Deputy Nursery Manager in Christchurch

Stepping Stones of Sopley are seeking a caring, enthusiastic, and experienced Deputy Nursery Manager to support the Nursery Manager and to lead our dedicated team caring for children aged 9 months to 4 years. You’ll create a warm, nurturing, and stimulating environment where our youngest children can develop and thrive.

As Deputy Nursery Manager, you’ll plan engaging, age-appropriate activities, support your team’s practice, and build strong relationships with families to ensure every child feels safe, secure, and valued. If you’re a positive, professional leader with a genuine love for children and early learning, we’d love to hear from you!

• To effectively deliver the EYFS ensuring that the individual needs and interest of children in the setting are met (in conjunction with other team members).
• To manage an allocated room, leading the team and being a key worker - ensuring all staff fulfil their duties and that all observing, recording, assessing of progress and planning of next steps is kept up to date.
• Ensure planning is completed, relevant to your children and inclusive. Work with staff, parents and children in completing the planning. Evaluate planning, highlighting positive experiences and weaknesses. Give ideas of how things can be improved or extended.
• To ensure the team develop and maintain strong partnerships and communication with parents/carers to facilitate day-to-day caring and early learning needs as well as educating parents on how they may best support their child’s learning.
• To ensure the provision of a high-quality learning environment within your section, to meet the needs of individual children having an awareness of any SEND, family cultures and medical histories.
• To advise manager/deputy of any concerns, e.g. over children, parents, the safety of the environment, preserving confidentiality as necessary.
• Support all staff and engage in a good staff team, giving particular help and advice to those who are new or unqualified.
• You have a responsibility to ensure they are capable of reaching Stepping Stones standards to children in your area who are working above or below their recommended areas and ensure you work with the key worker to ensure these children reach their potential.
• To be involved in out of working hours activities, e.g. training, parents and staff meetings and to organise regular meetings within your group, details of which should be recorded.
• To ensure good standards of safety, hygiene and cleanliness are maintained at all times and to ensure all staff implement Health & Safety procedures in accordance with Little School policies and procedures. Have a keen regard to the risk assessments.
• Ensure that staff undertake duties where needed, such as domestic tasks, preparation of snack meals, cleansing of equipment, etc.
• To work alongside the manager and staff team to ensure that the setting’s philosophy is fulfilled and to follow all routines, duties, timetables, record keeping and any reasonable duties requested by the manager.
• To read, understand and adhere to all policies and procedures relevant to your role and the safe running of the setting.
• To develop your role within the team, accessing new training and ensuring you are up to date with current legislation and policies.
• To ensure complete confidentiality of any information regarding the children, their families or other staff that is acquired as part of the job.
• To be aware of the high profile of the setting and to uphold its standards at all times, both in work hours and outside.
• To support nursery assistants, students and volunteers and ensure training where required.
• To ensure mealtimes are a pleasant and social occasion and have regard for legislation regarding allergies and food hygiene.
• To ensure that when a child is ill their care will be prioritised.
• To be aware and act on all matters of safeguarding immediately and ensure your staff are fully trained and checked before you leave them alone in your area.
• To ensure accident and incidents are reported immediately and that forms are signed by parents on the day.
• Ensure the staff in your section know the fire procedures and that visiting staff are told this on arrival.
• To ensure all staff are treated equal and that everyone is given respect, support and courtesy in their role.
• Be responsible for participating in all staff development including allocating time for peer on peer observations, supervisions and appraisals.
• Ensure your staff are effective at transition time ensuring there is little ‘dead time’.

If you have the following we would love to hear from you:

• A minimum Level 3 qualification in Early Years or equivalent
• At least 1 year of experience in a managerial or supervisory role within a nursery setting
• A strong understanding of child development and the EYFS framework
• A positive, proactive approach to problem-solving and team support

Stepping Stones of Sopley is committed to equality, diversity, and inclusion. We welcome applications from all sections of the community.