Nursery Manager in Wakefield

Option to work a four day week or part/time/job share.

This role is 40 hours per week - which can be done in four long days or five days shorter days. We are also open to a job share arrangement and welcome applicants looking for part-time hours to apply on that basis.

Our Nursery Manager plays a vital role in ensuring that everyone in the nursery team is delivering high quality, safe and meaningful care to every child that we work with.

We are a small nursery which can welcome up to 18 children. Supported by a nursery administrator, as well as the childcare team and room leaders, you will monitor every aspect of the nursery to ensure that we are meeting all regulatory, compliance, Ofsted and safeguarding requirements.

By embedding forward thinking processes your team will make sure that we build and maintain a relationship for childcare excellence within the communities that we serve.

The purpose of this role it to:

• Leading, and support the team to deliver excellent care and learning.
• Ensure compliance with all regulatory and statutory frameworks, including Ofsted requirements and the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS).
• Maintain accurate records including safeguarding, health and safety, risk assessments, and daily operational procedures
• Build strong relationships with parents and carers, ensuring effective communication, trust and a spirit of partnership.
• Promote a culture of inclusion, safety, and wellbeing for children and employees.
• Work as a safeguarding \"designated officer\" alongside the Designated Safeguarding Lead to ensure that the protection of children is the priority at all times.

Core responsibilities

• Managing the nursery team to ensure a safe, welcoming and engaging environment for both the team and the children that we work with.
• Ensuring that the nursery team has all the required training and development in place; providing regular refresher training where necessary.
• Manage occupancy and ratios effectively.
• Ensure that all aspects of the nursery are compliant with all regulatory requirements (for example Ofsted, safeguarding, health and safety, food hygiene and EYFS).
• Plan and deliver the curriculum ensuring that all activities support the children’s learning and development and are aligned with the EYFS requirements.
• Develop strong relationships with the parents/guardians through regular communication and engagement.
• Maintain accurate records for the children including observations, assessments and any necessary safeguarding, risk assessment or H&S documentation.
• Ensure that resources, materials and equipment needed are kept stocked up and ordering supplies as needed to ensure that the setting has everything it needs at all times.
• Collaborate with HR to manage the recruitment, onboarding, performance management and the learning and development processes within your team.
• Undertaking regular training in regard to Safeguarding and acting as a Designated Officer.
• Carry out regular checks and audits; making improvements and reports as needed, to maintain a high standard of care and development for the children we work with.
• Provide customer support by answering phone or email enquiries from current or potential customers within 48 hours of receipt.
• Setting the rotas for the nursery team, ensuring that holidays and sickness are accounted for and that the correct ratios are maintained.
• Conduct viewings for new parents and devise initiatives to attract more families to the nursery.

Leadership and management

For Leadership and management roles -

• Demonstrate a supportive and conscientious approach to management
• Escalate issues to HR as needed
• Report any safeguarding queries immediately in line with our procedures
• Be an excellent role model for our values
• Be a positive ambassador for The Working Mums Club.

Person Specification

• A passion for high quality childcare in a forward thinking setting.
• Experience of managing busy nursery settings.
• Level 3 or above in Early Years Education and Childcare
• Montessori qualification or proven experience using the practice
• Experience managing and leading a high performing nursery team.
• In-depth knowledge of EYFS, Ofsted requirements, child protection, safeguarding and safe recruitment procedures and food hygiene.
• Able to provide excellent customer service to the parents/guardians that we work with.
• Ability to \"sell\" the nursery to new parents and conduct viewings in an engaging and professional manner.

About The Working Mums Club

We don’t believe that women’s careers should be put on hold just because childcare is out of reach. That’s why we’re creating a better way, with flexible childcare and coworking spaces that work around you - not the other way around.

Our mission

Starting in Deptford, we\'re creating spaces on every high street in the UK where mums can thrive personally and professionally, while staying on top of family life. We offer high quality childcare, workspaces mums want to spend time in, and the grown-up conversations they crave - all under one roof. Our vibrant community programme brings families together to create a village of support from one mother to another, close to home.

Working within a childcare environment

As a childcare provider, we all have a duty of care to ensure that every child and family that we work with are safe, respected and proactively protected from harm.

Everyone we work with will need to undertake safeguarding and H&S training and this will be refreshed on a regular basis. You are expected to complete and pass this efficiently in line with any management requests.

In addition everyone must read and understand all our safeguarding and health & safety policies and remain up to date as these are reviewed and refreshed.

Recruitment of Ex-Offenders

We are committed to providing equal opportunities, and having a criminal record will not necessarily prevent you from being employed with us. Each case will be considered on its merits, taking into account the nature of the offence, its relevance to the role, and the circumstances surrounding it.