If you are offered a Senior EYP role, you will received a £1000 recruitment bonus after successfully completing your 3 month probation period.

We are looking for a Deputy Nursery Manager to join our established Nursery in Stony Stratford.

Situated on the site of Elizabeth House, in Vicarage Road, Stony Stratford. Our nursery provides high quality, affordable childcare and early years education for the local community, in a building which has been completely refurbished and extended, with two spacious play areas indoors, with direct access to three outdoor play areas.

Overview:

- To work in partnership with the nursery manager to ensure effective running of the nursery.

- To lead/manage and be held accountable for your designated room/area and staff

- To lead/manage the nursery on occasions when the manager is absent

- To effectively deploy the staff across the nursery

- To have a good understanding of compliance and how to meet the statutory requirements

- To act as a representative of Acorn and maintain professionalism at all times

- To effectively support coaching and mentoring practices with senior practitioners

- To ensure a high level of well-being among children

- A good working knowledge and practice of the EYFS and safeguarding procedures

Responsibility:

- To ensure the staff teams interactions with children are high quality and based on individual need/stage of development

- To book, log, carry out Show rounds for prospective parents and ensure that these are followed up

- Respond to phone calls and emails from external agencies, parents and any other professional

- To demonstrate a positive approach to children’s behaviour working in-line with our policy and procedure

- To ensure we are adhering to compliance documentation

- To ensure complaints, concerns, queries and compliments are managed effectively

- To ensure there are professional, positive relationships demonstrated with parents which is reflected among the staff team

- To support the staff team to understand and implement planning in the moment

- To ensure the environment offers rich, first-hand learning opportunities for all children which accommodates a holistic approach to the curriculum

- To ensure children’s interests are being met and appropriate teaching methods are being used to extend children’s thinking and learning.

- To ensure all children are making progress to their full potential

- Ensure that you oversee that all children are having regular observations on Famly and these are reviewed and submitted by senior staff on a regular basis

- Ensure assessments are complete on a termly basis and that initial assessments are completed in a timely manner

- Liaise with the senior team and support the moderation of staff judgements for assessments and work with staff to increase understanding

- To support the nursery manager with supervisions of staff members

- To ensure all children are given the opportunity to be independent

- To ensure all children have the opportunity to be physically challenged

- To ensure the correct paperwork in relation to the child, for example care plans, all about me forms, medicine forms, transition forms and two-year progress check (where appropriate) etc

- To ensure there is a robust and effective key person approach adopted

- To be approachable and supportive to staff using constructive advice when developing practice

- To cascade any information or updates to the management and your staff team

- To keep abreast and adhere with changes in accordance to Acorn’s policies and procedures

- To undertake regular peer on peer observations with staff and provide effective feedback

- Ensure that you address any staff performance issues or concerns, document these accordingly and liaise with the nursery manager

- Carry out return to work interviews in the absence of the manager

- Understand how to use Famly to look at occupancy to help to complete staff rotas, check children’s booking plans and invoices

- Role model, facilitate and work alongside staff to demonstrate high quality practise

- To work in partnership with the manager to complete staff inductions

- To safeguard all children in our care

Expectations:

- To have a good understanding of Acorn’s core values, ethos and policies and ensure these are reflected in practice

- To implement a high-quality provision to support children’s learning across the curriculum

- To value parents as partners

- To ensure/promote children to be happy, confident, self-assured and independent

- Effective communication with management, staff, children and parents

- To role model outstanding practice and positive behaviour management

- To be confident to talk to external agencies, including Ofsted

- To keep abreast with changes in legislation, practice and Acorn’s policies and procedures.

- To provide appropriate mentoring and coaching practices to support staff

- To contribute effectively to the leadership and management of the nursery

- To have a full knowledge and understanding of each staff member and how to individually support them

- To have a good understanding of staff development and how to help them achieve their targets and full potential

At Acorn, we’re committed to creating an inclusive and welcoming environment where everyone feels they belong and can thrive. We value diverse perspectives and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds. As an inclusive employer, we’re happy to consider any reasonable adjustments needed during the recruitment process. You must have the right to work in the UK, be able to provide two satisfactory references, and, due to the nature of our sector, all roles are subject to an Enhanced DBS check.

Benefits:

Working at Acorn

As a thank you for all of your hard work and dedication to making Acorn a safe, nurturing and fun place for our children to be, we offer:

• Payscales that are competitive, transparent and reviewed annually
• 65% Childcare discount
• Generous family leave
• Christmas closure
• 25 days of annual leave, plus bank holidays (and the option to buy more)
• 4 dedicated training days and individual development plans
• Enhanced pension scheme
• Cyclescheme
• Techscheme
• Length of Service awards
• Summer and Christmas parties
• Pay advances
• Employee assistance wellbeing programme