University Hospital Southampton NHS Trust

Nursery Manager (12 months Maternity Cover)

The closing date is 25 September 2025

Job summary

University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust is delighted to offer a fantastic opportunity to work with us.

Please see below for the detailed job description of the role.

Main duties of the job

Are you passionate about being part of a team aspiring to deliver outstanding care and education to children aged 3 months- 5 years? Do you want to be part of a high performing supportive nursery Leadership team who are always looking to improve? Do you want to develop your own skills as well as the skills of practitioners in your team?

Taplins operates two day nurseries supporting our local NHS staff, one at University Hospital Southampton (where you will be based) and one at Western Community Hospital. Being part of the UHS family means you will have access to great benefits such as generous holiday allowance, variety of shifts, and a discount scheme.

We aim to make each child's early education experiences positive and meaningful. Our children learn best in our warm, secure and caring environment, where they are able to experiment and have fun indoors or play in our generous outdoor space from 7am to 6.30pm. We have a reputation of meeting the needs of both children and their parents and offer the most solid foundation in those important first years.

About us

University Hospital Southampton is one of England's largest acute teaching Trusts, offering a wide range of learning and development opportunities to support your career aspirations.

Located on the south coast with an international airport and direct rail links to London, Southampton offers an ideal setting to live and work, with the New Forest, South Downs and Jurassic Coast.

We believe that using technology wisely shows strong time management and commitment to innovation. However, personalizing your recruitment application to highlight your unique skills and experiences is crucial. Relying too heavily on generic, AI-generated content instead of drawing from your own strengths and accomplishments may lead to your application being rejected if multiple candidates present identical or similar information.

At UHS we're committed to providing a flexible working environment where possible. Whether you are balancing family, study, or your wellbeing with your career, we want to support you so you can help our patients.

At UHS, we proudly champion individuality, recognizing that outstanding care is only possible with a diverse, inclusive team. We're committed to creating an anti-racist, anti-discriminatory environment where everyone feels valued, safe, and empowered to make a meaningful impact in our communities. We welcome applicants of all backgrounds, identities, and experiences to join us in building a healthcare community where everyone can belong, thrive, and contribute.

Details

Date posted

12 September 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 6

Salary

£38,682 to £46,580 a year Per Annum (PA) Pro Rata)

Contract

Fixed term

Duration

12 months

Working pattern

Full-time, Part-time

Reference number

188-THQ040925

Job locations

HR SGH Nursery

Tremona Road

Southampton

SO16 6YD


Job description

Job responsibilities

Youll need to be calm, kind and caring, with a sense of humour- we like our nurseries to be happy places! Youll have a knowledgeable, enthusiastic and inspiring approach to leading a team and working with children and their families. Youll need to be committed and reliable with a flexible approach. Youll hold a degree in an Early Years Childcare related subject/ Early Years Practitioner Status, or equivalent sector experience alongside a Level 3 Early years Qualification, Youll have experience of managing an Early Years setting, or be an experienced deputy manager with skills and aspirations to work at this level. Youll have the ability to manage a large team and drive improvements in performance. Youll be able to provide flexibility to work shifts between 0700-1830 Monday to Friday throughout the year.

Please contact us for more details!

Attached you will find the person specification document which provides more detail about the essential and desirable skills and experience needed for this role. We highly recommend you review this document and use it when completing your application as these criteria are used by hiring managers as guidance during shortlisting.

For an overview of the main duties of the role please see the Job Description and Main Responsibilities section below. To understand the day-to-day responsibilities in more detail please read the full job description document attached.

Job description

Job responsibilities

Youll need to be calm, kind and caring, with a sense of humour- we like our nurseries to be happy places! Youll have a knowledgeable, enthusiastic and inspiring approach to leading a team and working with children and their families. Youll need to be committed and reliable with a flexible approach. Youll hold a degree in an Early Years Childcare related subject/ Early Years Practitioner Status, or equivalent sector experience alongside a Level 3 Early years Qualification, Youll have experience of managing an Early Years setting, or be an experienced deputy manager with skills and aspirations to work at this level. Youll have the ability to manage a large team and drive improvements in performance. Youll be able to provide flexibility to work shifts between 0700-1830 Monday to Friday throughout the year.

Please contact us for more details!

Attached you will find the person specification document which provides more detail about the essential and desirable skills and experience needed for this role. We highly recommend you review this document and use it when completing your application as these criteria are used by hiring managers as guidance during shortlisting.

For an overview of the main duties of the role please see the Job Description and Main Responsibilities section below. To understand the day-to-day responsibilities in more detail please read the full job description document attached.

Person Specification

Qualifications, knowledge and experience

Essential

  • Relevant degree, hold EYP status, or have a Foundation Degree. Or to hold a full and relevant Level 3 (or above) Early Years Qualification and be able to provide a validation certificate from Check an early years qualification - GOV.UK verifying this. To be able to provide all supporting documents as specified on the validation certificate.
  • Up to date knowledge of current under 5s curriculum
  • Math and English GCSE/GSE (or equivalent) grade C or above
  • Recent previous experience of working with 3 months to 5 year olds in a childcare setting
  • Management experience within a childcare setting
  • Excellence, up to date knowledge of Ofsted regulations and curriculum
  • Experience of team managing and motivating a team
  • Experience of managing a budget

Desirable

  • Evidence of continual professional development
  • Current paediatric first aid certificate at work
  • Current food hygiene certificate
Person Specification

Qualifications, knowledge and experience

Essential

  • Relevant degree, hold EYP status, or have a Foundation Degree. Or to hold a full and relevant Level 3 (or above) Early Years Qualification and be able to provide a validation certificate from Check an early years qualification - GOV.UK verifying this. To be able to provide all supporting documents as specified on the validation certificate.
  • Up to date knowledge of current under 5s curriculum
  • Math and English GCSE/GSE (or equivalent) grade C or above
  • Recent previous experience of working with 3 months to 5 year olds in a childcare setting
  • Management experience within a childcare setting
  • Excellence, up to date knowledge of Ofsted regulations and curriculum
  • Experience of team managing and motivating a team
  • Experience of managing a budget

Desirable

  • Evidence of continual professional development
  • Current paediatric first aid certificate at work
  • Current food hygiene certificate

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Additional information

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Employer details

Employer name

University Hospital Southampton NHS Trust

Address

HR SGH Nursery

Tremona Road

Southampton

SO16 6YD


Employer's website

https://www.uhs.nhs.uk/home.aspx (Opens in a new tab)


Employer details

Employer name

University Hospital Southampton NHS Trust

Address

HR SGH Nursery

Tremona Road

Southampton

SO16 6YD


Employer's website

https://www.uhs.nhs.uk/home.aspx (Opens in a new tab)


Employer contact details

For questions about the job, contact:

Nursery Manager

Anna Rixon

anna-marie.rixon@uhs.nhs.uk

07795685987

Details

Date posted

12 September 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 6

Salary

£38,682 to £46,580 a year Per Annum (PA) Pro Rata)

Contract

Fixed term

Duration

12 months

Working pattern

Full-time, Part-time

Reference number

188-THQ040925

Job locations

HR SGH Nursery

Tremona Road

Southampton

SO16 6YD


Supporting documents

Privacy notice

University Hospital Southampton NHS Trust's privacy notice (opens in a new tab)