Nursery Manager in Reading

Full-time, permanent position. Reports to Owner & Director (board level only). Manages Deputy Manager, Business & Operations Coordinator, and all Practitioners. Registered places for 116 children aged 0 to 5. Hours: Full-time, 40 hours per week, Monday to Friday. Flexibility required for Ofsted, events, and quarterly board meetings.

Contract: Permanent, subject to a 6-month probationary period, enhanced DBS clearance with barred list check, and Ofsted suitability checks. Start date: As soon as possible. A structured 4 to 6 week handover with the outgoing manager is built into the process.

Role purpose: The Nursery Manager is the operational and professional heart of Dickory Docks. You will lead every aspect of the nursery's day-to-day operation: the quality of care and education delivered to children, the development and wellbeing of your team, compliance with Ofsted and EYFS requirements, and the nursery's relationship with families. You will be the Registered Manager named on the Ofsted registration, carrying professional responsibility for the setting. The owner operates at board level only; you run the nursery, and you will be given the autonomy that goes with that. This is the single most important appointment in the nursery's new chapter. We are looking for an exceptional leader, not merely a competent manager.

Key responsibilities:

• Lead, manage, and inspire the full nursery team, creating a culture of high standards, genuine warmth, and continuous improvement.
• Hold the Registered Manager role with Ofsted, maintaining full compliance with the EYFS statutory framework and all Ofsted requirements at all times.
• Lead safeguarding and child protection across the nursery, acting as or directly overseeing the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL).
• Manage allegations against staff, including liaison with the Local Authority Designated Officer, and record and act on low-level concerns.
• Implement the current EYFS safeguarding requirements in full, including safer eating and choking prevention, safer sleep, intimate care, and the use of mobile phones, cameras, and smart devices in the setting.
• Maintain a compliant and current Single Central Record covering DBS status, qualifications, references, right to work, and disqualification declarations.
• Make all statutory notifications to Ofsted within the required timescales, including serious incidents and changes to registered people.
• Oversee the quality of educational provision in all rooms: curriculum, planning, observation, assessment, and progress tracking for every child, including the statutory progress check at age two.
• Lead inspection readiness against Ofsted's current framework, which produces a report card grading seven evaluation areas on a five-point scale, with safeguarding reported separately as met or not met.
• Build everyday evidence rather than inspection-week evidence, and ensure every practitioner can talk confidently to an inspector about their own practice.
• Lead on inclusion as a distinct area of accountability, ensuring children with SEND, children with EAL, and disadvantaged children are fully included and making progress.
• Ensure the setting has an effective SENCO in post, either holding the role yourself or appointing and supervising it, and lead the graduated approach and any EHC needs assessment requests.
• Maintain an honest, live self-evaluation and a costed, time-bound improvement plan, reviewed at every board meeting.
• Build and maintain strong, trusting relationships with parents and carers, handling concerns professionally and ensuring communication is consistently excellent.
• Own the complaints procedure, resolving concerns early and keeping the required record of complaints and outcomes.
• Manage staffing in full: rotas, cover, performance management, appraisals, and recruitment, following safer recruitment practice at every stage and working in partnership with the owner and external HR support.
• Hold regular one-to-one supervision meetings for every member of staff, as required by the EYFS, and keep a record of them.
• Deploy staff efficiently to maintain statutory ratios and qualification requirements at all times, including during absence, holidays, and peak periods.
• Own staff retention. Turnover is a reported KPI and a leading indicator of quality.
• Maintain all required documentation: Ofsted registration, risk assessments, staff records, children's files, EYFS assessments, safeguarding records, and self-evaluation evidence.
• Manage health and safety across the premises, including risk assessments, fire safety and evacuation, food safety and allergen management, medication, and accident reporting.
• Ensure GDPR compliance in the handling of children's, families', and staff records.
• Maintain the policy and procedure library, with tracked review dates.
• Work closely with the Business & Operations Coordinator to ensure smooth administration, accurate invoicing, funded entitlement claims to Reading Borough Council, and timely financial reporting to the board.
• Drive and sustain occupancy against an agreed target, conducting show-rounds personally and ensuring every enquiry is followed up promptly.
• Manage the nursery budget and the staff cost ratio, understanding that staffing is largely non-discretionary and that occupancy is the single biggest lever on viability.
• Ensure the nursery management software is used properly and consistently for registers, observations, invoicing, and parent communication.
• Produce a monthly management report for the board covering occupancy, quality, staffing, compliance, and financial performance, and present at board meetings.
• Contribute to the nursery's growth strategy, supporting marketing, building local employer and community partnerships, and working with the owner on occupancy and capacity targets.
• Champion the nursery's values: ethical practice, inclusivity, sustainability, and the genuine wellbeing of every child, family, and team member.

Essential requirements:

• Full and relevant Level 3 qualification in Early Years (or equivalent).
• Minimum three years' experience in an early years setting, including at least two years at management or deputy management level.
• Demonstrable knowledge of the EYFS framework, safeguarding legislation, and Ofsted's current inspection framework and early years toolkit.
• Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) training at Level 3, or commitment to complete training immediately upon appointment.
• Paediatric First Aid certificate (current, or commitment to train immediately).
• Enhanced DBS clearance with barred list check, and not disqualified from working in early years provision.
• Proven ability to lead, develop, and motivate a team, with evidence of improving outcomes for children and staff alike.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Genuine passion for high-quality early years education and a consistently child-centred approach.
• Sound understanding of safer recruitment practices.
• Right to work in the UK.

Desirable:

• Level 5 or 6 qualification in Early Years Leadership and Management.
• Experience of leading a setting through an Ofsted inspection, including under the report card framework.
• Experience of leading a setting through a change of ownership, mobilisation, or turnaround.
• SENCO qualification, or experience of leading SEND provision and EHC plans.
• Experience implementing a nursery management system (Famly, Tapestry, or similar).
• Knowledge of funded childcare entitlement and local authority funding administration.
• Experience of budget planning or financial reporting in a nursery or educational setting.
• Level 3 Food Safety Supervision (Catering) and a Level 3 health and safety qualification (or IOSH Managing Safely).

Our values:

• An uncompromising commitment to children's safety, wellbeing, and development above all else.
• Warmth, patience, and the natural ability to build trusting relationships with children, families, and colleagues.
• Professionalism and reliability. We do what we say we will do, every time.
• A growth mindset. We invest in our team's development and expect the same commitment in return.
• Alignment with our ethical values: B Corp principles, the Real Living Wage, sustainability, and genuine community care.
• A positive, solution-focused attitude. We are building something exceptional together.

What we offer:

• Salary as above, plus a bonus scheme linked to occupancy and quality outcomes.
• 28 days' annual leave including bank holidays, increasing with length of service.
• Company pension scheme.
• Substantial childcare discount.
• Funded professional development, including support towards a Level 5 or degree-level qualification.
• Uniform provided.
• Real autonomy. The owner governs; you manage.

Additional information: The Nursery Manager is the appointed manager named on the Ofsted registration. A change of manager must be notified to Ofsted and a new EY2 submitted. The successful candidate will be supported through this process.