Job Description

Job Title: Quality & Pedagogy Manager

Reports to:

Managing Director

Location:

Manchester, Leeds, Liverpool

Purpose of the Role

As Quality & Pedagogy Manager, you will lead the continual improvement of teaching, learning, and care across our nurseries. Your focus will be on raising standards, developing pedagogy, and ensuring every child experiences the very best of the EYFS in practice every day.

You will work alongside Nursery Managers and their teams; coaching in rooms, modelling best practice, and embedding reflective teaching approaches. Through inspirational leadership, you will create a culture of excellence, curiosity, and professional growth across all settings.

Key Responsibilities

Pedagogical Leadership & Quality Improvement

Champion the EYFS across the group; ensuring curriculum intent, implementation, and impact are clearly defined and evidenced in daily practice. Lead on pedagogy: drive high-quality interactions, sustained shared thinking, and meaningful learning outcomes for every child. Conduct regular quality assurance visits, observations, and deep-dives - producing clear action plans and providing coaching and mentoring to drive improvement. Be highly visible "on the ground" across all settings, modelling practice, supporting room teams, and embedding consistent teaching standards. Develop and deliver professional learning opportunities that empower practitioners and leaders to reflect, innovate, and grow.

Safeguarding & Compliance

Act as the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) for the group, ensuring safeguarding culture and practice remain exemplary. Support and train nursery DSLs to maintain best practice and ensure all teams understand and fulfil their safeguarding responsibilities. Ensure that all statutory requirements - including EYFS, Ofsted, and local authority standards - are met or exceeded.

Leadership & Coaching

Mentor and develop Nursery Managers and senior practitioners in quality leadership, self-evaluation, and team development. Build strong, trust-based relationships that enable constructive challenge and professional accountability. Foster a culture of reflective practice and continuous improvement, using data and evidence to inform decisions.

Quality Assurance & Inspection Readiness

Lead Ofsted readiness through ongoing coaching and targeted quality audits. Support settings to evaluate and articulate their strengths and areas for development confidently and accurately. Analyse audit findings, inspection feedback, and data trends to drive sustained improvements across all nurseries.

Strategic Development

Work with the Managing Director to shape and implement the group's quality and pedagogy strategy. Translate the organisation's vision into clear, measurable quality goals for each setting. Contribute to strategic discussions on staffing, training, curriculum design, and environment development to ensure quality remains at the heart of every decision.

Stakeholder Relationships

Build positive, professional relationships with families, local authorities, and external partners that promote trust and transparency. Represent the group with regulators and professional networks, championing our commitment to excellence in early years education.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Minimum Level 3 in Early Years Education (Level 5 or above desirable). Evidence of ongoing professional development in pedagogy, leadership, or quality improvement.

Experience

Proven track record in raising quality and improving Ofsted outcomes in early years settings. Leadership experience within a nursery group or large setting. Experience in mentoring and coaching teams to deliver consistently high-quality early years practice.

Skills & Attributes

Inspirational and visible leader who leads from the floor, not the office. Deep understanding of early childhood pedagogy and the EYFS framework. Reflective, analytical, and able to translate observations into action. Strong communicator with emotional intelligence and presence. Passionate about children's learning, practitioner development, and continuous improvement.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

Improvement in internal quality audit and Ofsted inspection outcomes Evidence of strong pedagogy and curriculum implementation across settings Staff confidence, capability, and retention metrics Demonstrable impact of coaching and CPD initiatives Positive parental and staff feedback relating to quality of care and education
Job Types: Full-time, Permanent

Pay: Up to 56,000.00 per year

Work Location: In person