Manager Confidence Plan: What Should You Train Next, and Why Does It Matter?

A practical guide to identifying leadership skills gaps and building a more confident Early Years management team

Running a nursery requires far more than a passion for Early Years education and care. Managers are expected to lead people, maintain quality, manage resources, support children’s development, communicate with parents and make decisions that affect the whole setting.

For many, the move into management happens because they are an experienced and capable practitioner. They understand the day to day demands of the nursery and have earned the trust of their team. But being an excellent practitioner and being a confident manager are not necessarily the same thing.

The skills that help someone succeed in the room are not always the skills they need to lead the whole setting.

This is why leadership development should be an ongoing part of nursery planning, rather than something that only happens when a problem arises or a manager is preparing for their next role.

A clear manager confidence plan helps nursery owners and senior leaders identify where their managers are strong, where they need support and what training will make the biggest difference next.

It also helps managers understand what is expected of them, see a route for their own development and build the confidence to take responsibility.

Why leadership development matters in Early Years

Early Years managers work in a demanding environment. They need to balance the quality of education and care with safeguarding, staffing, parent relationships, financial pressures and the development of their team.

The sector’s workforce challenges make effective leadership even more important. The National Foundation for Educational Research’s 2026 report on the Early Years workforce highlights ongoing concerns around staffing, qualification levels, pay and career progression. It also points to the importance of developing a more highly qualified workforce and improving opportunities for progression.

For nursery employers, this creates a practical question: are your managers equipped to lead the teams you have today, and to support the setting you want to build tomorrow?

Leadership training is not simply about helping someone gain a qualification. It is about developing the knowledge, judgement and confidence to manage people well, make sound decisions and create an environment where practitioners can do their best work.

A confident manager is more likely to address concerns early, give useful feedback, support staff development and create clarity around expectations. These behaviours can influence the day to day experience of the whole team.

Leadership development also gives employers a way to recognise and retain people with potential. When experienced practitioners can see a credible route into leadership, they have a reason to picture their future within the setting.

The difference between experience and leadership confidence

A common mistake is to assume that a manager’s length of service tells you everything you need to know about their capability.

Experience is valuable. It gives managers practical knowledge of children, families, routines and the realities of nursery life. But leadership confidence develops through a combination of experience, reflection, support and learning.

A manager may be confident overseeing daily routines but less confident managing a difficult conversation. Another may be strong at supporting practitioners but struggle to delegate or hold people accountable. Someone else may understand safeguarding procedures but need more confidence in leading a team through a change in practice.

These are not signs that someone is unsuitable for leadership. They are opportunities to identify what would help them develop.

The important question is not simply, “Have they done this before?”

It is, “Can they do this consistently, explain their decisions and support others to do it well?”

That distinction helps employers move away from general training plans and towards development that is relevant to the manager, the team and the setting.

Start with a simple leadership capability map

Before deciding which course or programme to book, take time to understand the capabilities your managers need.

A leadership capability map provides a practical overview of the skills required for each role. It can be used during supervision, performance reviews, succession planning or conversations about future development.

For an Early Years manager, the map might cover six key areas.

1. Leading and developing people

Can the manager set clear expectations, motivate their team, delegate effectively and support individual development? Are they confident giving feedback, addressing performance concerns and recognising good practice?

People leadership is often one of the biggest changes when moving from practitioner to manager. It requires a shift from doing the work well to helping others do it well.

2. Communication and difficult conversations

Can the manager communicate clearly with staff and parents, manage disagreements professionally and address concerns before they become bigger problems?

This includes having conversations about attendance, performance, behaviour, workload and professional standards. Avoiding difficult conversations may feel easier in the moment, but it can leave issues unresolved and create uncertainty across the team.

3. Quality of education and care

Can the manager support effective practice, lead reflection and help practitioners understand how their work contributes to children’s learning, development and wellbeing?

This involves more than checking that procedures are followed. It means building a shared understanding of quality and helping the team improve practice consistently.

4. Safeguarding and professional judgement

Does the manager understand their responsibilities and feel confident responding to concerns, following procedures and making decisions when situations are complex?

Safeguarding knowledge is essential, but managers also need to know how to lead a culture in which concerns are taken seriously and staff understand their responsibilities.

5. Organisation and operational management

Can the manager plan staffing, manage competing priorities, organise resources and respond to unexpected changes without losing sight of quality?

This is particularly important in a setting where daily demands can quickly take over. Managers need systems and habits that help them focus on both immediate needs and longer term priorities.

6. Business awareness and improvement

Does the manager understand how decisions affect the sustainability and performance of the setting? Can they use information, identify patterns and contribute to improvement planning?

For some managers, this is a new area of responsibility. They may be highly capable in practice but need support to understand budgets, occupancy, resource planning or how operational decisions connect with the wider business.

The capability map should reflect the responsibilities of the role. A room leader will not necessarily need the same level of financial or operational responsibility as a deputy or nursery manager. The aim is to make development relevant, not to create an unrealistic list of expectations.

Turn the capability map into a development priority

Once you have mapped the skills required, the next step is to identify where development will have the greatest impact.

A simple rating system can help. For each capability, ask the manager to assess their confidence and discuss it with their line manager. A three point scale is often enough:

1 – Needs support: The manager needs guidance, training or more experience to carry out this responsibility confidently.

2 – Developing: The manager can carry out the responsibility in familiar situations but may need support with more complex or challenging situations.

3 – Confident: The manager can carry out the responsibility consistently and support others where appropriate.

The conversation is more important than the score. A manager may rate themselves highly in one area, while their line manager has observed a gap. Equally, a manager may underestimate their ability because they have not yet had the opportunity to take responsibility.

Use examples to explore the difference.

