11 Sep Early Years Lead / Nursery Manager – Ide Primary School
Early Years Lead / Nursery Manager – Ide Primary School
Grade E, dependent on experience (£31,215 – £34,469 for Full-time equivalent)
Permanent, Term-time only
Full-time hours: 8 am – 5.30 pm Monday-Friday
Flexible hours and working arrangements, including job share, are available. Please let us know what working pattern you’re interested in.
Closing Date: 28th September 2026
Interview Date: 5th October 2026
Job Advert (pdf) | Job Description (pdf) | Application Form (pdf)
We’re open to where your early years experience has taken you.
We’re looking for an exceptional early years professional to lead and develop our nursery provision – and we’re open to where that experience has come from.
You might be an experienced Nursery or Room Leader, EYFS teacher, EYFS-qualified practitioner, HLTA or TA with strong early years experience, or another suitably qualified professional ready to take their next step.
What matters to us isn’t your job title. It’s your understanding of young children, your early years experience and your belief in what children can achieve.
The foundations built in the early years can shape a lifetime of learning.
Before children learn to read, write or calculate, they learn whether school is a place where they feel safe, valued and capable of trying something new.
We’re looking for someone who understands that learning through play is powerful and relationships come before results. Someone who can create an engaging, nurturing environment where children feel secure enough to explore, discover and thrive.
We’re looking for someone who:
- holds a relevant Level 3 Early Years qualification or above
- has experience working with young children and a strong understanding of the EYFS
- has high expectations for children’s learning, development, wellbeing and behaviour
- builds positive relationships with children, families and colleagues
- values inclusion, safeguarding and meeting the needs of every child, including those with SEND
- is reflective, collaborative and brings warmth, energy and enthusiasm to their work
- is ready to take responsibility for leading and developing our nursery provision
In this role, you will:
- lead and develop our nursery provision
- create a high-quality, play-based EYFS environment
- support strong foundations in language, communication, phonics and early mathematics
- monitor children’s development and plan meaningful next steps
- work closely with families and support children’s transition into Reception
- ensure high standards of safeguarding and statutory compliance
- contribute to breakfast and after-school provision, with arrangements agreed flexibly wherever possible
A flexible opportunity
We know great early years professionals come from different backgrounds, and that the right working pattern can make all the difference.
We’re open to full-time, part-time, job-share or shared leadership arrangements. This could mean one Early Years Lead working across the full provision, or two professionals sharing responsibility across the morning and afternoon sessions.
We’re not looking for a particular job title. We’re looking for the right person – or people – to give our children the very best start.
If you have the qualifications, experience and passion for early years, don’t be put off if you’ve never been a Nursery Manager. We’d really like to hear from you.
About Ide Primary School
At Ide Primary School, we believe every child deserves the very best start in life. As a welcoming and inclusive school at the heart of its community, we are committed to nurturing confident, curious learners and providing enriching experiences that help children flourish. As part of Exeter Learning Academy Trust, you’ll join a supportive and collaborative network where relationships matter, professional development is encouraged and every child is known as an individual. This is an exciting opportunity to make a lasting difference, helping young children develop the confidence, resilience and love of learning that will stay with them throughout their educational journey.
If you are passionate about early years education, believe in the transformative power of exceptional provision and want to make a meaningful difference to children’s lives, we would love to hear from you.
To apply, please complete our application form and return it to hr@elatschools.com.
Closing Date: 28th September 2026
Interview Date: 5th October 2026
The Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people, this role involves directly working with children and significant contact with children, and therefore we expect all staff and volunteers to share the same commitment. Please ensure a full work history is completed in your application form, including any gaps of employment. Applicants will be required to complete a satisfactory enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check for this post prior to commencement. This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (ROA) 1974. The Trust is an equal opportunities employer.
If successfully shortlisted the HR Department will also be conducting an individual online search of your ‘name, education and employment’, to demonstrate due diligence following ‘Keeping Children Safe in Education’ guidance. The search will not form part of the actual shortlisting process and any concerns arising from the search will be discussed directly with you.
Safeguarding Information
We are a people-focused organisation with strong principles of enabling every child and adult within our Trust to thrive. We have high aspirations for all our children, regardless of their starting point, and in turn, expect our staff to have high aspirations of themselves. We believe that our strength lies in working together and using our collective skills and expertise to benefit the children in our schools.
We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. We encourage you to read our Safeguarding Policy before applying. We will ask for references and conduct an online search for all shortlisted candidates. The successful applicant will be subject to an enhanced DBS check. This role also requires the ability to fulfil all spoken aspects of the role with confidence and fluency in English.
Our Safeguarding policy can be accessed via the link below.
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