Nursery Manager - Hawthorns Primary School

Schools; Worthing; On-site; GBP 28,000 - 30,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Local Government Pension Scheme

Employee wellbeing support

Staff discounts

Job summary

Hawthorns Primary School and Nursery in West Sussex is seeking an experienced Nursery Manager to lead a welcoming, safe and stimulating nursery/pre-school environment for birth to five. You will drive development, safeguarding, assessment and planning, and build strong partnerships with families and professionals.

The successful candidate will inspire a team, ensure high standards, and foster inclusion, SEND support and continuous improvement across the setting.

Qualifications

• Experience leading a nursery or early years unit.
• Strong understanding of EYFS and safeguarding.
• Ability to lead and develop staff while engaging families.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop the nursery provision.
• Ensure high-quality early years provision.
• Support communication and language development.
• Collaborate with families and professionals.

Skills

Nursery management

Child development

Safeguarding

Assessment & planning

SEND support

Team leadership

Communication skills

Inclusive practice

Job description

Ref: 500108a
Required: November 2026 or as soon as practicable
Contract: Permanent
Hours: 37 hours per week, term time only (38 weeks plus 5.8 weeks annual leave entitlement)
Salary: NJC Grade 6, SCP 9-12, £28,153 to £29,542 p.a. pro rata.
Actual starting salary - £23,713.48 p.a.
(Higher grade considered based on qualification/experience)

We are seeking an experienced Nursery Manager to join our friendly team and help create a welcoming, safe and stimulating nursery/pre school environment, tailored to meet the individual needs of each child, in accordance with the Early Years Foundation Stage statutory framework.
The successful candidate will have a strong understanding of child development from birth to five, safeguarding and welfare requirements, assessment and planning, and strategies to support communication and language development. They will be committed to inclusive practice, including supporting children with SEND, and will have the skills to lead high quality early years provision while building strong partnerships with families and other professionals.
We are looking for a passionate and experienced early years leader who can inspire and motivate a team, drive continuous improvement and maintain high expectations for all children. You will be organised, proactive and reflective, with a commitment to ensuring every child feels safe, valued and successful.
Hawthorns Primary School and Nursery is a friendly, happy and caring one form entry primary school in West Sussex, which has a fantastic and supportive staff team and is well respected within the local community. We have high expectations and a school wide commitment to improve children’s learning and staff expertise and professional development.
In return we can offer you:

• A supportive and collaborative environment in which to grow as a leader, with access to
  high quality professional development and opportunities for career progression
• The opportunity to lead and further develop our nursery provision, helping to shape the
  very best experiences and outcomes for young children.
• Collaborative working across all 10 schools within the Schoolsworks Academy Trust,
  enabling the sharing of expertise, resources and best practice.
• A welcoming and dedicated staff team committed to inclusion, continuous improvement
  and achieving the best for every child.
• Employee benefits including membership of the Local Government Pension Scheme, staff
  wellbeing support through our Employee Assistance Programme and a range of staff retail discounts.
  

Closing Date: Friday 6th November
Interview Date: W/c Monday 9th November

Hawthorns Primary School and West Sussex County Council are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. We will ensure that all our recruitment and selection practices reflect this commitment. All successful candidates will be subject to an appropriate Disclosure and Barring Service check along with other relevant employment checks, including satisfactory references.

Hawthorns Primary School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of our children. This post is subject to rigorous pre employment checks, including references, qualifications, health, enhanced DBS checks and online social media searches. Hawthorns Primary School is part of the Schoolsworks Academy Trust and the Trust is fully committed to supporting the career development of all its staff.

Should you have any questions regarding the role or the application please contact the school directly.