Head of Nursery

Job summary

St Andrew’s Prep is looking for an experienced and inspirational Head of Nursery to be responsible for the leadership and management of the Nursery providing a safe, caring and stimulating environment for children 9 months – 4 years of age. The successful candidate will ideally have an appropriate Early Years qualification with previous experience of managing a Nursery setting and a proven track record of leading and managing a team of staff. We expect to appoint a person of great energy, enthusiasm, ambition and vision who possesses strong leadership, integrity, communication and interpersonal skills.

Duties and Responsibilities

A)  Leadership and Management 

• to lead and manage the Nursery on a day to day and strategic level
• ensuring Safeguarding of pupils is of the utmost importance and any concerns in relation to pupils, or staff, are documented in line with our Child Protection and Safeguarding Policy
• to ensure the full integration of the Nursery within the wider school and promote links with other parts of the school, notably the Pre-Prep department, supporting the transition to Reception
• ensuring all internal policies and procedures are reviewed and kept up to date to align with EYFS standards, regulations and guidance
• update staff with current and relevant changes and updates to any childcare or early years documentation, providing literature and seeking training courses on their behalf and in conjunction with other departments in the school
• preparing weekly staff rotas to ensure staff: child ratios are met at all times. Covering staff absence, management of staff holidays and organising fair staff contact / non-contact time within each Nursery room
• in liaison with the HR department, ensure staffing levels are always at the legal requirement, assisting with recruitment of staff and completing staff induction for successful candidates
• undertake Local Authority Level 3 DSL training and act as the point of contact during Holiday Club
• meet regularly with Room Leaders and Key Workers, monitoring staff performance via formal and informal methods, coordinating a programme of peer-to-peer observations, twice termly supervision meetings and yearly appraisal meetings
• any other tasks as deemed appropriate to the post as instructed by the Headmaster and Senior Leadership Team.

B)  Curriculum and Pupil Wellbeing

• ensure the delivery of a high-quality, inclusive curriculum that aligns with EYFS standards, regulations and guidance, allowing for continuity and consistency into the Prep School through liaison with the Director of Studies
• track and monitor each pupil’s progress, maintaining records in learning journals (Tapestry) and engaging with SENCo and other specialists for support where appropriate
• create stimulating and inspiring environments for pupils to learn, develop and encourage independence
• organise parent consultations and written reports for all pupils in the Nursery
• communicate with the medical and catering teams to make sure all pupils needs are met.

C)  Admissions

• maintain the Nursery Management System – Kindersoft - to help manage all new enquiries, new pupil admissions, pupil session bookings and staffing
• in liaison with the Registrar, ensure admissions enquiries are dealt with efficiently, assisting with tours, speaking to prospective parents and ensuring information relating to the nursery is communicated in a professional and timely manner
• liaise with the Registrar and Finance team to assist in the preparation of termly EYEE funding forms and new session forms
• welcome new parents to the Nursery during ‘settling in’ sessions, in liaison with the Registrar, organising times and liaising with the pupils’ key worker to ensure parents are given all information required for their future start date
• oversee the management of Nursery Holiday Club, organising holiday booking forms, creating additional staff rotas and liaising with finance regarding invoicing and confirmation of sessions.  
• in liaison with the Registrar and Marketing team, proactively update Nursery information which is used in printed literature and on the school website.

D)  Administration and Communication

• promote and ‘sell’ the school through internal and external marketing activity, providing information for the weekly Bulletin, school publications, marketing materials and relevant areas of the school website
• ensure all written and verbal communication with parents and staff is kept professional and responded to in good time
• oversee the management of Nursery events and outings in liaison with the Head’s EA
• manage the Nursery budget, liaising with the Procurement Manager to ensure the Nursery is effectively resourced
• ensure Risk Assessments are updated and correct in liaison the Head of Facilities Management

E)  Safeguarding Duties

• All staff at St Andrew’s Prep and Nursery are required to take responsibility for providing an environment in which children are safe, feel safe and can learn, whether in or outside the setting.
• Working closely with the children on a daily basis means that a child may make disclosures or staff may notice indicators of possible abuse or neglect. Staff have a responsibility to be familiar with the procedure of passing on concerns to the DSL or appropriate agency.
• All staff must therefore:

           o  Be familiar with St Andrew’s Prep’s systems which support safeguarding, including the Child Protection and Staff Behaviour policies, and the role of the designated safeguarding lead (DSL)

           o  Have knowledge of the early help process and of referrals to social services.

           o  Identify children who may benefit from early help; know the signs of abuse and neglect and of what to do if a child makes a disclosure.

           o  Keep up to date with child protection training.

           o  Always act in the best interests of the child.

           o  Maintain good links and dialogue with the children’s families.

• Through strict adherence to the staff code of conduct and common-sense precautions staff will not only protect the children but also their own reputation and that of the St Andrew’s Prep and Nursery.

Terms and Conditions

Salary:

Competitive dependent on experience

Hours of Work:

Those hours necessary to fulfil the requirements of the job but unlikely to be less than 40 hours a week, all year round.

Pension:

After three months’ service you may be automatically enrolled into the Eastbourne College WorkSave Pension Scheme (details are available from the HR Department), depending on your level of earnings, however you may also choose to opt in to the pension scheme. The College will contribute 5% of your gross salary and you will be expected to contribute 3%. You may choose to opt out of the pension scheme.

Holiday:

Six weeks paid annual leave plus Bank Holidays.

Other Benefits:

• Life Assurance
• Free meal during normal working hours (term time only)
• Free use of Charity facilities including pool and gym
• Free tickets to College productions

A letter of application addressed to the Headmaster and an up-to-date CV should be uploaded with this online application form

Closing Date: Applications should be received by 5pm on 05 February 2026

Early applications are encouraged. Applications will be considered upon receipt, and we reserve the right to withdraw this vacancy.

Safeguarding Statement

St Andrew’s Prep is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. The appointment is subject to appropriate child protection screening, including checks with past employers and the DBS

All post holders will be engaging in regulated activity.

All posts are exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and the Charity 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.

St Andrew’s Prep welcomes applications from all sectors of the community as we aspire to attract staff that match the social and cultural diversity of our pupil intake. We consider the most important factor to be the right skills, abilities and attitude for the job which will ultimately improve the well-being and education of the pupils.