Nursery Manager

For further information or an informal visit, please contact Arlene Wills, Head of Employee Benefits on 01924 543040 or email arlene.wills@nhs.net or sarah.hinton7@nhs.net

About The Role

We are seeking an experienced and passionate Nursery Manager to lead the day-to-day operation of our nursery, ensuring the highest standards of care, safety, and early years education.

Working within NHS, Ofsted, and Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) frameworks, you will provide strong leadership to the nursery team, fostering a positive and supportive environment for children, families, and staff.

You will be responsible for managing and developing a dedicated team through recruitment, induction, performance management, and ongoing professional development. Building strong partnerships with parents and carers will be central to the role, promoting open communication and supporting each child's learning, wellbeing, and individual needs.

The successful candidate will oversee the safe and efficient running of the nursery, ensuring compliance with statutory requirements, managing operational issues, and taking responsibility for responding to and resolving concerns or complaints. This is an exciting opportunity for a motivated leader who is committed to delivering outstanding childcare and creating an inclusive, nurturing environment where children can thrive.

Main duties

Responsible for maintaining a high quality, stimulating learning environment, leading, and supporting staff. Acting as an expert by sharing their knowledge and skills to others. They are creative and reflective leaders able to implement new ideas and use a range of strategies to continually improve practice within the nursery.

To ensure the nursery environment and activities take into account children’s abilities, interests, language and cultural backgrounds and be sensitive to the children’s cultural capital and individual needs and promote equal opportunities and recognising diversity.

To lead the nursery team to maintain consistency and continually improve the Nursery curriculum and childcare practice whilst reflecting on the guidance document from the Department of Education Early Years Foundation Stage.

To act as the Designated Safeguarding Lead for the nursery, ensuring the safety and welfare of children is the paramount concern.

Responsible for managing and maintaining the service within the agreed self-funded budget.

Qualifications

Essential person specification requirements

• English and Maths GCSE Grade 4-9 or equivalent
• Level 3 in Childcare Qualification
• Paediatric First Aid
• Food Safety Certificate Level 2
• Designated Safeguarding Lead training
• Early Years Foundation Stage Degree or equivalent experience
• Evidence of continued professional development
• Management and leadership knowledge acquired through training and experience
  
  

Experience

• Significant post qualifying experience in a supervisory position with under 5’s in a nursery setting
• Experience of identifying and improving childcare practice
• Experience of investigating formal and informal complaints
• Experience of recruiting, managing and supervising staff
• Experience of change management and implementing service improvements
• Experience of managing multiple income streams and expenditure within a self-funded budget
• Experience of processing and supporting parents to access the Educational Funding
  
  

Knowledge and awareness

• Knowledge of the Ofsted’s Statutory Framework for Early Years, Special Educational Needs Code of Practice and the Early Years Foundation Stage Curriculum
• Knowledge of the Ofsted’s inspection requirements
• Knowledge of developing and implementing early years curriculum within a nursery setting
• Knowledge of safeguarding processes and procedures, prevent duty and capital culture
• Awareness of own limitations.
• Knowledge of childhood illnesses, health & safety regulations relating to a childcare environment, and to carry out risk assessments and use the outcomes accordingly.
• Knowledge and understanding of need to maintain confidentiality.
  
  

Be part of MY team

We are an acute trust caring for over one million people in Wakefield and Kirklees. Our 10,000 staff work in patients’ homes, the community, and our three hospitals in Pontefract, Dewsbury, and Pinderfields (Wakefield). We prioritise our people and values so we can deliver the best possible care to patients. Our team is friendly, passionate, and innovative, always seeking better ways to work.

We support work-life balance and foster a diverse, inclusive environment where everyone belongs. Our staff networks offer safe spaces to share ideas and concerns so we can increase awareness and appreciation of equality, diversity, and inclusion. We welcome applicants from all backgrounds and especially encourage members of the LGBTQ+ community, ethnic minority groups, and people with disabilities or neurodivergence to apply, as they are currently underrepresented in the Trust.

If you value caring, high standards, improvement, and respect, join the MY team to make a difference every day.

Application Guidance

We understand that more applicants are using artificial intelligence (AI) technology to help with their applications. While these tools can be useful, they cannot fully capture your skills, knowledge, and experience. It’s important that you personalise your application. Relying solely on AI is not recommended, as it may reduce your chances of success. Our screening process is thorough, so if you have used AI, please make sure to disclose this on your application form.

Application Tips

If you need help with your application, take a look at the tips on our .

Our Benefits

• Access to the NHS pension plan
• Generous holiday allowance of 27 days plus bank holidays, increasing with 5 and 10 years of service
• Exceptional employee health and wellbeing services
• Extensive benefits and support, including:
• Onsite nurseries and childcare salary sacrifice scheme
• Home electronics scheme
• Cycle to work scheme - subject to eligibility criteria
• Car lease salary sacrifice scheme - subject to eligibility criteria
• Working carers support and advice, carers network and carers passport
• Flexible working options and family and carer-friendly policies
• Established staff networks, including LGBTQ+ and Race Equality
• Career progression, training and support
  
  

Skilled worker sponsorship

You can find out more about skilled worker and health and care visas on our .