Area Manager

Two Established Nurseries | Montessori & Outdoor Forest School

An Exciting Opportunity for a Nursery Area Manager

This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced Nursery Manager looking to take the next step in their career and progress into a multi-site leadership position, or for an existing Area Manager seeking a role where they can make a genuine and meaningful impact.

You will oversee two fully established nurseries, each with its own distinctive identity, educational philosophy, and approach to early years learning. One setting follows the Montessori approach, encouraging independence, curiosity, and child-led learning, while the other is a full outdoor Forest School nursery, where nature, exploration, and outdoor experiences are at the heart of children's development.

Both settings are established and have their own unique strengths. This role is therefore an opportunity to build on existing foundations, support and develop the teams, maintain high standards, and help each nursery continue to thrive.

We are looking for a passionate, commercially aware, and inspirational leader who understands that outstanding early years provision is about more than compliance and operational performance. It is about creating environments where children flourish, teams feel supported, families feel valued, and each nursery retains the qualities that make it special.

For the right person, this is an opportunity to shape the future of two distinctive settings while developing their own leadership career.

The Role

As Nursery Area Manager, you will have overall responsibility for the operational performance, quality of provision, regulatory compliance, and continued success of both nurseries.

Working closely with the Nursery Managers and their teams, you will provide visible, supportive leadership, ensuring consistency in standards while respecting and protecting the individual ethos of each setting.

You will balance strategic oversight with a hands-on approach, empowering nursery leaders to succeed, identifying opportunities for improvement, and ensuring that both nurseries deliver exceptional experiences for children, families, and staff. 

About You

We are looking for someone who combines a genuine passion for early years education with the leadership capability, commercial awareness, and confidence to oversee more than one setting.

You may be an ambitious and experienced Nursery Manager ready to take the next step into a multi-site role, or an established Area Manager looking for an opportunity to make a tangible difference rather than simply oversee operations from a distance.

You will ideally have:

• Proven leadership experience within the early years sector, with experience managing a nursery or overseeing multiple settings.
• A strong understanding of safeguarding, the EYFS framework, regulatory compliance, and quality assurance in England.
• The ability to inspire, coach, and develop Nursery Managers and their teams.
• Experience monitoring budgets, occupancy, staffing costs, and operational performance.
• Strong communication, organisation, and problem-solving skills.
• A supportive, visible, and solutions-focused leadership style.
• The ability to balance commercial priorities with exceptional standards of care and education.
• A genuine appreciation of different early years philosophies and the ability to support both Montessori and outdoor Forest School provision.

Why Join Us?

• A genuine career progression opportunity: An ideal next step for an experienced Nursery Manager ready to move into multi-site leadership.
• Meaningful impact: The opportunity to influence the quality, culture, and performance of two nurseries directly.
• Two distinctive settings: Lead a Montessori nursery and a fully outdoor Forest School nursery, each offering a different and enriching approach to early years education.
• Established foundations: Both nurseries are fully established, allowing you to focus on leadership, development, and continuous improvement.
• Leadership with purpose: Work alongside Nursery Managers to strengthen teams, nurture talent, and deliver excellent outcomes for children.
• Opportunity to shape the future: Bring your ideas, experience, and leadership vision to help both settings continue to thrive. 

  The Opportunity

  This is a role for someone who wants to make a difference: someone who can lead with confidence, support with empathy, and bring out the best in two established nursery teams.

  Whether you are ready to take your first step into multi-site leadership or are an experienced Area Manager looking for a fresh opportunity, this position offers the chance to have a genuine impact across two unique settings, supporting their continued success while ensuring children remain at the heart of everything they do.

  If you are passionate about early years education and ready to make your mark across two distinctive nurseries, we would love to hear from you. 

  Safeguarding and Safer Recruitment

  We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. The successful candidate will be required to complete appropriate safer recruitment checks, including an enhanced DBS check with relevant barred-list checks where legally applicable, verification of qualifications and employment history, and satisfactory references.