Nursery Manager in Whitstable

Join Our Team as a Nursery Manager! Are you ready to lead, inspire, and make a lasting impact on children’s lives? At Whitstable, we’re seeking a passionate Nursery Manager to guide our team and deliver exceptional care and education. This is your opportunity to lead with pride, foster a nurturing environment, and create brighter futures for children, families, and your team.

To be considered for this role, you must hold a Level 3 Early Years qualification or above. The ideal candidate will have proven experience in an Early Years leadership role, ideally as a Nursery Manager, Deputy Manager, Assistant Manager, or in a comparable position. Please note: we are unable to offer sponsorship for this role.

Why You’ll Love Working With Us

• Childcare Perks: Free childcare for the first month and 52% discount (based on working hours) to support your family.
• Discretionary Annual Bonus: An additional performance-based reward, given at the company’s discretion, to recognise great work and team contribution.
• Holiday and Celebrations: 33 days of holiday (inclusive of national bank holidays and the Christmas closure week), plus your birthday off!
• Self‑Space Mental Health Workshops: Short, practical sessions that help managers identify mental health concerns and confidently support their teams.
• Career Development: Access to The National College full of training and courses.
• Exclusive Discounts & Wellbeing Support: Enjoy Perkbox discounts and wellbeing tools.
• Recognition & Rewards: Refer a friend or family for exciting bonuses and celebrate milestones with long-service awards.
• Volunteer Day: 1 paid day off per year to volunteer and give back to the community.

Pay: £17.70 per hour, based on experience.

Working Hours: Monday to Friday - 40 hours per week.

Location: Choochoos Day Nursery Whitstable, Whitstable Railway Station, Railway Avenue, Whitstable, Kent, CT5 1QS

What being a Nursery Manager involves

• Lead, manage, and inspire your nursery team to deliver high-quality care and education with pride and energy.
• Create a nurturing and stimulating environment that supports children’s all-round development and meets individual needs.
• Build positive relationships with families, colleagues, and external agencies to ensure the best outcomes for children.
• Oversee nursery operations, including staff schedules, budgets, health and safety, and compliance with regulatory requirements.
• Act as a mentor, fostering a culture of continuous improvement and supporting the professional development of your team.
• Promote the ethos and values of The Old Station Nursery, ensuring they are deeply embedded in daily practice.
• Take responsibility for maintaining high standards of cleanliness, hygiene, and safety across the nursery.
• Confidently lead inspections and maintain accurate records to ensure compliance with the EYFS framework and Ofsted standards.

What You’ll Bring to the Role

• Proven experience in managing and inspiring teams within a childcare setting.
• Comprehensive knowledge of the EYFS framework and best practices in early years education.
• Strong leadership skills, with the ability to mentor, motivate, and drive a team towards excellence.
• Excellent communication and organisational skills to build positive partnerships with families and staff.
• A proactive, solutions-focused mindset with a passion for creating brighter futures for children.

About our Nursery

Located in the lovely seaside town of Whitstable, our nursery was formerly the Whitstable Railway Station. Our three open plan ground floor rooms are full of engaging resources, all designed to create a home-from-home nursery environment. We love to explore the local area with the children and will go on frequent outings; making the most of our seaside location with walks to the beach as well as the harbour, library and park. Our friendly, positive team enjoy staff days out and employee appreciation too!

Please note we also have free on-site parking and we are located next to the train station and bus stop. We look forward to hearing from you!

The Old Station Nursery is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, and we expect all applicants to share this commitment. All roles are subject to enhanced DBS checks, satisfactory references, and verification of your right to work in the UK and any essential qualifications. If successful, our recruitment and compliance team will guide you through every step of the onboarding process. We are an inclusive employer and welcome applications from all backgrounds. Reasonable adjustments will be considered to ensure fairness and accessibility for all candidates.