Nurture Outdoor Kindergarten

NOK Manager Search

Our Search for a Visionary Leader

Our Search for a Visionary Leader

Nurture Outdoor Kindergarten is seeking an exceptional individual to serve as our next Manager. We are looking for a passionate educator who embraces our unique outdoor education model and can lead our school into its next chapter of growth and innovation.

About Nurture Outdoor Kindergarten

Founded in 2014, Nurture Outdoor Kindergarten is dedicated to providing a nature-based, child-centered learning experience. Our core values of Advocacy, Respect, Growth, Compassion, Efficiency, and Sustainability guide all aspects of our programmes at NOK.

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Desired Qualification and Attributes

  • Passion for outdoor and experiential education

  • Strong background in early childhood education

  • Proven leadership and administrative experience

  • Excellent communication and community-building skills

  • Commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion

  • Innovative thinking and strategic planning abilities

Search Process and Timeline

Application Deadline: Wave 1: 30th September; Wave 2: 9th November

Initial Interviews: Oct-Nov

Finalist Visits: Dec

Appointment Announced: Dec

New NOK Manager Starts: Jan 2025

Leadership Messages

Dear Nurture Outdoor Kindergarten Community,

As we embark on the search for our next Manager, we want to share with you the reasons behind this exciting journey and our vision for the future of our beloved kindergarten.

Our Wednesday to Friday Manager, Kate Lavender, has accepted a promotion to the role of Community and Partner Engagement Lead with our parent company, Nurture Families CIC. Although Kate will continue to be involved with the kindergarten, her role will focus on community and partnership building. We are immensely grateful for her dedicated leadership and the strong foundation she has built for our kindergarten over the last 7 years.

Nurture Outdoor Kindergarten has grown significantly over the past 10 years, establishing itself as a leader in nature-based early childhood education. Our unique approach, combining relationship-focused care with outdoor child-centred learning, has fostered a community of curious, confident, and compassionate young learners. As we look to the future, we seek a visionary leader who will build upon these strengths and guide us into the next phase of growth and innovation.

Our vision for the future includes:

  • A new site from which we can expand our programmes to more families in our community

  • Establish NOK as a centre of excellence for infant and early childhood mental health

  • Enhancing our curriculum based in social pedagogy to incorporate emerging best practices in early childhood education

  • Strengthening partnerships with local organisations and schools

We believe that finding the right leader for our kindergarten is a community effort. Your input and participation in this process are crucial. We encourage you to complete our community survey, and share your thoughts on the qualities you believe are essential in our next NOK Manager.

Thank you for your continued support and dedication to Nurture Outdoor Kindergarten. Together, we will ensure a bright future for our community.

Yours sincerely,

Hannah Reeve

CEO, Nurture Families

CEO Message

Dear Nurture Outdoor Kindergarten Community,

After seven wonderful years as Manager of Nurture Outdoor Kindergarten, I am excited to share that I will be transitioning to a new role as Community and Partner Engagement Lead with our parent organisation, Nurture Families CIC. This move allows me to continue supporting Nurture’s mission while expanding our impact in the broader early childhood landscape.

My time at NOK has been incredibly rewarding, and I am deeply grateful for the relationships I've built with our children, families, and team. As I prepare for this transition, I am confident that NOK is well-positioned for continued success under new leadership.

I look forward to maintaining connections with NOK and the community in my new role, and to championing our unique approach to education on a wider scale. Thank you for your trust, support, and partnership over the years. The future is bright for NOK, and I'm thrilled to continue being a part of it in a new capacity.

Kind regards,

Kate Lavender

Current Manager

Dear Nurture Outdoor Kindergarten Community,

As you are aware, Kate Lavender, Nurture Outdoor Kindergarten’s Manager is moving to a new role with us at Nurture Families. We are grateful to her for her dedication and unwavering support. We are excited to see her flourish in her new role as Community and Partner Engagement Lead.

We are fortunate that Kate will be with us throughout the transition, affording us the time to conduct a thoughtful, inclusive search for our next leader. The Board of Directors has engaged Samantha Pewsey of People Finding Consultancy to guide us through this process.

In partnership with our search consultants, we will form a Search Committee representing our community. The group will bring an array of perspectives and experiences, as well as a shared commitment to NOK.

The committee will review candidate applications sent through from Sam Pewsey, identify semi-finalists and then finalists, manage the site visits for finalists, and solicit feedback from the entire NOK community, including our team and the children. The Search Committee will then make a recommendation to the Board of Directors, who holds the ultimate recruitment responsibility.

We appreciate your engagement in supporting the continued growth and success of our kindergarten community.

We look forward to keeping you apprised of the search process and will provide regular updates on our work.

Thank you for your support!

Yours sincerely,

Kavita Shial, Chair of the Board

Nurture Families Chair of the Board

How to Apply

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Interested candidates should submit the following materials:

  • Covering letter & CV, incl 3 references

  • Statement of educational philosophy

  • Please send all materials to: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Download Full Job Description

Community Involvement

Forest school toast a marshmallow

We value input from our entire kindergarten community in this important process. Please participate in our community survey.

Take Our Community Survey

Our Nurture Outdoor Kindergarten 2-year-old programme is a great first taste of social and experiential learning for 2 year olds. 

Our Nurture Outdoor Kindergarten 3 - 5 year old programme offers an exciting play-based learning environment that nurtures imagination, explorations in science, nature and art.

Led by two qualified primary school teachers, our Reception Year offers children the opportunity to continue their hands-on, nature-based learning experiences at Nurture Outdoor Kindergarten.

Do you have a child under the age of 2? Check out our friends at Nurture at Home.