DUNS COMMUNITY NURSERY – SCOTTISH BORDERS

Full-time, 40 hours per week
Pay – £13.25 - £14.00 an hour (£27,560 - £29,120 a year)
We are looking for an enthusiastic and experienced Room Lead for our 2–5s room, who will also take on the role of Assistant Manager within our vibrant, community-run nursery.
This is a fantastic opportunity for a passionate early years practitioner who is ready to take the next step in their career, combining room leadership with broader management responsibilities.

REQUIREMENTS

• Relevant SVQ Level 3/4 or HNC in Early Learning & Childcare (or equivalent).
• Experience in a senior/lead practitioner role, with proven ability to support and manage a team.
• Knowledge of Curriculum for Excellence, Realising the Ambition and Care Inspectorate requirements.

As Room Lead, you will:

• Take responsibility for the health, safety and wellbeing of every child in the 2–5s room.
• Lead and support your team to deliver high-quality care and learning, inspired by Realising the Ambition and the Curriculum for Excellence.
• Plan and implement engaging learning experiences and play opportunities, linked to relevant Es & Os and responsive to the children’s interests.
• Ensure compliance with SBC environment audits.
• Monitor and support your team in recording children’s learning, ensuring observations, learning trackers and developmental overviews are consistently high quality.
• Oversee the day-to-day routines – from meal and nap times to story sessions – ensuring a nurturing, calm environment.
• Maintain and update care plans and chronologies, implementing any changes suggested by management.

As Assistant Manager, you will:

• Support the Nursery Manager with the day-to-day running of the nursery, including staff rotas, parent queries and deployment.
• Take a lead in quality assurance and improvement planning, ensuring consistently high standards across the nursery.
• Assist with staff mentoring and educational planning, helping to develop practice and interactions.
• Take responsibility for the setting when the Manager is absent (including during school holidays, as the Manager is term-time only. There is an agreed 2 week break in the Summer holiday when the manager will be in the setting).