Nursery Manager

Mid Yorkshire Teaching NHS Trust; Wakefield; On-site; GBP 36,000 - 48,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

NHS pension plan

Generous holiday allowance 27 days +

Employee health and wellbeing services

Onsite nurseries and salary sacrifice

Cycle to work scheme

Car lease salary sacrifice

Flexible working options

Staff networks including LGBTQ+ and R&

Job summary

Mid Yorkshire Teaching NHS Trust is seeking an experienced Nursery Manager to lead day-to-day operations, ensuring high quality care, safety and EYFS standards. You will provide strong leadership, recruit and develop staff, and build partnerships with parents to support each child's learning and wellbeing.

Overseeing safeguarding, budget management, and compliance, you will drive improvements while fostering an inclusive, nurturing environment for children and families within the NHS trust.

Qualifications

• GCSE English and Maths 4-9 or equivalent.
• Level 3 childcare qualification.
• Paediatric First Aid certification.
• Food Safety Certificate Level 2.
• Designated Safeguarding Lead training.
• EYFS Degree or equivalent experience.
• Evidence of continuing professional development.
• Management and leadership experience.

Responsibilities

• Lead the nursery, ensuring high quality care, safety and EYFS standards.
• Recruit, induct, and manage performance of nursery staff.
• Develop staff through ongoing professional development.
• Build partnerships with parents and carers to support learning.
• Oversee safeguarding and respond to concerns or complaints.
• Manage the self-funded budget and nursery operations.
• Ensure compliance with statutory requirements and quality improvements.

Skills

English & maths GCSE 4-9

Leadership

Staff development

Risk assessment

Safeguarding knowledge

Education

Level 3 in childcare qualification

Paediatric First Aid

Food Safety Certificate Level 2

Designated Safeguarding Lead training

EYFS Degree or equivalent

Job description

For further information or an informal visit, please contact Arlene Wills, Head of Employee Benefits on 01924 543040 or email [e-mail] or [e-mail]

About The Role

We are seeking an experienced and passionate Nursery Manager to lead the day-to-day operation of our nursery, ensuring the highest standards of care, safety, and early years education.

Working within NHS, Ofsted, and Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) frameworks, you will provide strong leadership to the nursery team, fostering a positive and supportive environment for children, families, and staff.

You will be responsible for managing and developing a dedicated team through recruitment, induction, performance management, and ongoing professional development. Building strong partnerships with parents and carers will be central to the role, promoting open communication and supporting each child's learning, wellbeing, and individual needs.

The successful candidate will oversee the safe and efficient running of the nursery, ensuring compliance with statutory requirements, managing operational issues, and taking responsibility for responding to and resolving concerns or complaints. This is an exciting opportunity for a motivated leader who is committed to delivering outstanding childcare and creating an inclusive, nurturing environment where children can thrive.

Main duties

Responsible for maintaining a high quality, stimulating learning environment, leading, and supporting staff. Acting as an expert by sharing their knowledge and skills to others. They are creative and reflective leaders able to implement new ideas and use a range of strategies to continually improve practice within the nursery.

To ensure the nursery environment and activities take into account children's abilities, interests, language and cultural backgrounds and be sensitive to the children's cultural capital and individual needs and promote equal opportunities and recognising diversity.

To lead the nursery team to maintain consistency and continually improve the Nursery curriculum and childcare practice whilst reflecting on the guidance document from the Department of Education Early Years Foundation Stage.

To act as the Designated Safeguarding Lead for the nursery, ensuring the safety and welfare of children is the paramount concern.

Responsible for managing and maintaining the service within the agreed self-funded budget.

Qualifications

Essential person specification requirements

• English and Maths GCSE Grade 4-9 or equivalent
• Level 3 in Childcare Qualification
• Paediatric First Aid
• Food Safety Certificate Level 2
• Designated Safeguarding Lead training
• Early Years Foundation Stage Degree or equivalent experience
• Evidence of continued professional development
• Management and leadership knowledge acquired through training and experience

Experience

• Significant post qualifying experience in a supervisory position with under 5’s in a nursery setting
• Experience of identifying and improving childcare practice
• Experience of investigating formal and informal complaints
• Experience of recruiting, managing and supervising staff
• Experience of change management and implementing service improvements
• Experience of managing multiple income streams and expenditure within a self-funded budget
• Experience of processing and supporting parents to access the Educational Funding

Knowledge and awareness

• Knowledge of the Ofsted’s Statutory Framework for Early Years, Special Educational Needs Code of Practice and the Early Years Foundation Stage Curriculum
• Knowledge of the Ofsted’s inspection requirements
• Knowledge of developing and implementing early years curriculum within a nursery setting
• Knowledge of safeguarding processes and procedures, prevent duty and capital culture
• Awareness of own limitations.
• Knowledge of childhood illnesses, health & safety regulations relating to a childcare environment, and to carry out risk assessments and use the outcomes accordingly.
• Knowledge and understanding of need to maintain confidentiality.

Be part of MY team

We are an acute trust caring for over one million people in Wakefield and Kirklees. Our 10,000 staff work in patients’ homes, the community, and our three hospitals in Pontefract, Dewsbury, and Pinderfields (Wakefield). We prioritise our people and values so we can deliver the best possible care to patients. Our team is friendly, passionate, and innovative, always seeking better ways to work.

We support work-life balance and foster a diverse, inclusive environment where everyone belongs. Our staff networks offer safe spaces to share ideas and concerns so we can increase awareness and appreciation of equality, diversity, and inclusion. We welcome applicants from all backgrounds and especially encourage members of the LGBTQ+ community, ethnic minority groups, and people with disabilities or neurodivergence to apply, as they are currently underrepresented in the Trust.

If you value caring, high standards, improvement, and respect, join the MY team to make a difference every day.

Our Benefits

• Access to the NHS pension plan
• Generous holiday allowance of 27 days plus bank holidays, increasing with 5 and 10 years of service
• Exceptional employee health and wellbeing services
• Extensive benefits and support, including:
• Onsite nurseries and childcare salary sacrifice scheme
• Home electronics scheme
• Cycle to work scheme - subject to eligibility criteria
• Car lease salary sacrifice scheme - subject to eligibility criteria
• Working carers support and advice, carers network and carers passport
• Flexible working options and family and carer-friendly policies
• Established staff networks, including LGBTQ+ and Race Equality
• Career progression, training and support