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- Tasks: Lead and inspire a passionate team in an award-winning nursery setting.
- Company: Join Little Barn Owls, a globally recognised nursery group in West Sussex.
- Benefits: Enjoy competitive pay, generous holiday, and amazing childcare discounts.
- Why this job: Make a real impact on children's lives while developing your career in early years education.
- Qualifications: Minimum two years' managerial experience in a similar setting required.
- Other info: Dynamic environment with opportunities for international training and professional growth.
The predicted salary is between 34000 - 45000 £ per year.
Our Award Winning Nursery Group based in West Sussex were recently crowned winners of the Nursery World Award for Enabling Environments 2024.
Little Barn Owls Nursery, Midhurst is a 50 place nursery comprising four age-grouped rooms for children aged 3 months to 5 years. We require someone with a minimum of two years' experience as a Manager of a similar-sized setting, with experience leading and inspiring a team to success.
As part of a team of Leaders, Pedagogical Coordinators, Atelieristas, and Educators, you'll need excellent organisational skills and a passion for delivering high standards to collaboratively strive for excellence. It's imperative that you uphold our high standards with Employees and Parents. Excellent working knowledge of Ofsted to ensure that relevant goals regarding Ofsted are achieved.
Other key attributes include:
- Critical and creative thinker who welcomes a challenge and thrives on problem-solving
- An inspirational leader with high impact, professionalism and credibility
- Robust and commercially astute – commercially and cost-conscious with the ability to ensure results are achieved through innovation that adds value and gives a return on investment
- Able to communicate effectively at all levels (parents, children, colleagues and senior management)
- Strong interpersonal, influencing and presentation skills
- Naturally proactive and keen to add value
- A minimum of Level 3 or ideally Degree qualified in Childcare and Education or working towards EYP status.
The role of the Nursery Manager:
The Nursery Manager is the welcoming face and the forefront of the nursery. You'll be responsible for organising a busy and innovative nursery for 50 children and 15 employees, collaboratively working with Leaders to ensure the smooth running of this Award Winning Reggio Emilia Inspired setting.
The central and most important part of this role is supporting staff on the ground to ensure excellent practice is carried out with children, putting into place the best and most up to date researched practices including behaviour management, personal care and hygiene, and child-led learning. The Manager will oversee and advise on the arrangement of activities and resources, as well as the development of project work and documentation within the nursery, aided by the Head of Children and Adult's Learning, the Pedagogical Coordinator and Managing Director through regular reflection meetings.
The Manager will show passion and enthusiasm for the Reggio Emilia Approach and support and train staff on the nursery floor, providing both inspiration, teachings of the approach and feedback to staff throughout the day to create a culture of continuous professional development. It is expected the Manager spend a good proportion of their time in practice with staff, to include side by side coaching, supporting planning meetings, training and building the educator's confidence with the Reggio approach and EYFS delivery.
Our nurseries are predominantly child-led and our curriculum is emergent, so you'll need to inspire your team to think on their feet and be in tune with children to extend their learning in the moment.
With the new Little Barn Owls Training Academy, all employees will enrol onto our in-house training and development programme, specially designed for Outstanding Early Years Educators. As part of your programme, you will complete 12 self-evidenced units, supported by a 1:1 mentor.
Important information:
Our nurseries operate 51 weeks per year, 7.30 am - 6 pm Monday-Friday. We are not currently able to offer school hours or term-time only positions. Our policy is to provide equal employment opportunities to all qualified persons without regard to race, creed, colour, religious belief, sex, age, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, physical or mental disability, or veteran status. We are committed to safeguarding our children and staff. You will be required to have an enhanced DBS check and suitable references.
Benefits of a Little Barn Owls Career:
- Industry leading salaries, reward and recognition programme.
- ALL EXPENSES PAID international CPD for qualified staff.
- 80% childcare discount
- Seasonal bonuses
- Our innovative and creative Reggio Emilia inspired, Forest and Farm School Nursery Group has been recognised for their approach to Early Years Education around the world.
- Nurturing confident, caring and curious children is our passion and our promise.
- We have four INCREDIBLE and unique nurseries. We employ professional artists in each nursery to work with children, enabling their enquiring minds to develop, in dedicated creative studios which are called Ateliers.
Our fantastic benefits package includes:
- Up to £1000 joiner's bonus (on successful completion of probation)
- Amazing all expenses paid international breaks to inspire our qualified Educators and Artists
- A huge reduction of 80% off childcare fees
- A Christmas shopping loyalty bonus
- Regular monetary reward and recognition schemes
- Wellbeing centre which includes employee contributed Healthcare Cash plan and access to Employee Assistance Programme.
- The option of buying and selling annual leave
- SmartSpending – discounts and money off over 800 retailers and suppliers
- Caring, supportive environment and culture
- Generous holiday entitlement of 33 days inclusive of bank holidays
- Long service rewards of £1000
- Working alongside professional expert consultants
- Team building fun days, meals out, and social events
- Career progression
Pay: Up to £45,000.00 per year.
Nursery Manager in Hampshire employer: Little Barn Owls Nursery & Farm School
Contact Detail:
Little Barn Owls Nursery & Farm School Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Nursery Manager in Hampshire
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to your connections in the early years sector, attend local events, and join relevant online groups. You never know who might have the inside scoop on job openings or can put in a good word for you.
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for interviews by researching the nursery's ethos and values. Familiarise yourself with the Reggio Emilia approach and think about how you can contribute to their innovative environment. Show them you're not just a fit, but the perfect fit!
✨Tip Number 3
Practice your interview skills with a friend or mentor. Get comfortable discussing your experience and how it aligns with the role of Nursery Manager. The more you rehearse, the more confident you'll feel when it’s showtime!
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets noticed. Plus, we love seeing candidates who are proactive and engaged with our brand.
We think you need these skills to ace Nursery Manager in Hampshire
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Your Passion: When writing your application, let your enthusiasm for early years education shine through! We want to see how your passion aligns with our Reggio Emilia approach and how you can inspire both children and staff.
Tailor Your Experience: Make sure to highlight your relevant managerial experience in similar settings. We’re looking for someone who can lead a team effectively, so share specific examples of how you've done this in the past!
Be Clear and Concise: Keep your application straightforward and to the point. We appreciate clarity, so avoid jargon and focus on what makes you the perfect fit for our nursery. Remember, less is often more!
Apply Through Our Website: Don’t forget to submit your application through our website! It’s the best way for us to receive your details and ensures you’re considered for this exciting opportunity at Little Barn Owls.
How to prepare for a job interview at Little Barn Owls Nursery & Farm School
✨Know Your Reggio Emilia Approach
Make sure you brush up on the Reggio Emilia philosophy before your interview. Be ready to discuss how you can implement this approach in your nursery and inspire your team. Show them that you’re not just familiar with it, but passionate about it!
✨Showcase Your Leadership Skills
Prepare examples of how you've successfully led a team in the past. Think about specific challenges you faced and how you inspired your colleagues to overcome them. This will demonstrate your ability to motivate and guide others, which is crucial for the Nursery Manager role.
✨Understand Ofsted Requirements
Familiarise yourself with Ofsted standards and how they apply to early years settings. Be prepared to discuss how you would ensure compliance and achieve high ratings. This shows that you take quality seriously and are committed to maintaining high standards.
✨Engage with the Interviewers
During the interview, don’t just answer questions—engage with your interviewers! Ask them about their experiences at Little Barn Owls and what they love about working there. This will help you build rapport and show that you’re genuinely interested in the nursery's culture.
