Some Deputy roles prepare you to become a Manager. Others just give you the Manager's jobs when they're off.
This should be the first kind.
Tiny Tots Recruitment is looking for a Deputy Nursery Manager in Surbiton to join a large, established nursery on Maple Road.
You'll be working alongside a Nursery Manager who also holds regional support responsibilities, giving you exposure to leadership experience that extends beyond one individual setting. The nursery itself is currently rated Outstanding by Ofsted.
For someone serious about eventually running their own nursery, that's a pretty useful environment to develop in.
And the salary reflects the responsibility:
£33,280 to £41,600 per year
plus a
£1,000 welcome bonus.
This is a substantial setting
Maple Road is the largest of the local Dicky Birds nurseries and provides care from babies through to preschool.
That means the Deputy needs to be able to look beyond one room.
You'll be helping make sure standards remain consistent across different ages, teams and areas of the nursery.
Your responsibilities will include:
Supporting the Nursery Manager with day-to-day leadership Promoting high standards across the nursery Monitoring the quality of children's environments and experiences Supporting Room Leaders and practitioners Recruiting, inducting, training and developing staff Supporting appraisals and performance Maintaining children's and personnel records Helping ensure appropriate First Aid coverage Supporting regulatory inspections Implementing any recommendations that arise Maintaining strong relationships with parents and carers Supporting occupancy targets Helping keep the nursery commercially and operationally healthy Taking greater responsibility when the Nursery Manager is unavailable
So this isn't just an inflated Room Leader position.
You're developing experience in people, quality, compliance and nursery operations.
And you'd be learning in an Outstanding environment
The Maple Road nursery is currently rated Outstanding, with the setting based at Claremont Hall near the junction of Maple Road and Claremont Road.
The setting has a strong home-from-home approach alongside:
Spacious outdoor provision A growing garden Regular community outings Sports activities SENCO support Nutritious meals Age-specific nursery rooms Play and exploration-led learning
Its outdoor provision has also been developed around free-flow access, allowing children to move naturally between indoor and outdoor learning.
As Deputy, part of your job is making sure those opportunities translate into consistently strong practice across the team.
What are they looking for?
You'll need a full and relevant Level 3 Early Years qualification or above, alongside significant experience within nursery leadership.
This could suit an existing:
Deputy Nursery Manager looking for a stronger setting and salary package.
Or a very experienced:
Third in Charge or senior Room Leader who has already taken on wider nursery responsibilities and is genuinely ready for Deputy level.
You'll need strong:
EYFS knowledge Safeguarding knowledge Team leadership Organisation Parent communication Staff-development skills Confidence handling difficult conversations Understanding of nursery compliance
And you'll need to be comfortable moving between the detail and the bigger picture.
One minute that might mean supporting a practitioner.
The next could mean staffing, occupancy, an inspection requirement or a conversation with a parent.
The package is properly senior too
The current exact Maple Road Deputy vacancy offers:
£33,280 to £41,600 per year £1,000 welcome bonus Regular pay reviews 33 days' annual leave including bank holidays Christmas and New Year shutdown Flexible working options Significant childcare discount £500 refer-a-friend bonus Company pension with employer contributions Statutory Sick Pay from day one Life assurance Additional wellbeing day Enhanced maternity and adoption leave Four weeks' fully paid paternity leave Paid parental bereavement leave Paid compassionate leave Paid miscarriage leave 24-hour remote GP appointments Medical cashback including dental and physiotherapy Retail, supermarket, cinema and gym discounts Recognition and reward programmes Tailored in-house training Genuine career progression
After two years' service, eligible employees can also receive up to an additional week of leave for a significant life event through the Grand Event benefit.
And the commute is straightforward
The nursery is at Claremont Hall, Maple Road, Surbiton KT6 4RL.
The employer puts Surbiton Station at around a 10-minute walk, with several local bus routes also serving the area.
If you're looking for a Deputy Nursery Manager job in Surbiton, Deputy Early Years Manager role in KT6 or the next step towards Nursery Manager near Kingston, we'd love to hear from you.
Apply today through Tiny Tots Recruitment for a confidential conversation about the opportunity.