Nursery Manager

JOB SPECIFICATION – NURSERY MANAGER

Kattz Kidz Day Nursery is looking for a passionate and experienced Nursery Manager to lead a talented team and take the nursery to the next level supported by a dedicated and nurturing staff team.

Based within a 1909 building in the town centre of the first garden city, we are currently registered for 47 places with a growth plan to increase to 72. We are uniquely located within a 2-minute walk from Letchworth train station. The nursery benefits from a well-equipped garden area comprising a nature area, water feature, mud kitchen, outdoor classroom as well as a separate baby garden. The children use the outdoor facilities daily.

Purpose

As the nursery manager, you will be responsible for the leadership and operational management of the nursery, compliance with regulatory requirements, and embedding a child-focused vision that is shared by the whole team. You will accordingly lead, inspire and engage the team to deliver exceptional care and early years curriculum whilst entrenching the ethos of the nursery as an inclusive environment that supports Child Development.  

The role would be delivered through leading and managing, role-modelling best practice and observation of standards and practice throughout the nursery. The successful postholder will work closely with the Head of Service, Early Years Advisor and Business Support Manager. Thus, the responsibilities encompass service delivery in line with regulatory requirements, being child friendly and customer focused, managing employee expectations all of which translate to a high performing early years’ setting.

The Nursery Manager has the overall responsibility for the day to day oversight of safeguarding, health and safety practices and child protection in the setting and maintaining accurate and up to date systems and records always. Effective leadership of the team includes providing training, coaching and mentoring and implementing a robust performance management strategy. Accordingly, you will be expected to lead change internally and support the team through modelling of ethical and professional behaviours and encourage team working with a diverse team.

You will have responsibility for marketing, finance, performance measurement and leading practice, customer satisfaction, employee engagement and retention, effective staff deployment, budgeting and effective oversight of overhead costs. As a regulatory setting, you will be expected to offer the highest delivery of the EYFS and regulatory compliance to achieve a minimum of good inspection outcomes.

Key Tasks and Responsibilities:

• To be the lead Designated Safeguarding Lead at the nursery and delivery of day to day management of safeguarding and child protection policies within the nursery.                                                                               
• Ensuring that the nursery is fully recruited with suitably qualified people, encouraging a diverse workforce, who are comprehensively inducted, trained and supported; the workforce plans are in line with occupancy, and all nursery teams are fully compliant with their regulatory training, company induction and the required development programmes always.

• Lead and role model best practice and high standards of behaviour with the staff team, deliver relevant training to practitioners and continually reflect on practice to identify and drive continuous improvement to deliver high-quality care and education for all children and staff.

• Provide exceptional organisational leadership – promote the ethos, values, and behaviours, to drive improvement in customer and client satisfaction and employee engagement, retention, and performance in the nursery, making a positive contribution to service excellence.

• Ensure a child-centred approach to operating all aspects of the nursery and ensure the observation and planning process meets the needs of all children in line with the Quality Assurance Framework.

• Implement and manage policies and procedures. Monitor and improve the practices and behaviours that underpin a high performing safety culture.                                  
• To lead by example and drive the culture of Safeguarding Children and promoting professional staff behaviour.

• Complete effective annual appraisals for all staff, and contribute to succession planning, identification and delivery of relevant training, and additional requirements for personal development plans including coaching and mentoring for all staff.

• Working with Head of Service to identify succession plans for the nursery team and nurture, create, and continuously develop a pipeline of high performing practitioners and room leaders, building the strongest talent pool in the sector.

• Take responsibility for finance and marketing, identify and implement commercial plans and strategies to deliver FTE growth in the nursery,                                           
• Commercial delivery of the nursery performance, optimising revenue generation and costs efficiency in line with staff ratio requirements to deliver and exceed the annual nursery budgeted.

• Engage with the Local Authority and understand the local offer to support the practice in all areas of the nursery.                                                                      

Essential Experience:

• A strong record of on-going training and/or professional qualifications since qualifying.
• Proven experience of working in early years education settings with successful management leading to ‘Good or better’ regulatory inspection outcomes.
• Demonstrable track record of driving leadership strength and development of successful ongoing performance management and impact measurements, in close partnership with HR.
• Strong decision-maker, with the proven ability to support change; a secure understanding of the complex relationship between business/commerce and service excellence within a regulated setting, with the ability to follow guidelines and work with others to achieve success.
• Experience in developing high performing teams, with a successful record of accomplishment of supporting effective regulatory compliance, quality improvement, delivering high-quality pedagogy, innovation and service excellence.
• Experience in proving support and leadership to a staff team to enable staff to fulfil their roles, responsibilities and legislation duty concerning safeguarding children.

Qualifications

• Full and relevant level 3 qualification (essential).
• 12 hours paediatric first aid and first aid at work (essential).
• Relevant safeguarding/child protection training undertaken and a willingness to update training regularly (essential).
• Evidence of continuous professional development.
• Undergraduate or Foundation Degree in Early Childhood Studies or other relevant subjects (Desirable).
• EYPP/EYTT or QTS post-graduate status (Desirable).

The successful post holder’s remuneration package is comprised of a competitive salary, company benefits and bonus.

We look forward to receiving your application.

Closing Date: 11^th April 2021.