Nursery Manager

An opportunity to create something exceptional from the very beginning.

Salary: £35,000–£50,000 per annum, dependent on qualifications and experience

Contract: Full-time, permanent, all year round

Location: Godstowe School, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire

Godstowe School is looking for an inspirational and ambitious Nursery Manager to lead The Nursery at Godstowe: our new, premium, all-year-round Nursery for children aged 9 months to 4 years.

This is more than an opportunity to manage an established setting. It is a chance to shape a Nursery at the beginning of its journey, establish an exceptional team, and create an Early Years experience designed around childhood, family life and the needs of the modern world.

Working closely with the Headmaster and the wider school leadership team, you will have the freedom and support to bring your ideas to life. You will define the culture of the Nursery, inspire outstanding practice, and ensure that every child receives a happy, enriching and deeply nurturing introduction to education.

For an accomplished Early Years leader with vision, energy, and high expectations, this is an opportunity to create something genuinely distinctive.

Open 50 weeks a year and offering days from 7.30am to 6.30pm, The Nursery at Godstowe combines exceptional Early Years education with the flexibility modern families need.

Our youngest children are fully part of the Godstowe community. Their experiences extend beyond the Nursery rooms and into our beautiful 12-acre campus, with access to woodland areas, extensive outdoor learning, swimming, specialist teaching, excellent sports facilities, and freshly prepared meals cooked on site.

Children are encouraged to be curious, confident, and excited by the world around them. As they grow, close links with Godstowe’s Pre-Prep team provide continuity and a seamless transition into Reception.

Our ambition is clear: to create an outstanding Nursery that protects the wonder of childhood while building the confidence, independence, and curiosity children need for the modern world.

Founded in 1900, Godstowe is a highly regarded independent day and boarding preparatory school in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, educating children from 9 months to 13 years.

For more than a century, Godstowe has combined academic ambition with warmth, individuality, and a genuine understanding of each child. Our pupils are encouraged to explore their interests, develop their strengths and become confident, thoughtful young people who are ready for the world beyond school.

Our staff are central to this success. We are committed to creating a supportive and collaborative working environment in which colleagues feel valued, are encouraged to develop professionally, and have the confidence to make a meaningful difference.

Reporting directly to the Headmaster, you will provide inspirational leadership across every aspect of the Nursery. You will be responsible for maintaining the highest standards of education, care, safeguarding, and operational delivery while establishing a warm, ambitious, and positive culture for children, families, and colleagues.

Your key responsibilities will include:

• Leading, motivating, and developing a high-performing Nursery team.
• Establishing a warm, inclusive, and ambitious culture in which children and colleagues can flourish.
• Delivering an outstanding and engaging Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum.
• Ensuring every child’s individual development, interests, and needs are understood and supported.
• Maintaining the highest standards of safeguarding, child welfare, and pastoral care.
• Leading staff recruitment, induction, supervision, coaching, and performance management.
• Building trusted relationships…