Nursery Manager

Kido; Greater London; On-site; GBP 38,000 - 49,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

25 days annual leave plus bank returns

Your birthday off

100% Free Childcare

Up to £1000 refer a friend bonus

Free Staff Lunches

Annual performance-related pay

Career progression opportunities

Company awards and celebrations

Healthcare cash plan

Early access to pay (Hastee app)

Perkbox discounts

Wellbeing hub access

Cycle to work scheme

Job summary

Kido is seeking a Nursery Manager to lead the New Malden nursery, driving exceptional care, education and operational excellence. The role requires strategic leadership, safeguarding oversight and strong people management in a fast-growing international company.

The position offers £38,000-£49,000 per year, 40 hours per week, plus discretionary bonus. Location is New Malden, KT3 4QE, with opportunities for career progression within Kido.

Qualifications

• Requires Level 3 minimum in childcare.
• Level 2 Maths and English required if Level 3 obtained after 2014.

Responsibilities

• Provide overall leadership and strategic management of the nursery, ensuring high standards of care, education, safeguarding and operations.
• Lead, motivate and develop the nursery team through recruitment, supervision, appraisals, coaching and training.
• Act as the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) and promote safeguarding culture across the setting.
• Ensure compliance with EYFS, Ofsted, safeguarding, health and safety and employment laws; maintain inspection readiness.
• Oversee health and safety management including risk assessments, fire safety and COSHH adherence.
• Build and maintain partnerships with parents, carers and external agencies to meet children's needs.
• Drive teaching and learning by leading curriculum implementation and quality improvement initiatives.
• Manage occupancy, budgets, marketing initiatives and growth/retention strategies.
• Oversee staffing, resource allocation and operational planning to ensure ratios and efficient use of resources.
• Foster an inclusive, high-performing culture and represent the nursery to regulators and community partners.

Skills

Leadership

People management

Safeguarding

Communication

Training & development

Education

Level 3 childcare qualification

Level 2 Maths and English

Job description

Department: Nursery

Location: Kido New Malden Nursery & Preschool

Compensation: £38,000 - £49,000 / year

Description

Welcome to the heart of Kido, where passion, ambition, and people are at the core of everything we do! As the Nursery Manager, you'll be more than just a leader; you'll be an ambassador for our values, and a gatekeeper for our vibrant culture.

Kido are looking for a Deputy Nursery Manager to join the team at Kido International Nursery & Preschool New Malden, 8-10 Coombe Road, New Malden, KT3 4QE - NEW LAUNCH 2026!

The Manager role offers a salary range of £38,000 to £49,000 (plus discretionary bonus), and is a full time, 40 hours per week position. Take the chance to build a remarkable career in a fast-growing international company

What We’re Looking For

For the Manager role, it is essential that you hold a relevant childcare qualification, Level 3 minimum and have experience working within management of another large nursery. Level 2 qualifications in Maths and English including functional skills are also a must if you obtained a Level 3 qualification after 2014. If the leadership skills mentioned in the job description above suit you, we invite you to apply today.

Unfortunately we are not able to support Sponsorship Application at this time.

Our Kido Benefits!

• By joining Kido you will get:
• 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays rising to 30 days after 5 years service
• Your birthday off
• 100% Free Childcare (Subject to availability, T&Cs apply)
• Up to £1000 refer a friend bonus
• Free Staff Lunches
• Annual performance-related pay increases
• Brilliant career progression opportunities
• Company awards and celebrations
• Access to a healthcare cash plan
• Early access to pay through the Hastee app
• Perkbox discounts and savings on thousands of retailers
• Your wellbeing matters – we provide not just a confidential employee assistance programme but access to our wellness hub
• Cycle to work scheme

What you’ll be doing!

• Provide overall leadership and strategic management of the nursery, ensuring the highest standards of care, education, safeguarding, and operational excellence are consistently achieved.
• Lead, motivate, and develop the nursery team through effective recruitment, supervision, appraisals, coaching, training, succession planning, and continuous professional development.
• Act as the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL), maintaining robust safeguarding practices, overseeing referrals, ensuring compliance with child protection procedures, and promoting a strong safeguarding culture throughout the setting.
• Ensure full compliance with all statutory requirements, including EYFS, Ofsted, safeguarding, health and safety, and employment legislation, maintaining inspection readiness at all times.
• Oversee health and safety management across the nursery, including risk assessments, fire safety procedures, medication administration, security measures, and adherence to Health & Safety and COSHH regulations.
• Build and maintain strong partnerships with parents, carers, and external agencies, ensuring children's individual needs are met and exceptional customer service is delivered.
• Drive exceptional teaching and learning by leading curriculum implementation, monitoring practice, supporting quality improvement initiatives, and promoting excellence in early years education.
• Manage nursery occupancy, sustainability, and business performance by supporting marketing initiatives, conducting parent tours, monitoring budgets, and contributing to growth and retention strategies.
• Oversee staffing, resource allocation, and operational planning to ensure appropriate ratios, effective deployment of staff, efficient use of resources, and the smooth running of the nursery.
• Foster a positive, inclusive, and high-performing culture by leading by example, promoting equality, diversity and inclusion, recognising achievements, and driving continuous improvement across all areas of the nursery.
• Represent the nursery professionally with regulatory bodies, and local community partners, promoting the nursery's reputation and values.

Safer Recruitment

All posts involving direct contact with children are exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. However, amendments to the Exceptions Order 1975 (2013 & 2020) provide that certain spent convictions and cautions are 'protected'. These are not subject to disclosure to employers and cannot be taken into account. Guidance and criteria on the filtering of these cautions and convictions can be found on the Ministry of Justice website or see .

Shortlisted candidates will be asked to provide details of all unspent convictions and those that would not be filtered, prior to the date of the interview. You may be asked for further information about your criminal history during the recruitment process. If your application is successful, this self-disclosure information will be checked against information from the Disclosure & Barring Service before your appointment is confirmed.

• If you are unsure whether you need to disclose criminal information, you should seek legal advice or you may wish to contact Nacro or Unlock for impartial advice. There is more information on filtering and protected offences on the Ministry of Justice website.

• Unlock – phone [phone] text 07824 113848

• Kido is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all children. Kido will ensure that our recruitment procedures meet the standards set out in our safer recruitment policy (available upon request) and our selection criteria prevents unsuitable people from gaining access to children. As part of our commitment to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the children in our care, successful candidates are expected to undergo pre-employment checks including an enhanced DBS and barred lists check.

If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out to us via [e-mail]

Find out more about each of our nurseries by visiting https://kidoschools.com/uk/