Administrative Assistant – Nursery – Lewisham
Overview
The Administrative Assistant plays a vital role in the smooth day-to-day running of the nursery providing a warm, professional front-of-house service for parents, visitors, and professionals while supporting the Finance, Administration, and Management teams.
This role acts as a key point of contact across both nursery sites, supporting safeguarding procedures, admissions, communication, digitisation, and general administration, whilst upholding the nursery’s values, safeguarding standards, and operational procedures at all times.
The successful candidate will be highly organised, confident using IT systems and comfortable managing a varied workload. Previous administrative experience is essential, with experience within a nursery, school, childcare or similar education setting highly desirable.
If you are approachable, dependable and enjoy working in a busy environment where no two days are quite the same, we would love to hear from you.
The nursery is operational 52 weeks a year.
Key Responsibilities
- Welcome parents, visitors, and professionals in a friendly and professional manner
- Manage door access, visitor sign-in, and safeguarding procedures
- Act as first point of contact for general enquiries
- Maintain a tidy, welcoming reception area
- Maintain digital records, archives, and shared filing systems
- Support ongoing digitisation of historic records across both sites
- Ensure documents are accurately named, stored, and compliant
- Carry out basic administration and data input
- Monitor and manage shared inboxes
- Respond to or redirect enquiries appropriately
- Coordinate newsletters, calendars, and internal communications
- Support parent communication and admissions processes
- Handle frontline admissions enquiries
- Provide clear information on availability and processes
- Support the Finance Officer with admissions and funding administration
- Assist with printing, photocopying, and resource preparation
- Provide basic IT support (logins, printers, access issues)
- Redirect staff queries to relevant departments
- Ensure children’s dietary information is kept up to date
- Manage shared calendars, meetings, tours, and events
- Check first aid boxes monthly and maintain compliance logs
- Support marketing content gathering and parent-facing displays
- Provide flexible operational support as required
Skills and Experience
- Highly organised with strong attention to detail
- Warm, professional, and confident communicator
- Comfortable managing multiple tasks and priorities
- Able to work independently and as part of a team
- Strong IT and digital organisation skills
- Discreet and committed to confidentiality and safeguarding
- Proficient in basic computer applications (MS Office, email, etc.).
- Experience with tools such as Mailchimp or Canva to create engaging newsletters.
- Ability to multitask, prioritise, and remain calm under pressure.
- Understanding of safeguarding and data protection.
- Discreet and committed to confidentiality and safeguarding
Qualifications
- GCSE English and Maths at Grade C/4 or above, or Functional Skills Level 2 in English and Maths.
- Relevant administration, business or customer service qualification would be advantageous.
CPD
- Current Safeguarding certification.
- Paediatric First Aid certification would be advantageous, or willingness to undertake training.
- Relevant food hygiene and COSHH training would be advantageous, or willingness to undertake training.
Other Requirements
- Commitment to continuous professional development.
- Physically able to carry out the requirements of the role.
- Flexibility to work various shifts as needed.
- Enhanced DBS on the update service (or willingness to apply for one)*.