Nursery Manager
Reports to: Operations Director
Salary – Up to £28,500 + (up to 10% Annual Profit Bonus)
Location – Brentford
Times (Monday – Friday)
Shifts vary 7.30am -4pm, 8am-4.30pm, 9am- 5.30pm.
May be required to come in 4 Saturdays a year for recruitment purposes.

Liaising with:
Ofsted Inspectors, Early Years Development Officers, EHO Inspectors, Health and Safety Inspectors, Doctors, Health Visitors, other Childcare Professionals and external agencies.
Main responsibilities:

To plan and deliver effective daily management of the nursery, in accordance with Company policy, all relevant legislation, plus local authority and OFSTED requirements.
To ensure the provision is of the highest quality; providing a safe, stimulating and caring child-centred environment catering for the children’s educational and developmental needs.
To ensure that all agreed quality and safety standards are maintained in the nursery at all times.
Responsibility for the recruitment and overall management of all childcare.
To liaise closely with parents/carers to ensure high levels of involvement and customer satisfaction at all times.
To manage the provision of the nursery ensuring that children, parents and the staff team work together to provide high quality childcare.
To manage a staff team effectively.
To agree and set nursery goals and monitor the achievement of progress against targets.
To monitor and assess the quality of provision ensuring that policies and procedures, best practice and standards are maintained.

Summary of responsibilities during the start-up phase:
Develops the curriculum and operating policies/procedures for the nursery.
Develops and implements the operational framework and standards to ensure the smooth running of the nursery.
Documents all of the above to produce a reference manual for induction training and on-going reference by all staff.
Researches, collates and provides recommendations, within budgetary parameters regarding equipment, etc. For the nursery to managing director.
Works with managing director to obtain OFSTED registration.
Markets the nursery to prospective parents, together with Operational Director.
Together with Operational Director, recruits additional members of staff and develops/leads their initial team building programme.
Key responsibilities and accountabilities:
1. Staff management and development
Leads and manages a team, motivating them with a shared sense of direction, pride and energy.
Responsibility for overall management of all childcare and other staff, including staffing rotas and chairing staff meetings as appropriate. Carries out all appropriate checks on new employees. Develops and maintains a bank of nursery staff to provide cover for all occasions. Liaises with the Operational Director on Human Resources related issues.
Monitors all nursery staff and student placements, to ensure the effectiveness of service delivery in line with the nursery’s policies, procedures and core values.
Identifies staff training and developmental needs, planning with the managing director to ensure these needs are met.
Plans, manages and implements the annual appraisal process, liaising with the managing director on the reward and remuneration.
2. Operational control
Develops and manages the operational framework and standards to ensure the smooth running of the nursery at all times. Ensures the required standards, ratios and conditions of registration are maintained at all times.
Monitors occupancy levels to ensure that they are maximised and proactively markets the nursery to meet these objectives.
Ensures that the nursery’s procedures on child protection are adhered to liaising with the Operational Director and local social services as required.
Ensures the highest standard of safety and security within the nursery, in particular that security systems are always fully operational and used properly by all staff. Establishes all appropriate emergency procedures.
Work with the operational Director to ensure all health and safety issues within the nursery are compliant, working with the Company’s Health and Safety Policy and procedures at all times.
Operates the highest level of cleanliness and hygiene in within the nursery.
Works with the catering team, to ensure that the meals provided are healthy and nutritious and cater for individual dietary needs.
Co –Responsibility for the day to day management of the premises and services, liaising with the managing director to ensure essential repairs and maintenance of the building are carried out within budgetary limits.
3. Budgetary control
Meets the occupancy and revenue targets set by the nursery’s directors and manages all day to day costs, to ensure the continued profitability of the nursery.
Collects and records fees, reporting to the Operational Director cases of arrears, in line with policy and procedures.
Controls and manages the ordering of food, supplies and equipment to required standards and within budgetary limits.
Establishes and maintains inventories and records of nursery assets.
Curriculum development and good childcare practice.
Ensures that the planning and organisation of a quality educational provision is carried out to meet the Birth to Three Matters framework and the Foundation Stage Curriculum.
To develop and implement initiatives that support children ensuring their individual needs are met within the group setting.
Working in partnership with your team, delivers the care standards and educational programme on an on-going basis, taking into account any equality and diversity requirements.
Monitors and evaluates the effectiveness of the curriculum provided and identifies areas for development.
Ensures that individual records of all children’s educational developmental progress are kept, based on day to day observations.
5. Record keeping and reports
Collects and maintains accurate statistical and personal records relating to staff, children and families at the nursery, providing regular reports to the Directors and other relevant parties.
Ensures safe storage and appropriate access for all information, to guarantee compliance with data protection legislation.
6. Parental involvement: managing relationships and sharing information.
Builds strong parent/carer relationships through day to day liaison with parents, resolving any issues or complaints as they arise.
Encourages the involvement of parent/carers at all levels in the work of the nursery, including regular reviews of children’s progress.
Delivers childcare in a way that meets parents’ needs and work in partnership with them providing high levels of customer care at all times.
7. Liaison with outside agencies and other parties.
Together with the managing director, develops links and a close working relationship with Richmond and Hounslow Council’s Early Years Team to ensure that the nursery receives all information and support available.
Develops ‘learning partnerships’ with other industry leading nurseries and childcare organisations, to ensure that provision of care is as high quality and innovative as possible.
Together with Operational Director, maintains a strong, positive relationship with OFSTED.
Develops a good collaborative relationship with schools in the local area, plus other providers and members of the local community.
Maintains strong positive relationships with the nursery’s Neighbours, quickly resolving any difficulties that arise or escalating to the Operational Director as required.
8. General
Attends and contributes regular operational and strategy meetings with the nursery’s directors.
Undertakes any other duties within the scope of the post as required.
Maintains a flexible approach to the work of the nursery in response to the needs of children, families and staff.
9. Equality Opportunities
Carry out all responsibilities and duties of the post with due regard to the companies Equal Opportunities policy.
Qualifications, experience and personal qualities required:
Ideally NVQ level 4 or equivalent, otherwise NNEB, CACHE level 3, NVQ level 3, or equivalent.
Good level of applied literacy and numeracy.
A minimum of two years working in a management capacity in a group day care setting for children aged 0-5 years.
Knowledge of OFSTED standards and experience of inspections.
Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal.
Knowledge of health and safety legislation.
Achievement orientated with an ability to use own initiative.
Well-organised and works autonomously with minimal close supervision.
Strong people management skills with the ability to lead and motivate a team.
Thorough with strong attention to detail and a commitment to excellence.
Proactive and innovative approach to challenges and ideas, plus strong problem solving capabilities.
Flexible and receptive to change
Resilience, i.e. Maturity, ability to cope with pressure and difficult people.
Ability to influence and negotiate, not just be an 'order taker'
Hungry to learn – commitment to the job, business and to quality early years care and education.
Ability to balance and reconcile different interests and respond sensitively to varying needs.
Self-confident with strong interpersonal skills.
Willing to acquire new skills and undertake further training when required.
What you will receive In return

25 Days annual leave
Annual pay increase with performance
Annual performance bonus – (based upon review)
Continued Personal Development
Continuous support throughout any qualification undertaken.
Contribution towards any relevant qualifications applicable to the role.
A great environment to develop and thrive.
Flexible working
Subsidised childcare if required