What does a Nursery Manager do?
Nursery Managers ensure babies and young children have a safe and engaging place to spend their days. They work closely with Nursery Teachers to make sure they deliver the best care and report the progress of children to parents. They also take care of administrative duties to ensure their childcare centres operate efficiently, on budget and within health and safety regulations. Their marketing efforts help their childcare centres attract new children and maintain positive reputations in their communities.
Nursery Manager skills and qualifications
Nursery Managers use soft skills and hard skills to manage their facilities effectively. A successful Nursery Manager candidate will have various prerequisite skills and qualifications that Childcare centres and preschools need, these typically include:
- Understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage’s welfare, learning and development requirements
- Understanding of child safety practices including paediatric first aid, safeguarding children and food hygiene
- Leadership, including organisation, the ability to motivate others and effective decision-making
- Written and verbal communication and interpersonal skills for building relationships with staff, parents and Caregivers
- Marketing for devising effective promotional strategies
- Financial management, including budgeting and accounting
- Business management, including employee recruitment, developing and implementing training programmes and running meetings
- Computer literacy, including confidence using Microsoft Office and record-keeping software
Nursery Manager experience requirements
Nursery Managers usually have at least two years of experience as a Nursery Worker before applying for managerial roles. This experience helps aspiring Nursery Managers understand what children and Nursery Teachers need. They may also work as a Deputy Nursery Manager before becoming a Nursery Manager. While Deputy Nursery Manager experience is not required, candidates with this experience should be very familiar with the tasks Nursery Managers perform.
Nursery Manager education and training requirements
Many Nursery Managers have a degree or foundation degree in child development, early years education or childhood studies. Degrees in child psychology may also prepare candidates for a Nursery Manager position. Alternatively, some people complete advanced early years practitioner apprenticeships to secure their first Nursery Worker roles. Some nurseries require candidates with Early Years Teacher Status. A Level 3 NVQ in Children and Young People’s Workforce, Childcare and Education or similar is another common requirement.
Nursery Manager salary expectations
According to Indeed Salaries, the average salary for a Nursery Manager in the UK is £25,251 per year. Salaries may vary depending on the Nursery Manager’s education, location and employer.
Job description samples for similar positions
If a Nursery Manager does not meet your needs, browse our job description samples for similar positions. Click the links below for other relevant job description samples.
*Indeed provides this information as a courtesy to users of this site. Please note that we are not your recruiting or legal advisor, we are not responsible for the content of your job descriptions, and none of the information provided herein guarantees performance.
