Deputy Nursery Manager in Uxbridge

St Helen's College is seeking an experienced and dedicated Deputy Nursery Manager to start as soon as possible. This role is integral in ensuring our nursery provides a nurturing, high-quality, and safe environment that promotes growth and learning for young children. As the Deputy Nursery Manager, you will be responsible for leading our nursery provision in the absence of the Nursery Manager, ensuring that it is of the highest quality and that it is delivered in accordance with The Early Years Foundation Stage Framework and ISI/OFSTED requirements as set out in the Independent School Standards.

This role must deliver a safe, stimulating and caring child-centred environment catering for the children's educational and developmental needs. The successful candidate will demonstrate a strong knowledge of child development, high professional standards, and a proven ability to foster positive relationships with children, parents, and colleagues.

Essential qualifications include a nationally recognised NVQ level 3 in Childcare, and at least 2 years' experience of working in an early year setting. Experience of working effectively with staff and management at all levels.

Reporting to our Head of Pre-Prep, you will be supported in creating a safe, engaging environment both indoors and outdoors and will take a proactive role in safeguarding and child welfare, maintaining health and safety standards, administering basic first aid, and ensuring our nursery adheres to all EYFS regulations.

Join our team and make a difference in the lives of young learners at St Helen's College. For further details please read our job description and full person specification. Interviews are scheduled to take place week commencing 23rd March 2026. St. Helen's College is committed to safeguarding pupils, and an Enhanced DBS check will take place prior to appointment. Online searches will be conducted on shortlisted candidates as part of our pre-recruitment checks.

Purpose of role: The Deputy Nursery Manager is responsible for leading nursery provision at St Helen's College in the absence of the Nursery Manager, ensuring that it is of the highest quality and that it is delivered in accordance with The Early Years Foundation Stage Framework and ISI/ OFSTED requirements as set out in the Independent School Standards. The role must deliver a safe, stimulating and caring child-centred environment catering for the children's educational and developmental needs.

What do you have to achieve?

• High standards of care and education, reflecting the St Helen's College values.
• Compliance with regulatory requirements.
• Staff who feel supported and developed in their roles.
• Positive and effective relationships with families.

Hours of work: 40 hours per week - All Year Round (shifts between 7:30a.m. and 6:30p.m.)

Salary: £28k - £32k

Duties and Responsibilities:

• To assist in leading a team to create and deliver a vision for a nurturing, calm and creative nursery setting with both outdoor and indoor play to foster curiosity, independence and confidence.
• To ensure that children are kept safe, and that staff understand, and, when necessary, follow Safeguarding Procedures in accordance with the school's policy, Keeping Children Safe in Education and Working Together to Safeguard Children, and other relevant statutory documentation.
• To support the Nursery Manager to implement and monitor the curriculum in accordance with the EYFS Framework and ensure that all children attending the Nursery receive rich and stimulating experiences appropriate to their age and stage of development.
• To assist in evaluating and improving teaching approaches and methodologies to ensure that all children make excellent progress.
• To ensure that regular assessment and progress checks are carried out in relation to all children and that progress is regularly monitored to ensure that individual learning needs are met.
• To promote and facilitate positive partnerships with parents/carers and other family members and ensure that systems and structures are in plans for sharing information related to their child's learning journey.
• To support the development of outstanding and improving practice with regards to SEND and inclusion, and to ensure that teaching is adapted to cater for children's individual needs.
• To establish, develop and maintain professional working relationships with relevant Local Authority Departments, regulatory bodies and other agencies, and ensure that provision in the Nursery meets the requirements of the local LA in relation to nursery education grant funding.
• To assist in ensuring that there is a broad range of co-curricular activities to enrich learning.
• To create and maintain a culture of high expectations, self-evaluation, reflective practice and continuous improvement throughout the Nursery.
• To take part in whole school activities and share the same culture in preparation for a smooth transition to school.

Safeguarding: To ensure that arrangements are in place to safeguard and promote the welfare of all pupils in the Nursery. To take on the role as one of the Deputy Designated Safeguarding Leads and work as part of the whole school safeguarding team to ensure that there is a strong culture of safeguarding within the school and that all policies and practices are properly implemented.

Health and Safety: To support the Nursery Manager in managing the day-to-day operation of the Nursery to ensure regulatory compliance with regard to the health and safety of the children, their parents and carers, the team and any visitors to the Nursery. To ensure that children are appropriately supervised at all times, including having regard to the regulatory adult/child ratio requirements. To adhere to all health and safety policies and procedures in relation to the physical environment, fire procedures, first aid and the assessment of risk. To be responsible for ensuring the Nursery remains compliant in respect of suitably trained staff with relevant paediatric first aid qualification. To be responsible for ensuring that all staff receive Health and Safety training during induction and as required.

Finance/Administration: To assist in the management of occupancy, staff/pupil ratios and timetables. To maintain accurate session and staffing records and liaise with the school Finance team/Group central finance team in this regard. To coordinate resource requests for the Nursery. To understand and utilise management systems and information to maximise efficiency. To facilitate inspections by regulatory bodies and implement any recommendations. To ensure accurate reporting in respect of session numbers, quality and standards.

Staff: To develop open and positive working relationships with staff. To induct, support, train and appraise all Nursery staff to ensure delivery of outstanding quality childcare practice and continuous improvement. To develop a well-qualified and experienced team able to meet and exceed all relevant standards. To carry out regular supervisions of the nursery staff along with the Nursery Manager. To identify training needs; develop training plans and evaluate and cascade training undertaken by staff. To work in conjunction with Headteacher in disciplinary and grievance investigations and hearings.

Marketing and Recruitment: To work closely with the Admissions Team and Group Director of Marketing to promote the Nursery to current and prospective families. To ensure that all staff develop and maintain friendly and professional relationships with parents and carers, leading liaison and managing all aspects of communication. To proactively represent St Helen's College and advance its interests in the local community. To be responsible for ensuring that all complaints and concerns are actively resolved in a timely manner and that these are reported to the Head of Pre-Prep and/or Headteacher. To organise and lead parents' evenings, daily contact, home-school liaison and 'welcome' meetings. To attend all school open days and events.

General: To be responsible for all administrative duties associated with the Nursery, such as maintaining children's records, ordering equipment, maintaining inventories and keeping all regulatory records. To adhere to all school policies and procedures. To undertake any duties as reasonably requested by line management.

The duties and responsibilities in this job description are not exhaustive or restrictive, changes and other duties relevant to this post may be added. This job description may be reviewed in the future to reflect school development plan priorities.