Nursery Manager - Tufnell Park - North London

Les Petites Etoiles - Bilingual Montessori - Tufnell Park

Salary from £44,000/year

Full-time (38h/week)

Permanent contract

7 weeks paid holiday (1 extra day every company anniversary, up to 5)

Paid sick days, Christmas Bonus, Cycle to Work, Training & Development Program

Les Petites Etoiles Tufnell Park is part of a private bilingual nursery group that provides high-quality care and education for children aged 8 months to 4 years. Tufnell Park has an exceptional opportunity for a Nursery Manager to join the team. This role would be suitable for a Nursery Manager with at least one year of experience in the role, or a Deputy Manager with at least 3 years’ experience in an early years setting looking for a leading role. We pride ourselves on providing excellent teacher ratios and care for children in three age groups. We are passionate about offering a nurturing and stimulating environment for our young learners.

Our nursery works with the EYFS/Montessori blended curriculum in English and French, with the introduction of Mandarin, phonics and maths from the beginning. We benefit from large spaces indoor and outdoor, and excellent resources in a rich continuous provision and well-resourced Montessori environment. We also prioritise staff well-being by providing healthy, balanced meals and complimentary lunches. With 7 weeks of paid holiday, this is a remarkable chance to join a fantastic team and positively impact the lives of young children.

Required Qualifications Preferred:

• Level 5, Level 6 (BA Degree in Early Years), or EYTS/EYPS
• Minimum Level 3 in Childcare

Requirements:

• A positive individual who loves working in a team.
• Someone with good self-reflection and passion for best practice.
• Strong organisational and leadership skills.
• Experienced in team management.
• Experienced in partnership with parents.
• Excellent written and spoken English.
• Holding a clear DBS.

Job Specification:

Overall responsibility for the nursery, responsibility for Health & Safety & the EYFS welfare requirements, all staff, communication with parents, implementing and leading on policies & procedures. This role is supernumerary and does not involve working regularly directly with the children.

Parents as partners:

The parents of the children we are caring for are our customers. Many have questions, some need a lot of reassurance, and all are to be respected and listened to. A fantastic manager earns their trust. Childcare happens in partnership with the parents and is responsive to their needs and expectations.

• Showing potential new parents around the nursery and answering their questions.
• The manager has ultimate responsibility for talking to parents from when children first arrive/settle with us to when they leave.
• The manager deals with queries and solves problems for parents where appropriate.
• Preparing and sending newsletters, updates and guidance on various subjects.

The Leadership of the team:

A team needs a leader who will guide them and help them. As a manager, you will help the team deliver consistently outstanding childcare. A great manager helps bring out the best in people.

• To be a line manager and provide support and supervision to all other members of staff, junior staff and volunteers.
• Carrying out regular staff supervision and recording as appropriate, as well as conducting twice-yearly appraisals.
• To guide the nursery practitioners to follow best-practice within our blended approach and our policies and procedures.
• To check the planning and delivery of our curriculum, and help the team find time for weekly planning meetings and non-contact time.
• Recognising the strengths of each member of staff and supporting them with their areas for improvement.
• To ensure that our vision is met.

Excellent Organisation:

A nursery thrives on great organisation. The organisation of the manager makes all the difference. This ensures everything important is achieved on time, and in the correct way.

• The manager must ensure they have a reasonable knowledge and understanding of current relevant legislation in relation to childcare.
• To ensure the nursery, staff, policies & procedures comply with OFSTED & other statutory requirements.
• Ensuring our menus are followed, and that any nutritional, religious or dietary needs are met and allergies are carefully controlled.
• The planning and filing of relevant records including the keeping of children's personal details for emergency purposes, the keeping of an accident record file, attendance register, outings records file, medicine records file, and any other mandatory records including receiving and noting fees and invoices to parents.
• Updating the register and other spreadsheets to assist with bills to parents.
• Many other general administrative tasks range from paying cheques into the bank account, dealing with all telephone calls, ordering supplies & food, filing bills, maintenance of employees or student files, Health & Safety including risk-assessments, fire drills records, food temperature records, first aid box, and conducting the fire drill.
• Completing the standard monthly action plan, and also devising and following up new action plans as required.
• A key responsibility is ensuring the nursery operates at our target occupancy.
• Any other administrative duties, as required by the needs of the Nursery.

Ensuring safeguarding & welfare:

Nothing can be more important than keeping the children safe.

• Ensuring our safeguarding policy is followed: our policy is never to have only one member of staff alone with the children in a room/space – reminding everyone and making certain that there are always two people in the room with children at all times, and that no mobile phones are used at any time.
• Conduct (or supervise and delegate) daily risk assessments, as well as various other assessments at various intervals.
• Overseeing the planning and delivery of relevant records and developmental reports in relation to children's individual progress.
• Ensuring that regular half-yearly meetings are arranged with parents to deliver a written and verbal report by key persons/room leaders. Reports are to be signed and filed.

Required Skills:

• Leadership skills
• Thorough knowledge of the EYFS
• Relationship with staff
• Effective communication with parents
• Modelling best practice
• Good level of spoken and written English. This is an absolutely required skill.
• Competent IT skills (Word, simple Excel)

Required emotional characteristics:

• Confidence as a leader
• Great listening skills
• Stable and dependable
• Problem-solving & a positive can-do attitude
• Resilient (strong) yet also caring and great empathy
• Able to take constructive criticism
• Able to be self-reflective to improve constantly

Culture & Values:

Nearly all our staff recommend us to their friends (93%) “It’s a great team and well-organised nursery” “The positivity of the team and the support from management.” “The work philosophy is amazing and you can feel it in the setting. This nursery really appreciates their team, listens to them and prioritises their wellbeing.” “I feel trusted by the managing team, I can research and choose my own training, my team of colleagues is fantastic and everyone shows a lot of empathy.” “I love the workplace harmony – caring colleagues and management. Another point is professional growth – the management will push you to achieve your full potential” “Home away from home.”

Safeguarding:

Children and young people should never experience abuse of any kind. We have a responsibility to promote the welfare of all children and young people, to keep them safe and to practise in a way that protects them. All references will be thoroughly checked and we will apply for a DBS update service as well as request a DBS equivalent from any country the applicant was in prior to the UK and within the last 5 years.

Equal Opportunities:

We are an equal opportunity employer and consider all qualified applicants equally without regard to age, gender reassignment, being married or in a civil partnership, being pregnant or on maternity leave, disability, race including colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin, religion or belief, sex, or sexual orientation.