41640838
Reports to: Group Manager
The Nursery Manager will be expected to:
• Provide high quality, flexible childcare for families from the local communities.
• Oversee the operation of the Parklands Day Nursery to the highest standards, ensuring that the best possible environment and care are provided for young children.
Main Responsibilities are to:
• Promote the inclusion and acceptance of all children.
• Be responsible for and oversee the day to day management, staffing, organisation and smooth running of the nursery.
• Develop the ethos for under fives and create a welcoming and family friendly environment.
• Be a member of the nursery senior management team and contribute to the strategic planning, monitoring, evaluation and development of the nursery.
• Be responsible at all times for high standards of care and education of children between 0 to five years in accordance with statutory requirements.
• Ensure effective communication between the nursery staff and with all partner organisations.
• Maintain effective internal communication and a system of monthly staff professional supervision which continually monitors the impact of training, support and new initiatives.
• Order and maintain equipment and resources in the nursery.
• Be accountable and responsible for day to day financial systems directly relating to nursery provision.
• Be responsible for admissions in line with the Admissions Policy agreed by the Parklands Executive Management team.
• Keep a register and up to date records of all children using the nursery and to give regular feedback to parents about their child’s development and progress.
• Be responsible for organising training and monitoring students in the nursery.
Supervision / Management of People
The postholder will be responsible for the management, supervision and appraisal of the following staff:
Qualified teacher jointly with the Group Manager
Supervisors
Nursery Assistants
Level 2 and 3 workers
Unqualified / Level 1 and 2 workers
Students
Volunteers
The Nursery Manager will identify staff training needs and facilitate training opportunities.
From time to time there may be a requirement to manage the work of staff who are appointed for supply work or to provide supervision for students on placement.
The Nursery Manager is mainly office / nursery based, but will be expected to attend meetings and training in other places.
Creativity and Innovation
• The Nursery Manager will have a key role in planning and monitoring of the nursery and implementing essential policies and procedures. This will require creative thought together with an informed understanding of statutory requirements and best practice for childcare.
• The Nursery Manager must work to Nursery Policies including Safeguarding, Equal Opportunities, Data Protection and Confidentiality.
• The Nursery Manager will need to understand and implement Policies and Procedures (for example Health and Safety) in relation to staff, buildings and resources.
Contacts and Relationships
Working relationships will include the following:
Internal
• Group Manager
• Parklands support staff such as Health and Safety, Training, Human Resources, administration, bookkeepers, IT
• All staff employed by the nursery
• Children
Coordinating and chairing staff meetings when necessary including setting agendas and taking minutes.
External
• Ofsted
• Early Years Team of Knowsley Council
• Parents and families
• Community
• Staff from a wide range of other agencies and settings, including the Social Services, Education and schools, Primary Care Trust, NHS Trust, Surestart and a range of voluntary / private sector organisations and Day Care providers.
The Nursery Manager will be expected to build good working relationships at every level. Working in partnership with parents and families is highly valued and the Nursery Manager must be approachable, friendly and able to communicate clearly and effectively. At all times the Nursery Manager will be expected to respect the confidentiality of sensitive family information (subject to child protection policies and procedures). The postholder will be a keyholder for the Centre.
Decisions
a) Discretion
• The Nursery Manager will work closely with Parklands Group Manager and other members of the senior management team and support staff based at Parklands Business Centre. Information and guidance will be readily available, however, the Nursery Manager will be expected to work autonomously in relation to the day to day management of nursery. The role requires the confidence to make day to day decisions thoughtfully and with a high degree of sensitivity to the needs of children and families.
• The Nursery Manager will be expected to make recommendations and proposals about service developments and changes, but not to make sole decisions about substantive changes to the Nursery. The Senior Management Team (SMT) and the Executive Management Team (EMT) will be the main decision making bodies.
• Decisions made by the Nursery Manager will directly impact on the day to day quality, availability and flexibility nursery provision for children and families.
• The Nursery Manager will exercise discretion about which families may receive a service (in line with the Admissions Policy), and will be expected to interpret Policies and Procedures thoughtfully, consistently and tactfully.
Curriculum support
• Working with the EYPS and the QTS provide support to staff in all areas of the EY curriculum to actively improve standards and outcomes.
• Implement agreed learning activities and support to give every child a chance to succeed, taking especial care to make the curriculum accessible to those with special needs by organising specialist services as appropriate.
• Act as the nursery’s SENCO to offer best possible opportunities for children with special needs.
• Ensure there is support to use ICT in learning activities.
Performance management
• Assess the needs of children and use their detailed knowledge and specialist skills/training/experience to support their learning.
• Evidence the outcomes achieved against Ofsted requirements and other regulatory body standards.
• Maintain evidence based for ongoing review of the nursery self assessment.
• Make sure there are effective systems in place to monitor the learning of children and chart their progress against the national framework and present routine management information to the management team about progress and support to enable children to achieve.
• With SMT and EMT deliver, monitor, update and develop the nursery action plan.
• Develop, manage and monitor quality systems.
Resources
• The Nursery Manager will have day to day responsibility for the planning of nursery provision and for the use of other resources. Also for ensuring that the nursery is clean, safe and welcoming for families and staff.
Person Specification
Knowledge and Skills
• Knowledge, understanding and practical experience of Day Care for young children.
• Knowledge and practical understanding of child development and parenting.
• Knowledge and understanding of legislation and regulations relating to day care for young children and the inspections process for approval of day care settings.
• Knowledge and ability to create and implement policies and procedures consistent with legislation, regulations and local requirements.
• Able to work independently and to manage own time efficiently.
• Experience of managing, supervision and appraisal of staff.
• Ability to develop an effective team.
• Warm and caring personality – friendly and approachable to families.
• Ability to create and implement basic systems for child records and financial records.
• Ability to communicate effectively with staff at all levels.
• Commitment to the principle that families ‘know best’ about their own needs.
• Commitment to equal opportunities for all children and families.
Qualifications and Experience
• Degree in a suitable EY area of study or EYPS or be working towards achievement
• Management and safeguarding qualifications
• SENCO qualification and experience
• Numeracy and Literacy skills equivalent to NVQ level 3
• ICT literate
• Three years post qualifiying experience of working in a management or supervisory capacity of which two years have been in an EY setting
• Knowledge of the Foundation Stage curriculum
• Knowledge, understanding and practical experience working in a nursery, child development and parenting of young children
• Knowledge of relevant legislation, best practice and the inspection process of nurseries
Other Duties
The duties and responsibilities in this job description are not restrictive and the post holder may be required to undertake any other duties which may be required from time to time. Any such duties should not, however, substantially change the general character of the post.
Equal Opportunities
The post holder must carry out his/her duties with full regard to the setting’s Equal Opportunities Policy, Quality and Inclusion and Health and Safety.
