Denstone College is embarking on an exciting strategic initiative to launch a premier, flagship nursery for children aged 2 to 4+ years. We are seeking a highly driven, commercially minded Early Years professional to spearhead this launch and turn our vision into a reality. This is a unique, high-profile opportunity starting as an initial 2-month fixed-term contract. Your immediate and singular focus will be on the critical project management phase: getting the nursery off the ground and ready for launch.

For the right candidate, successfully delivering this initial setup phase comes with a highly attractive prospect: the opportunity to transition into the permanent role of Head of Nursery (Setting Manager) once the doors open, taking full commercial, pedagogical, and operational leadership of the setting.

The Project Phase (Initial 2 Months) Working closely with the Head and the Estates team, you will be the driving force behind the nursery’s setup. Your key objectives will include:

• Regulatory Leadership: Spearheading the initial ISI (Independent Schools Inspectorate) compliance and registration process from scratch for children aged 2 and upwards.

• Site Transformation: Overseeing the physical conversion of the site into an inspiring, premium, and compliant early years environment, ensuring capital budgets and deadlines are met.

• Operational Setup: Building the operational architecture from the ground up, including defining staffing structures, establishing fee models, and writing core policies.

• Compliance: Navigating the complex compliance matrix, ensuring all health and safety, fire, and regulatory requirements are meticulously secured ahead of opening.

About You To drive a project of this scale, you must be both an Early Years expert and a capable project manager. We are looking for someone who brings:

• A full and relevant Level 3 (or above) Early Years qualification.

• Comprehensive, up-to-date knowledge of the EYFS statutory framework, safeguarding legislation, and ISI inspection criteria.

• Proven experience in a leadership or management role within a high-performing Early Years day nursery setting.

• Demonstrable commercial and project management skills, with the entrepreneurial drive required to build a setting from a blank canvas.