For instance, if a manager says they are confident with staff communication, ask how they would handle a practitioner who repeatedly arrives late or a team member who disagrees with a change in practice. Their answers may reveal whether they need a refresher, practical coaching or more structured leadership development.

The goal is to identify one or two meaningful priorities rather than trying to train everything at once.

Choose training based on the need, not the course catalogue

Training is most useful when it addresses a specific capability gap.

If a manager is struggling to delegate, a general leadership course may provide useful background, but they may also need practical support to plan tasks, agree expectations and follow up without taking the work back themselves.

If they lack confidence with difficult conversations, targeted communication training and opportunities to practise real scenarios may be more effective than simply reading about leadership.

If the manager is taking on wider responsibility, they may need a more structured programme that develops their understanding of leadership, people management and operational decision making.

A useful way to think about development is to consider three approaches:

Training builds knowledge and introduces new tools or techniques.

Coaching and mentoring help managers reflect on their own situations, test their thinking and build confidence through discussion.

Practical experience gives managers the opportunity to apply what they have learned, with appropriate support and feedback.

These approaches work best together. A course can introduce a model for giving feedback, but the manager still needs to use it in a real conversation. A mentor can help them reflect afterwards and identify what they would do differently next time.

Build a 30/60/90 day manager confidence plan

A development plan does not need to be complicated. A simple 30/60/90 day structure can help turn a conversation into action.

The timescales are a guide rather than a rigid programme. Adapt them to the manager’s role, experience and immediate responsibilities.

The first 30 days: Understand and prioritise

Start by reviewing the manager’s responsibilities, current strengths and development needs.

Use the capability map to identify the one or two areas where greater confidence would make the biggest difference. Agree what success would look like and how you will recognise progress.

For example, if the priority is communication, success might mean the manager can prepare for and lead a challenging conversation, explain the outcome clearly and agree appropriate next steps.

During this first month, the manager and their line manager should also identify the right support. This could include a short course, a mentor, observation of an experienced leader or a structured leadership programme.

The key outcome is a clear development priority, not simply a list of training activities.

Days 31 to 60: Learn and put it into practice

The second month is about building knowledge and applying it.

The manager should take part in the agreed training or development activity and look for opportunities to use the learning in their role.

If the focus is delegation, they might agree responsibilities with room leaders, set clear expectations and review how the tasks are progressing.

If the focus is staff development, they might practise conducting more purposeful supervision conversations, identifying individual goals and agreeing follow up actions.

The line manager should provide support without taking over. Ask what is working, where the manager feels uncertain and what they have learned from trying a new approach.

This stage is where development becomes part of the working day, rather than something that happens separately from it.

Days 61 to 90: Review, embed and plan the next step

At the end of the 90 days, review the original priority.

Has the manager’s confidence improved? Are they demonstrating the skill more consistently? Has the change made a difference to the team or the way the setting operates?

Use evidence wherever possible. This might include feedback from staff, the quality of supervision conversations, more consistent delegation or improved follow through on agreed actions.

Recognise progress and identify what still needs attention. Some skills will require further practice, while others may now be strong enough to move into the manager’s normal responsibilities.

Then agree the next development priority.

A 30/60/90 day plan should not be treated as a one off exercise. It is a simple way to build a continuing cycle of reflection, learning and improvement.

Make leadership development part of your nursery’s workforce planning

Leadership development is often treated as an individual activity: a manager attends training, completes a programme and returns to work.

For employers, the greater value comes when development is connected to the needs of the setting.

Consider the leadership capability you will need over the next year. Are you planning to open another room? Is a deputy likely to take on more responsibility? Are experienced practitioners ready to progress? Do you have someone who could step into a management role if a vacancy arose?

These questions help employers plan ahead rather than wait until a leadership gap appears.

A clear development pathway can also support succession planning. It gives potential leaders a better understanding of what the next role involves and helps employers identify the support needed before a promotion takes place.

The NFER’s 2026 Early Years workforce report highlights limited career progression opportunities for higher qualified staff as one of the sector’s concerns. For employers, creating visible routes into leadership is one practical way to make development a meaningful part of the employment offer.

It is important, however, not to assume that every strong practitioner wants to become a manager. Development conversations should explore individual ambitions as well as business needs. Some people may want to deepen their expertise in practice, while others are ready to lead a room, manage a team or take on wider operational responsibility.

Good workforce planning makes space for both.

How to know whether leadership training is making a difference

Attendance and completion are useful measures, but they do not tell the whole story.

To understand the value of leadership development, consider what has changed in practice.

Has the manager become more confident making decisions? Are they communicating expectations more clearly? Are staff receiving more useful feedback? Are issues being addressed earlier? Is the manager able to support others without needing constant direction?

You can also look at wider indicators, such as staff feedback, consistency of practice, progress against improvement plans and the readiness of team members for additional responsibility.

These measures will not always change immediately, and they will be influenced by factors beyond training. But they can help employers understand whether development is translating into stronger leadership.

The most useful review combines evidence with an honest conversation between the manager and their line manager.

Give your managers a clear route to develop

A manager confidence plan helps you understand what to train next. But when the development need is broader than a single skill, a structured leadership programme can provide the framework, time and support to build capability over a longer period.

Swift Childcare’s Lead & Inspire Early Years Leadership Accelerator is a 10 month leadership development programme designed by Early Years leaders for Early Years leaders.

It supports managers and aspiring leaders to develop their leadership skills, strengthen their confidence and apply their learning to the realities of working in Early Years.

For employers, it can form part of a wider plan to develop current managers, prepare emerging leaders and build the leadership capability your setting needs for the future.

The starting point is a conversation about your team, your priorities and the development your leaders need.

Build your manager confidence plan