Nursery Manager - Level 3

The Opportunity Hub UK; Greater London; On-site; GBP 35,000 - 48,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Professional development opportunities

Supportive working environment

Permanent full-time role

Job summary

The Opportunity Hub UK is recruiting an experienced Nursery Manager to lead the day-to-day running of an established early years setting, delivering high-quality education and care.

You will develop the team, safeguard compliance, build strong relationships with children, families and external partners, and plan an EYFS curriculum with robust records.

This permanent, full-time role offers a supportive environment and opportunities for ongoing professional development.

Qualifications

• Must hold a Level 3 Early Years qualification.
• Experience leading or supervising nursery staff.
• Strong safeguarding and child protection knowledge.
• Experience delivering the EYFS framework and tracking progress.
• Excellent communication with families and external professionals.

Responsibilities

• Lead and manage the daily operations of the nursery and ensure high standards of care.
• Manage staff deployment, rotas, ratios and qualification requirements.
• Lead, motivate and develop the nursery team through supervisions and appraisals.
• Oversee planning, delivery and evaluation of EYFS curriculum.
• Monitor children's progress, observations and learning journals.
• Champion safeguarding, health and safety procedures.
• Build relationships with parents and external partners.
• Work with external agencies to support children with additional needs.
• Maintain records and ensure compliance with EYFS and Ofsted.
• Support budgeting, procurement and resource management.
• Contribute to continuous improvement and nursery culture.

Skills

Leadership

Staff supervision

Communication skills

Organisational skills

Safeguarding knowledge

Child development understanding

Liaison with parents

Education

Level 3 Early Years qualification

Level 4/5/6 qualifications advantageous

Job description

We are working with an established and nurturing early years setting to recruit an experienced Nursery Manager to lead the day-to-day running of the nursery and support the delivery of high-quality early years education and care.

This is a key leadership position for someone passionate about creating a safe, inclusive and stimulating environment where children can thrive. You will lead and develop the nursery team, ensure strong safeguarding and compliance standards, and build positive relationships with children, families and external partners.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and manage the daily operations of the nursery, ensuring consistently high standards of care and provision.
• Manage staff deployment, rotas, ratios and qualification requirements.
• Lead, motivate and develop the nursery team through supervisions, appraisals and team meetings.
• Oversee the planning, delivery and evaluation of a high-quality EYFS curriculum.
• Monitor children's progress, observations, assessments and learning journals.
• Champion safeguarding, child protection, health and safety, risk assessments, first aid, allergies and medication procedures.
• Build strong and trusting relationships with parents and carers, providing clear communication around children's progress and well-being.
• Work with external agencies to support children with additional needs where appropriate.
• Maintain accurate records and ensure compliance with EYFS, Ofsted requirements, health and safety regulations and internal policies.
• Support budgeting, procurement and effective management of nursery resources.
• Contribute to continuous improvement and the development of a positive, collaborative nursery culture.

About You

The successful candidate will be a confident and experienced early years professional who combines strong leadership skills with a warm, child-centred approach.

You will ideally have:

• A full and relevant Level 3 Early Years qualification.
• At least 2 years' experience working within an early years setting.
• Experience delivering the EYFS framework and tracking children's progress.
• Previous experience supervising or leading staff.
• Strong knowledge of safeguarding and child protection.
• Excellent understanding of child development and inclusive practice.
• Experience working effectively with parents, carers and external professionals.
• Strong organisational and communication skills.
• The ability to remain calm, professional and solution-focused in a busy nursery environment.
• A commitment to maintaining accurate and confidential records.

Level 4/5/6 qualifications, Paediatric First Aid, DSL training, leadership qualifications, Deputy/Manager experience and previous Ofsted inspection experience would be advantageous.

What's on Offer

• Salary: Negotiable, depending on experience
• A permanent, full-time Nursery Manager position.
• A supportive and collaborative working environment.
• Opportunities for ongoing professional development and training.
• The opportunity to shape the culture, provision and development of the nursery.
• A rewarding role where you can make a meaningful difference to children's learning, development and wellbeing.

Please note: This role requires enhanced DBS clearance and a strong commitment to safeguarding and child protection. Successful candidates will also be required to complete relevant pre-employment and safeguarding checks.