Nursery Administrator

Nursery Administrator

Acorn Early Years – Hedgerows - Netherfield

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 Hedgerows 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.

Acorn at Hedgerows is a 43 place day nursery in Netherfield, Milton Keynes. Attached to the Hedgerows family centre, the nursery transferred to us from Milton Keynes Council and offers fully-funded places for eligible 2, 3 and 4 year olds.

The nursery offers full and part-time care for children aged four months to four years, and is open 7:30am until 6pm, Monday to Friday, all year round.

The Acorns and Squirrels room caters for 15 children, aged four months to two years old. It has a bright main play room, a sleep area and nappy changing/toilet facilities and children have access to a safe enclosed garden.

Our Oaks room has provision for 24 children, aged three and four, and is a bright room with access to a large garden space with a covered area for all year round play. A toilet area and quiet/sleep room is available for children to use.

We place a strong emphasis on outdoor learning and the children enjoy play outside in all weathers. Pre-school children develop their outdoor learning at regular Forest School sessions, and a variety of imaginative and creative play activities can be enjoyed alongside regular outings and trips.

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