

Safeguarding

Communication

Decision making

Team mentoring

Education

Level 3 Early Years qualification

Job description

Nursery - Bright Horizons Whetstone Day Nursery and Preschool Salary - Starting from £36,088 per annum (FTC - From May 2026 for 12 months) (dependent on qualification/s and experience) Location - Whetstone, London

Are you looking to work for an organisation whose culture is driven by our HEART principles - Honesty, Excellence, Accountability, Respect, and Teamwork? Where you can be yourself, feel supported, and help to make a difference to the next generation? Somewhere you can say: "I did that".

We’re looking for a Deputy Manager to join our Whetstone nursery, situated in Whetstone, North London, commutable by car or public transport. The nearest station is Totteridge & Whetstone Underground Station, which is on the Northern Line making it easily commutable from Barnet, Finchley, Mill Hill, Camden, Euston and surrounding areas!

This is a fixed term contract from May 2026 for 12 months.

Our 46 place nursery has a beautiful rooftop terrace, which allows children to continue their learning journey outdoors. With a wide range of age-specific activities and toys, there is always so much to discover and explore, including our exciting sand and water trays.

Benefits

• Childcare discount of 75% for first child*
• Competitive bonus of up to £1,500, awarded in line with Ofsted inspection outcomes
• Enhanced parental leave
• 25 days annual leave, plus bank holidays and paid Christmas closure
• Ability to also purchase additional leave*
• Pension
• Financial and wellbeing benefits including 24/7 virtual GP appointments, early access to wages, and more
• Professional development programme access for every stage of your career, including access to a careers coach *

*Subject to T&Cs

Role

As a Deputy Manager, you will lead, mentor, support, and inspire a team to deliver exception care and education. You will act as Designated Safeguarding Lead, overseeing day to day running of the nursery and management of safeguarding and child protection policies. You will contribute to succession planning, training, and supporting team professional development plans, maintain strong partnerships with colleagues, parents, and other professionals (such as the Local Authority), and support the commercial success of the nursery through retention, occupancy growth, and maintaining budgets.

Qualifications and Experience

• Full and relevant Level 3 or above Early Years qualification
• Experience within an Early Years leadership role (ideally as a Deputy Manager, Assistant Manager, Third in Charge or similar)
• Experience of participating with a regulatory inspection, leading to a 'Good' or 'Outstanding' outcome
• Confident decision maker, with previous experience providing support and leadership to others
• Strong knowledge and understanding of Safeguarding, Child Protection, and the wider legislative requirements for working with children
• Ability to develop trust and strong working partnerships with both colleagues and parents/ carers
• Ability to use a variety of communication techniques with both children and adults

Inclusive Employer Statement

Bright Horizons is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people. This post is subject to safer recruitment practice and pre-employment checks, including an enhanced DBS check, which will be undertaken before any appointment is confirmed.

We are an inclusive employer and welcome people from all ages and backgrounds to apply. We will consider reasonable adjustments required by applicants.

Culture & Values

Proud to be a Great Place to Work for 20 years.

At Bright Horizons, our culture is built on our commitment to Keeping Everyone Safe and providing world-class care and education, delivered by a world-class workforce. We believe our people’s potential is endless and with this in mind, we aspire to create an environment where our colleagues can thrive and accomplish the things they thought impossible.

Bright Horizons has been recognised as a Great Place to Work by our employees and the Great Place to Work Institute for the last 13 years. We care passionately about what we do, and our HEART values and principles help us support one another in the work that we do each day. These are quite literally at the HEART of our organisation’s ethos and culture as they help us to provide a working environment that supports professionalism, growth and diversity.

We are passionate about our people’s ongoing learning and development. Our learning and leading with HEART framework supports each Bright Horizons colleague on the first steps of their leadership journey, whether that includes our 'World-Class Welcome' induction or our extensive ongoing training programme. Either way we want you to feel valued and invested in!

Celebrating in the accomplishments of our people is an essential part of our culture. We believe in the power of "thank you" and throughout the year, in ways big and small, formal and informal, we show our appreciation for employees at all levels. We have many ways to acknowledge and celebrate our people, including our very popular "employee appreciation month". This is a chance for everyone to share their gratitude to one another, across the whole company. Whether it is a "thank you" placed on our website, a chocolate pizza, team lunch or an ice cream van visit, it is our way of showing each other we care and appreciate everything we do.

Each year, we have our annual 'Awards of Excellence' events; whether you are an award winner or cheering on a fellow team member, these formal award occasions are opportunities to come together and celebrate one another.

By creating this account you acknowledge that Bright Horizons will collect, store and process any of your personal data provided in respect of your application and employment in accordance with our Employee Privacy Notice. https://www.brighthorizons.co.uk/statutory-information/privacy-notice-employees.