Job Overview
We are seeking a passionate and dedicated Level 3 Early Years Practitioner to join our vibrant childcare team. In this role, you will play a vital part in nurturing and supporting young children’s development during their formative years. Your enthusiasm, management skills, and leadership qualities will help create a safe, engaging, and stimulating environment where children can thrive. This paid position offers an exciting opportunity to make a positive impact on children’s lives while developing your career in early childhood education.
Job Purpose
To provide high-quality care, learning and development opportunities for children aged 2–4, working as part of the team to create a safe, inclusive, stimulating and nurturing environment.
The Early Years Practitioner will support the delivery of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), ensuring that children’s individual needs, interests, development and wellbeing are recognised and appropriately supported.
The postholder will work closely with colleagues, parents/carers and relevant professionals to promote positive outcomes for children and maintain high standards of care, education, safeguarding and professional practice.
Key Outcomes
The postholder will contribute to:
- High standards of care, learning and development for all children.
- Children’s individual needs, interests and developmental stages being identified and appropriately supported.
- A safe, inclusive, stimulating and well-maintained learning environment.
- Effective implementation of the EYFS and the setting’s policies and procedures.
- Strong, respectful and professional relationships with children, colleagues, parents/carers and other professionals.
- A positive culture of safeguarding, inclusion, continuous improvement and professional development.
Key Responsibilities. Care, Learning and Development
- Provide warm, responsive and nurturing care that supports children’s emotional wellbeing, confidence, independence and sense of belonging.
- Plan, prepare and provide engaging, age- and stage-appropriate activities and experiences that support children’s learning and development.
- Support the implementation of the setting’s curriculum in accordance with the EYFS and the needs, interests and developmental stages of individual children.
- Use observation and professional knowledge to identify children’s interests, progress, emerging needs and appropriate next steps.
- Support children through play-based learning and purposeful experiences, both indoors and outdoors.
- Provide appropriate support and challenge to enable every child to make progress.
- Promote positive relationships, communication, language, physical development and social and emotional development.
- Support children to develop independence, self-care skills and positive attitudes towards learning.
- Adapt activities, interactions and the environment to meet individual needs, including children with SEND and children who may require additional support.
- Contribute to an inclusive environment where every child is valued, respected and able to participate.
Key Person Responsibilities
- Act as a key person for a designated group of children, where required.
- Develop secure, positive relationships with children and their families.
- Build effective partnerships with parents/carers and share appropriate information about children’s experiences, development and wellbeing.
- Ensure children’s individual needs, interests, routines and next steps are understood and reflected in practice.
- Support children during transitions, including settling into the setting and moving between rooms or on to school.
- Maintain accurate and appropriate records relating to key children in accordance with the setting’s procedures.
Safeguarding and Child Protection
- Maintain a strong understanding that safeguarding is everyone's responsibility.
- Follow the setting’s safeguarding and child protection policies and procedures at all times.
- Recognise and appropriately respond to concerns relating to a child’s welfare, development, behaviour or safety.
- Report concerns promptly to the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) or appropriate member of management in accordance with the setting’s procedures.
- Maintain professional curiosity and awareness of indicators of abuse, neglect, exploitation and wider safeguarding concerns.
- Understand and follow procedures relating to allegations, disclosures, information sharing, confidentiality and whistleblowing.
- Maintain appropriate professional boundaries with children, families and colleagues.
- Ensure children are supervised appropriately and remain safe at all times.
- Contribute to a positive safeguarding culture within the setting.
Health, Safety and Wellbeing
- Promote the health, safety and wellbeing of children, colleagues, parents/carers and visitors.
- Follow all health and safety, risk management, infection prevention and control procedures.
- Maintain high standards of hygiene, cleanliness and personal care.
- Support children appropriately with toileting, nappy changing, handwashing and other personal care routines.
- Support safe and positive mealtimes, including awareness of allergies, dietary requirements, choking risks and safer eating practices.
- Follow the setting’s safer sleep procedures where applicable.
- Ensure children have appropriate opportunities for physical activity and outdoor learning.
