Job Description

We put people before profit: work for a family of nurseries with heart

"You never feel alone at LEYF - there's always someone to turn to." - Selamawit, Nursery Manager


We're the London Early Years Foundation, or LEYF Nurseries for short; a family of 40 nurseries. Our people love working for us because we focus on the child and their family, and give them the best start in life.


LEYF is known for quality teachers - we give you strong in-house training and access to promotion. Our nurseries feel independent and community focused, and teams take care of each other. You join a family of nurseries with a great support network.

What's in it for you?

"I wanted more job satisfaction, so I came back to LEYF." - Sunita, Nursery Manager

Lots of training, promotions and a good salary for the sector Generous pension at 7% from us (1% from you) 70% discount on childcare fees Up to 35 days off a year, including 8 bank holidays, 3 days off between Christmas and New Year, and your birthday (pro-rated for part-time hours) Sector-leading parental leave Many other benefits that take care of you, including access to the Headspace app, shopping discounts, annual conference and money for team celebrations

A bit about the role

"I have received a great deal of support, recognition and training, always having someone I can talk to." - Marta, Nursery Manager


We know you work in Early Years because you love helping children develop and learn. You are warm and keen to give children the best education to succeed in life.


Nursery Manager will lead the nursery team the LEYF way, putting the children at the centre. This includes being responsible for nursery finances, staffing, health and safety, partnering with parents and ensuring the quality of the curriculum.


You'll be part of the LEYF Manager community contributing across our settings, sharing ideas and learning. As a manager in waiting, you will shadow and train alongside an existing, experienced manager and become a permanent manager when the right position becomes available. This may be a manager leaving, a new nursery opening or to cover long-term sickness/maternity/paternity leave. The setting you train at will be commutable for you and will give you the opportunity to learn about LEYF and our Pedagogy.

You will need:

The right to work in the UK Team leadership and strong relationship building skill Level 3 or above childcare qualification Good ideas on how to maintain high quality and ratio bound environments An ability to safeguard and protect children To be reliable, positive and friendly

About the nursery

Rated Outstanding by Ofsted, Gumboots Nursery and Pre-School provides Early Years education and care to children from birth to 5 years old. You can find us in East Dulwich, not far from East Dulwich and North Dulwich stations. We are a spacious nursery with separate rooms and gardens for babies, toddlers and pre-schoolers. Our children enjoy a varied and stimulating timetable from cooking with our Chef to Zumba classes and gardening. They also love getting involved in the wider community and taking trips to the local shops.

Apply now

Contact us today, our friendly recruiters are waiting to hear from you.


The Company has experienced unprecedented growth over the past few years. We have a vast number of employees, and provide support to clients from all over the country.