Nursery – Poppetts Day Nursery and Preschool
Salary – £32,988.80 per annum (dependant on qualification/s and experience)
Location – Shenfield, Essex
Are you looking to work for an organisation whose culture is driven by our HEART principles – Honesty, Excellence, Accountability, Respect, and Teamwork? Where you can be yourself, feel supported, and help to make a difference to the next generation? Somewhere you can say: “I did that.”
We’re looking for a Deputy Manager (Mat Cover) to join our Poppetts nursery. This is a fixed term contract for a year.
Conveniently located next to Long Ridings Primary School and just a 5-minute walk from Shenfield Station (Elizabeth Line), Poppetts offers a warm, engaging environment for young learners.
We’re proud to be rated “Good” by Ofsted and offer enriching extras like Boogie Mites music and Forest School sessions. All rooms have free-flow access to gardens, and we provide on-site free parking for families.

As a Deputy Manager, you will lead, mentor, support, and inspire a team to deliver exception care and education. You will act as Designated Safeguarding Lead, overseeing day to day running of the nursery and management of safeguarding and child protection policies. You will contribute to succession planning, training, and supporting team professional development plans, maintain strong partnerships with colleagues, parents, and other professionals (such as the Local Authority), and support the commercial success of the nursery through retention, occupancy growth, and maintaining budgets.