- Be familiar with fire, emergency, evacuation, security and accident/incident procedures.
- Report hazards, accidents, incidents, concerns or defective equipment promptly.
- Maintain appropriate supervision and never leave children in an unsafe situation.
Working with Parents, Carers and Professionals
- Develop and maintain positive, respectful and professional relationships with parents and carers.
- Communicate effectively with families about their child’s day, experiences, development and wellbeing, within the limits of confidentiality.
- Work in partnership with parents/carers to support continuity of care and learning.
- Contribute to effective communication with external professionals and agencies where appropriate and authorised.
- Treat all information relating to children, families and colleagues with appropriate confidentiality and professionalism.
- Promote the setting positively and contribute to a welcoming experience for existing and prospective families.
Teamwork and Professional Practice
- Work collaboratively with the Room Leader, management team and wider nursery team.
- Communicate openly and professionally with colleagues.
- Contribute positively to team meetings, staff meetings, supervision, one-to-one meetings and appraisals.
- Support colleagues in maintaining high standards of childcare practice.
- Provide appropriate support to students, apprentices and less experienced or unqualified staff when required.
- Take responsibility for personal conduct, reliability and professional standards.
- Reflect on practice and contribute to continuous improvement within the setting.
- Attend required training and actively engage in continuing professional development (CPD).
- Keep knowledge of EYFS requirements, safeguarding procedures and relevant legislation and guidance up to date.
- Assist with cleaning and preparing the room, resources and learning environment before and throughout the session.
- Help maintain an organised, welcoming and stimulating environment.
- Support the effective use and rotation of resources and equipment.
- Assist with maintaining required records and documentation accurately and within agreed timescales.
- Follow the setting’s procedures relating to attendance, collection and collection of children, medication, accidents, incidents, risk assessments and other operational matters.
- Ensure the room and resources are appropriately prepared, tidied and cleaned at the beginning and end of sessions.
- In the absence of the Room Leader, take responsibility for the effective day-to-day running of the room where delegated and within the scope of the role.
- Complete relevant room-based duties and documentation when required.
- Support management during Ofsted inspections and other regulatory or professional visits and assist with implementing agreed actions or recommendations.
Person Specification
Essential:
- Level 3 Early Years Education and Childcare qualification, or an equivalent qualification recognised for EYFS purposes.
- Previous experience of working with children aged 2-4 in an early years, nursery, preschool or similar setting.
- Good understanding of child development from birth to five years.
- Good working knowledge of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS).
- Understanding of play-based learning and child-centred practice.
- Understanding of safeguarding and child protection responsibilities.
- Awareness of the needs of children with SEND and a commitment to inclusive practice.
- Good verbal and written communication skills.
- Ability to build positive and professional relationships with children, parents/carers and colleagues.
- Ability to observe, assess and respond appropriately to children’s individual needs and development.
- Ability to work effectively as part of a team.
- Commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion.
- Commitment to maintaining high standards of care, safety and professional practice.
- Willingness to undertake relevant training and continuing professional development.
- A positive, caring, reliable and professional approach.
Desirable:
- Paediatric First Aid qualification.
- Previous experience of acting as a key person.
- Experience supporting children with SEND or additional needs.
- Experience of working within an Ofsted-registered early years setting.
- Knowledge or experience of supporting children and families with additional or emerging needs.
- Experience of supporting students, apprentices or less experienced practitioners.
Safeguarding and Safer Recruitment
The welfare and safeguarding of children is central to this role. All staff are expected to understand and follow the setting’s safeguarding and child protection policies and procedures and to contribute to a strong safeguarding culture.
This post is subject to safer recruitment procedures, satisfactory references and the appropriate Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check, together with any other checks required for the role.
The successful applicant must be suitable to work with children and must comply with the setting’s safeguarding, suitability and professional conduct requirements.
For any questions or applications, please email your CV and a covering letter to the Committee:
[email protected]
Alternatively, you can contact the manager:
[email protected]
*This job description is not intended to be exhaustive and may be subject to reasonable amendment following consultation with the postholder.*
Work Location: In person
