Nurture Lead Practitioner
Babies and Toddlers · 34 hours, 4-day week
Why Wildnest?
Wildnest is being built because we believe early years can be even better - for children, families and the people who work in it.
We’re creating a nursery where relationships matter, practitioners are trusted to use their skills and ideas, and the people who work here genuinely have a voice in what we build.
Our values aren’t just words on a wall. They shape how we work everyday:
We start with nurture
We believe children need to feel safe, understood and genuinely known before they can thrive. Nurture sits at the heart of everything we do.
We work around family life
We know life doesn’t always fit neatly around nursery hours. We’ll work with families and our own team to find solutions that work wherever we can.
We share what we build
This one matters. Wildnest will only succeed because of the people who build it with us. When we grow and succeed, our team should share in that success. We’re committed to finding meaningful ways to recognise and financially share the success we create together.
We’re more than a nursery
We want Wildnest to be part of something bigger - connected to our community, creating opportunities and making a difference beyond the nursery walls.
If you want to be part of building something, not just working somewhere, we’d love to hear from you.
Find out more about Wildnest on our website: www.wildnestnursery.co.uk and follow us on Facebook and Instagram to see what we’re building.
The role
As our Nurture Lead Practitioner you’ll take the lead in our baby and toddler room, and supervise our Nurture Practitioners day to day. It’s a hands-on, people-first job. Day to day, you’ll:
- Lead the day-to-day care of our babies and toddlers, setting the tone for warm, responsive practice in the room
- Plan rich, playful activities suited to babies and toddlers, in line with the relevant curriculum
- Follow each child’s individual routines - feeding, sleep, and comfort - so babies and toddlers feel safe and known
- Support mealtimes and snack times with patience, warmth, and encouragement
- Build close, nurturing connections with children, acting as a key person families can trust
- Support children’s development and keep meaningful records and next steps up to date
- Communicate warmly with parents, sharing observations and the small moments that matter
- Help children settle and manage gentle transitions, including moving on to the 2-5 room as they grow
- Keep the environment clean, safe, and in line with relevant guidance, with safeguarding and child protection always followed
- Supervise and support our Nurture Practitioners, modelling great practice and offering day-to-day guidance
- Create a cosy, warm, and inviting environment that feels like a home from home
- Uphold our nurture principles - and help the team live them too
Our nurture principles matter to us
Nurture sits at the heart of everything we do. We work to the six nurture principles, and we want someone who already feels this deeply - or is excited to grow into it.
1 Children’s learning is understood developmentally
2 The environment offers a safe base
3 Nurture is important for wellbeing and self-esteem
4 Language is a vital means of communication
5 All behaviour is communication
6 Transitions are significant in children’s lives
Who we’re hoping to meet
Above all, we’re hoping to meet you. The right person will be:
- Calm, patient, and gentle, with a genuine love of caring for babies and toddlers
- Brilliant at building positive relationships with children, families, and colleagues
- Someone who understands early attachment and child development, and puts connection first
- Confident supporting and guiding others with warmth and kindness
- Comfortable and caring with the close, hands-on routines of caring for our youngest children
- Excited by the chance to help shape something new from the ground up
What you’ll need
- To meet the SSSC registration requirements for a practitioner role
- A relevant childcare qualification (SVQ / HNC Level 3 or above),
- Ideally nurture-trained, though full training will be provided if not
The package
Pay
Competitive depending on qualifications and experience and annual profit share
Hours
34 hours per week over a 4-day week (8-5.30pm)
Meetings
One monthly team meeting – out of hours
The best bit
The chance to help shape care for our babies and toddlers from day one
Sound like you?
If you’ve read this and thought “that’s me” - we’d genuinely love to hear from you.
Apply now → we will be in touch with next steps
If you want to chat about the role before applying call Caroline on 07933 806308 or email [email protected]
Closing Date for applicants : 6/09/2026
Pay: £26,520.00-£28,288.00 per year
Benefits:
- Company pension
- Employee mentoring programme
- Profit sharing
Work Location: In person
