We are looking for an Area Manager to join our team of 7 children’s nurseries in the North West region; this newly created role complements the growth of a well-established family-run Atherton House Nursery Group.
Your role as the Area Manager will be dedicated to maintaining and improving the quality of provision offered across the groups setting whilst ensuring compliance with Ofsted and EYFS statutory requirements. You will be based across multiple sites as part of the group with settings in Crosby (Liverpool), Wirral, Altrincham, Hale and Lymm (Greater Manchester/Cheshire) ; including brand new Altrincham Day Nursery opened in January 2025.
You will ensure all appropriate links to the Early Years Foundation Stage are embedded both in practice and in delivery. Working alongside the senior team, you will support, mentor and develop practitioners and their practice.

HOW TO APPLY:

If you are a dedicated, skilled, and passionate early years professional, looking for a role where you will work across different sites daily, supporting individuals and teams to enhance staff practice and children’s learning, we want to hear from you! Interviews can be held with flexible timings to accommodate your current commitments including out of hours availability.
Join this family-friendly team and make a lasting impact on children’s lives! Apply now by submitting your CV to opportunities@caterpillar-careers.co.uk and a cover letter detailing your relevant experience and why you’re the perfect fit for the Atherton House Nursery Group

CANDIDATES SHOULD ALREADY HAVE EXPERIENCE IN LINE MANAGING AN EARLY YEARS TEAM AND A MINIMUM OF 5 YEARS EXPERIENCE AS A NURSERY MANAGER. THE ROLE WILL INCLUDE BUT WILL NOT BE LIMITED TO:

• Assist and support the individual Nursery Managers and Deputy Manager who are responsible for the effective daily management of the nursery.
• Travel between nursery sites in Crosby (L23), Wirral (CH43), Altrincham (WA14), Hale (WA15) and Lymm (WA13).
• Ensuring all company policies, procedures and Ofsted statutory requirements are maintained at all times. In the absence of a Manager you may be required to provide cover on an interim basis.
• Work across the group to ensure documentation is consistent and be confident suggesting updates to processes and documentation to enhance practice across all settings.
• Update and expand on Quality Compliance Audits and ensure standards are met, leading meetings and discussions at a local level with regards to quality and cascading information to the team.
• Implement regular reviews analysing children’s progress to ensure practitioners are confidently tailoring learning experiences to meet the individual needs of the children in our care.
• Ensure compliance with Health and Safety measures within all nurseries, maintaining accurate records and conducting regular audits, including leading annual checks with our Health and Safety partner, Citation.
• Motivate the nursery teams to work together, spending time in rooms role modelling and inspiring practitioners to deliver best practice.
• Act as Qualified Safeguarding Lead to support each setting’s Designated Safeguarding Leaders.
• Coordinate with the in-house recruitment team for staffing needs and individual nurseries, and skills gaps that need to be closed with appropriate training.
• Mentor employees, including new starters and apprentices, offering guidance to support their development and encourage them to achieve their career aspirations and goals.
• Manage the performance of Nursery Managers and Deputy Managers to ensure they are delivering care and education to the highest standards.
• Monitor the performance of Nursery Manager and Deputy Managers to ensure they are hitting targets set by the group Directors on a quarterly basis, and reporting back.
• Manage the organisation of first aid across the group of nurseries and develop and deliver any relevant training to management and teams as well as being present at staff meetings.
• Ensure managers are actively promoting the nurseries and participating in marketing activities.
• Be at the end of the phone for any queries that individual nurseries have and be able to be on site at short notice to support.
• Work with the group Directors to support their delivery of exceptional standards of childcare across individual settings, and ensure targets are being met.
• Work closely with the Education Director to aid delivery of their own APEL Curriculum, ensuring it is being communicated and delivered in individual settings.

YOU WILL NEED TO COVER AN AREA FROM MERSEYSIDE TO GREATER MANCHESTER AND FURTHER AFIELD AS AND WHEN REQUIRED. WORKING HOURS WILL VARY BUT THIS IS A PERMANENT ROLE FOR 40 HOURS PER WEEK, WITH THE EXPECTATION TO WORK BETWEEN THE HOURS OF NURSERY OPENING TIMES FROM 7.30AM – 6PM INCLUDING ON OCCASION OUTSIDE OF THESE HOURS FOR STAFF MEETINGS OR OPEN DAYS.

Any successful application will be subject to a minimum of 2 satisfactory references and a current Enhanced Childcare DBS.