Third in Charge (Maternity Leave)

Role overview

Kiddi Caru Day Nursery in Market Harborough, part of Grandir UK, is looking for a warm, energetic Third in Charge to support its nursery team while covering maternity leave. The position is centred on creating a nurturing environment where children are encouraged to explore, learn and grow with confidence.

The salary is £13.50 to £14.80 per hour, depending on experience and qualifications, and is supported by regular pay reviews.

This opening is specifically for maternity cover.

About the nursery

The nursery and preschool is a purpose-built setting across two floors in Market Harborough, Leicestershire, located at Bowden Business Village just off the A6 on Harborough Road near the McDonalds roundabout. It is accessible via Bus 44, with a stop about a 2-minute walk away, and there is ample on-site parking for drivers.

The setting follows the Hygge approach across its rooms and encourages imagination and curiosity through play. It has five newly decorated playrooms with age-appropriate resources, toys and activities, each with access to its own garden space. These gardens are designed for year-round use with shelters in place. The nursery also features a large outdoor area with a fixed climbing frame and slide, a mud kitchen, a large sheltered sand area and an investigation garden for preschool children.

The nursery places strong emphasis on parent partnerships, including monthly stay-and-play sessions and other family engagement activities. The setting has a Good Ofsted rating.

Key responsibilities

In this role, you will help maintain high-quality standards across the nursery, support and supervise playroom colleagues, and make sure staffing is deployed effectively so daily standards are consistently met.

You will also help ensure key person systems are followed, children are allocated appropriately, and practice remains aligned with the EYFS framework. A further part of the job is to share professional feedback with parents and carers, help promote the nursery to existing families and prospective customers, and build open, positive relationships with both staff and families.

Benefits and rewards

The nursery offers a supportive working culture with flexible working options and a genuine focus on progression. Core benefits include 33 days of annual leave including bank holidays, with 3 of those days taken during the Christmas shutdown, plus a Christmas and New Year closure period.

Additional benefits include a large childcare discount, a £500 refer-a-friend bonus, a company pension with employer contributions, Statutory Sick Pay from day 1, life assurance for employees aged 18 to 65, and recognition as a Great Place to Work by current colleagues.

Family and wellbeing support includes maternity and adoption leave paid at 100% for the first 12 weeks, paternity leave paid at 100% for 4 weeks, parental bereavement leave paid for up to 4 weeks, compassionate leave paid for up to 2 weeks, miscarriage leave paid for up to 2 weeks, a Wellbeing Day as an extra day off, and The Grand Event, which can provide up to an additional week of annual leave for a major life event after 2 years of service.

Further perks include access to an employee benefits portal with retail discounts from brands and retailers such as ASOS, gym memberships, cinemas, Marks and Spencer and major supermarkets, plus 24-hour remote GP appointments, medical cashback for dental care, physiotherapy and alternative therapies. The company also offers regular recognition and team celebrations, tailored in-house training, progression opportunities, and a sustainability focus supported by Carbon Literacy-trained teams and Eco Schools accreditation.

Additional information

Grandir UK is committed to safeguarding children and young people. An enhanced DBS check is required for this role. The organisation is an equal opportunities employer and selects candidates on merit. Recruitment may involve AI-assisted tools for screening applications and checking references, but all final hiring decisions are made by the company team. Applications are reviewed as they arrive, and the role may close early.

Working arrangement

This is a full-time position based on site in Market Harborough.