Nursery Manager Grade 5

39 weeks per year (term time plus 1 week Inset days)  32.5 hours per week

Surfleet Saplings Nursery is part of Surfleet Primary School – an academy in Keystone Multi Academy Trust.  Following a successful application for school based nursery grant funding, we are excited and delighted to be able to open a new school-based nursery  in our local community in September. We are passionate in our goal to provide exceptional opportunities to children of all ages and to give our youngest children a strong start to learning.  Our vision is to offer our children an environment in which they are safe to take risks, feel inspired, curious and develop their natural interests alongside being guided on their learning journey.  We work in partnership with families to enable all children to develop at their own pace, building confidence and independence and ensuring that children are able to transition to their next stage of education at both our and other primary schools. 

Surfleet Saplings Nursery has its own designated rooms within the school which enables the nursery to benefit from its own space as well as utilise the school buildings and grounds.  With access to the school hall, Early Years outdoor area, and wood,  it is a perfect environment for nurturing and fostering relationships with children and families and a supportive environment for staff with the benefit of being part of the wider school community. The nursery follows the same term dates as the school and is open from 9 am to 3:30 pm, with wraparound care from 7:30am to 6:00 pm.

As a Nursery Manager, you will support the wider team to deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage framework with confidence to our children.  You will be expected to lead by example and support other colleagues in nursery with a hands on approach to the ongoing delivery of high quality care and education.  You will benefit from working alongside a wider team of Early Years professionals in the form of our Early Years Curriculum Lead and Senior Leadership Team.  You will also benefit from support with SEND from our school SENCO and  Safeguarding from our DSL. 

Up to date knowledge of research and recommended best practice is essential for this role, and you should be open to implementing change, exploring opportunities to further improve the setting, and identifying ways to deliver a high quality early education for our children.  You will need to have a solution- focussed approach and excellent communication skills to enable you to engage with all stakeholders and colleagues.

You will need to have the following qualifications, training and skills:

·         A minimum of Level 3 qualification in childcare (must be full and relevant)

·         Relevant safeguarding training (this will be updated yearly)

·         Excellent knowledge of the statutory framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage

·         A passion for childcare and education

·         A minimum of 3 years experience of working in a nursery

·         Excellent communication skills, both verbally and in writing

·         Be confident with IT, familiarity using Word, Excel and Teams desirable

Responsibilities and Duties include

·         Building excellent relationships with parents and carers and developing strong partnerships with families

·         Planning learning opportunities and activities to support children to make progress in all areas of development

·         Meet individual needs of children through child centered learning and play, ensuring the health, safety and well-being of our children

·         Ensure Tapestry is utilised to engage families and parents and to supplement professional knowledge of the child to make accurate assessments in the 7 areas of learning

·         Providing a safe, happy and stimulating Nursery environment that promotes respectful relationships that enable the voice of the child to be expressed and heard

·         Manage and supervise a team of colleagues, being responsible for Nursery staff appraisals

·         Work closely with the EYFS lead and Reception lead to develop the setting, reviewing the curriculum, progress and achievements

·         Support children with SEND and liaise with outside agencies and the SENCO

·         Attend staff meetings, parents evenings, open day events and wider school community events

·         Promote the nursery to new families, ensuring up to date policies, prospectuses and other information is shared in a timely manner

·         Be responsible for all administrative duties including child and family communications, waiting lists, allocation of places and sessions, introduction and involvement to nursery life

·         To pass on relevant information to assist the Headteacher in preparing budgets and the maintenance and control of all expenditure within nursery

·         Be responsible for the Early Years Funding claim preparation and return

·         Coordinate the online booking and invoicing system

Candidates must have a minimum of a full and relevant Level 3 Early Years/ Childcare qualification, as well as 3 years nursery experience.

We welcome applications from candidates with at least 1 of the following:

·         Vocational Qualifications at Level 3 or above

·         NVQ level 3 in childcare or equivalent

·         Cache Level 3 Diploma in Childcare

·         Level 4/5 NVQ'S, Foundation Degree Degree, Diplomas of higher education, HND, HNC, BTEC (including early years teaching qualifications from an EU country)

·         Level 6 EYTS, EYPS, QTS

If you are an experienced manager looking to take on a new and exciting opportunity or a deputy manager looking for progression this is the role for you.

We look forward to receiving your application. 

For a full job description or to discuss the opportunity further please do not hesitate to contact us.

Keystone Academy Trust is fully committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people. An enhanced DBS disclosure will be requested for all successful candidates prior to appointment, including a Children's Barred List check if the role meets the criteria for regulated activity. All pre-employment checks are in line with Keeping Children Safe in Education.

This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (2013 and 2020).  This means that certain convictions and cautions are considered ‘protected’ and do not need to be disclosed to employers, and if they are disclosed, employers cannot take them into account.  Guidance about whether a conviction or caution should be disclosed can be found on the Ministry of Justice website:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/new-guidance-on-the-rehabilitation-of-offenders-act-1974