Nursery Administrator

Nursery Administrator

Acorn Early Years – Stony Stratford

Part time 08:00-13:30

Acorn Early Years is seeking an organised, friendly and proactive Nursery Administrator to join our warm and welcoming team at StonyStratford Nursery. This is a vital role at the heart of the nursery, supporting families, staff and management to ensure the smooth day‑to‑day running of the setting.

Situated on the site of Elizabeth House, in Vicarage Road, Stony Stratford. Our nursery provides high quality, affordable childcare and early years education for the local community, in a building which has been completely refurbished and extended, with two spacious play areas indoors, with direct access to three outdoor play areas.

We offer full and part-time care for up to 40 children from the age of four months to four years, and are open from 7.30am to 6.15pm, Monday to Friday, all year round. 

Acorn places a strong emphasis on outdoor play and learning, and the children will have the opportunity to be outdoors at some point every day, whatever the weather. Included in our fees are regular Forest School sessions; these exciting educational experiences are suitable for pre-schoolers and are delivered by fully trained forest school leaders and offer an innovative approach to outdoor play.

Regular visits to Elizabeth House Retirement Village:

The nursery has a great relationship with our neighbours at Elizabeth House and the residents in the retirement apartments. Twice a month The Squirrels visit Elizabeth House for an afternoon of fun, games and laughter. The interaction for all parties is invaluable and the children’s visit is always eagerly anticipated by the residents.

We also take full advantage of our lovely setting, taking the children on regular walks in the town and to the numerous parks Stony Stratford has to offer. Local residents often see our large “Buggy Bus” around the town as we take regular trips to the local library. Enjoying the library from an early age is a great way for children to embrace the fun of reading.

We work closely with the community and often become involved with Town events and use the local amenities and surrounding area.

About the Role

As Nursery Administrator, you will provide comprehensive administrative and financial support, manage enquiries and admissions, and be the first point of contact for parents and visitors. You will play a key role in maintaining accurate records, supporting compliance, and ensuring excellent customer service at all times.

Key Responsibilities

Administration & Customer Service

• Provide comprehensive administrative support to the nursery management team
• Act as the main point of contact for parents, visitors, contractors and suppliers
• Manage nursery correspondence, including phone calls, emails and messages
• Maintain accurate child and staff records across internal systems
• Support staff training administration and keep records up to date
• Ensure GDPR compliance within the office environment
• Log and monitor building maintenance and facility requirements
• Support safeguarding procedures and escalate concerns appropriately

Admissions, Enquiries & Occupancy

• Handle enquiries from prospective parents and arrange nursery tours
• Log, track and follow up enquiries and show-rounds
• Manage waiting lists and support occupancy planning with the Nursery Manager
• Oversee registrations and maintain regular communication with families

Finance & Funding

• Raise monthly invoices, apply discounts and respond to fee queries
• Chase outstanding payments in line with Acorn policies
• Prepare and submit accurate termly funding claims to the local authority
• Liaise with the local authority regarding funding queries and discrepancies
• Reconcile credit card reports and submit to the Central Support Finance Team
• Maintain milk records and process government milk refunds

Stock & Purchasing

• Assist with purchase orders for food, hygiene and resources
• Check deliveries against orders and invoices
• Liaise with suppliers regarding discrepancies

Additional Responsibilities

• Flexibility to support other Acorn sites during periods of sickness or holiday
• Occasionally support within the nursery rooms for short periods, if required
• Carry out additional reasonable duties as requested by the Nursery Manager

Skills, Knowledge & Experience

• Recent experience in an administrative or similar role
• Excellent administration and customer service skills
• Strong organisational skills with excellent attention to detail
• Confident using Microsoft Office (Word, Excel and Outlook)
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Ability to build positive relationships with parents, colleagues and external partners
• Confident communicating via digital platforms and social media

Why Join Acorn Early Years?

At Acorn, we’re passionate about creating inclusive, nurturing environments where children, families and staff can thrive. We are committed to equality, diversity and inclusion and welcome applications from all backgrounds. Reasonable adjustments will be considered throughout the recruitment process.

Safeguarding & Compliance

Applicants must have the right to work in the UK and be able to provide two satisfactory references. Due to the nature of our work, all roles are subject to an Enhanced DBS check.

As a thank you for all of your hard work and dedication to making Acorn a safe, nurturing and fun place for our children to be, we offer:

• Payscales that are competitive, transparent and reviewed annually
• 65% Childcare discount Pro-rata according to contracted hours
• Generous family leave
• Christmas closure
• 25 days of annual leave, plus bank holidays (and the option to buy more)
• 4 dedicated training days and individual development plans
• Enhanced pension scheme
• Cyclescheme
• Techscheme
• Length of Service awards
• Summer and Christmas parties
• Pay advances for when times are tough
• Employee assistance wellbeing programme