That awkward gap between Room Leader and Deputy Manager?
This role sits right in it.
You've proved you can lead a room.
You can support other practitioners, deal confidently with parents and recognise when practice needs improving.
But you want experience of whole-nursery leadership before taking on a full Deputy or Manager position.
Tiny Tots Recruitment is recruiting a Third in Charge in Surbiton for exactly that kind of next step.
And unlike some "senior" titles that amount to doing more work for almost the same salary, this role comes with:
£30,264 to £34,000 per year
plus a
£2,000 welcome bonus.
You're still part of nursery life
Third in Charge here doesn't mean spending your entire day looking at spreadsheets.
You'll still be closely involved with children and practitioners, but your perspective starts getting wider.
You'll help:
Create environments that meet children's individual needs Monitor and improve the quality of nursery practice Maintain strong communication with children, staff and families Support positive working relationships across the team Keep practice aligned with the EYFS Agree and review individual staff targets Take additional management responsibility when required Step into playroom leadership where needed Support the wider running of the nursery Develop your understanding of nursery budgets and cost control
That last point is particularly useful.
Plenty of people reach Deputy Manager level having led rooms brilliantly but with very little exposure to the commercial side of running a nursery.
Here, you'll start building that experience earlier.
Think of it as your management apprenticeship
Not an actual apprenticeship, obviously.
But career-wise, that's essentially what makes this role attractive.
You're moving beyond:
"How is my room doing?"
and starting to think:
"How is the nursery doing?"
You'll begin looking across staffing, quality, communication, children's experiences and consistency of practice rather than concentrating entirely on one age group.
For an ambitious Room Leader, Senior Practitioner or existing Third in Charge, it's the kind of experience that can make the eventual jump into Deputy management much easier.
And there's plenty happening around you
The nursery operates from a beautifully renovated barn on Claremont Road, around five minutes' walk from Surbiton Station.
Children have access to:
Free-flow outdoor provision Forest School experiences Den building and nature exploration Gardening and growing PE and physical activity Music sessions Cooking experiences Investigation and STEM-style activities Health and wellbeing learning An on-site chef preparing fresh meals
The setting also makes regular use of the surrounding community, including local parks and shops.
So when you're helping practitioners strengthen provision, you've got much more to work with than four walls and a cupboard of resources.
The employment package is strong too
Alongside the salary and £2,000 welcome bonus, the current package includes:
33 days' annual leave including bank holidays Christmas and New Year shutdown Flexible working options Significant childcare discount £500 refer-a-friend bonus Employer-contribution pension 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 Medical cashback including dental and physiotherapy 24-hour remote GP appointments Retail, supermarket, cinema and gym discounts Recognition and reward schemes Tailored in-house training Genuine career progression
After two years' service, there's also the Grand Event, providing up to an additional week of leave for a significant life event.
That's quite a package for someone who is still building their management career.
Who should apply?
You'll need a full and relevant Level 3 Early Years qualification or above, alongside strong nursery experience.
This could be a particularly good move if you're currently a:
Room Leader Senior Nursery Practitioner Senior Early Years Educator Existing Third in Charge
and you're ready to start gaining proper nursery-management experience.
You'll need:
Strong EYFS knowledge Confident safeguarding practice Experience supporting other staff Good communication with families The confidence to challenge weak practice appropriately Strong organisation A positive leadership style The ability to remain hands-on with children while thinking about the bigger picture One step closer to Deputy
You don't need to jump straight from running a room to carrying responsibility for an entire nursery.
Sometimes the better move is to build the missing experience first.
Staff development.
Quality monitoring.
Targets.
Budgets.
Wider decision making.
Management cover.
This role gives you all of that while keeping you connected to the part of early years you probably got into the sector for in the first place.
If you're looking for a Third in Charge nursery job in Surbiton, senior early years leadership role in KT6 or the next step after Room Leader near Kingston, we'd love to hear from you.
Apply today through Tiny Tots Recruitment for a confidential conversation about the opportunity.