Deputy Nursery Manager

Summary

We are currently looking to appoint a Deputy Nursery Manager to be responsible for assisting with the day-to-day organisation and smooth running of the Nursery at Ripley Court, and for ensuring that Nursery life is safe, stimulating and compliant with EYFS and safeguarding requirements.

Detail

This position is based in the Nursery at Ripley Court School and the main purpose of this role will be to provide care for children aged between 2-5 years.

The Deputy Nursery Manager will be responsible for assisting with the day-to-day organisation and smooth running of the Nursery at Ripley Court, and for ensuring that Nursery life is safe, stimulating and compliant with EYFS and safeguarding requirements.

The role-holder will act as a key person to a group of children within the Nursery and will assist the Nursery team to establish and maintain the social, intellectual, physical and emotional wellbeing of the children.

The hours for this role are 7.30am – 4.00pm, Monday-Friday, during term time. The role-holder will be required to cover some break, lunch and after school duties during the week (for which there is a rota and reasonable notice is given) and assist with Breakfast Club.

This role will report into the Nursery Manager.

Main Duties and Responsibilities:

• Promote high standards of quality within the setting in respect of the environment, resources and experiences offered to our children, ensuring that the setting meets the requirements of EYFS and ISI.
• Deputise in the absence of the Nursery Manager.
• Be responsible for curriculum and sessional planning in conjunction with the Nursery Manager, establishing effective processes for implementation of the plans and overseeing completion.
• Work with the Nursery Manager and the Head of Little Court to ensure that all records are maintained, with special regard to the monitoring of daily registration, accident, incident, risk assessment and key person records.
• Maintain records of children’s progress, in line with School procedure, and use these to develop future programmes and plans, as and when appropriate.
• Carry out parent consultations and ensure that each key child’s learning journey is kept up to date. Complete two-year progress checks and bi-annual summaries, including a transition summary for the child’s transfer to the next setting.
• Liaise closely with parents/carers, informing them about the Nursery and its curriculum, exchanging information about children’s progress and encouraging parents’ involvement.
• Support the Nursery Manager to ensure that all staff complete the appropriate paperwork for their key children on time.
• Work with the Nursery Manager to ensure that staff ratios are maintained and that there is effective staff development, supervision, mentoring and recognition of training needs for all staff and pupils.
• Complete the morning and afternoon class register. Update registers, activity plans, accident records etc. as required.
• Carry out administration tasks as appropriate, adhering to the School data protection policy.
• Assist the Nursery Manager in the ordering of materials and equipment.
• As a key person, ensure that learning and care is tailored to the child’s individual needs. Help the children become familiar with the setting. Offer a settled relationship for the children. Engage and support parents in guiding their child’s development at home.
• Support the physical wellbeing of the children by meeting individual care needs e.g. toilet training and hygiene, clothing and application of sun cream.
• Administer first aid and prescription medication where necessary, following the set guidelines within the appropriate policies and procedure.
• Take all reasonable measures to ensure health and safety within the Nursery, including daily H&S checks.
• Greet visitors, parents/carers in an appropriate manner, ensuring identification at all times.
• Maintain confidentiality at all times.
• Understand and adhere to the Nursery’s Safeguarding policies and procedures to keep children safe and secure and ensure others at the setting are adhering to the policy.
• Work collaboratively with the Ripley Court DSL to ensure best practice in safeguarding children.
• Attend and participate in staff meetings, parent consultations, child summaries, child induction mornings, INSET days.
• Attend all parents’ evenings, open mornings any relevant events.
• Ensure continued professional development through training, regular supervisions with the Nursery Manager and an annual appraisal.
• Assist, where necessary, with supervising Breakfast Club.
• Undertake such other comparable duties as the Nursery Manager, Head of Little Court and Headmaster require from time to time.
• Promote and safeguard the welfare of children and young persons for whom you are responsible and with whom you come into contact.

This job description should be seen as enabling, rather than restrictive and is subject to regular review.

Interested applicants are encouraged to submit a completed application as soon as possible. The School reserves the right to interview and appoint before the closing date, should a suitable candidate present themselves.

Ripley Court School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

Applicants will be required to undergo child protection screening appropriate to the post, including checks with past employers and the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS). The School may carry out online searches on shortlisted applicants and all applicants will be required to provide details of their online profiles, including social media account names/handles, as part of their application.

This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and Ripley Court School is therefore permitted to ask job applicants to declare all convictions and cautions (including those which are "spent" unless they are "protected" under the DBS filtering rules) in order to assess their suitability to work with children.

Documents

• Deputy Nursery Manager - JD (Sept 2025) PDF Document