Senior Nursery Practitioner

Position: Full-Time, 40 hours per week - £14.49 per hour

Join our warm and welcoming team at Small People , where we care for children from 3 months to 5 years in a nurturing, nature-inspired environment. With our spacious garden, forest school sessions, and creative hands-on activities, we provide enriching experiences that spark curiosity and support every stage of development. We value our staff too, offering free lunches, a supportive atmosphere, and opportunities to grow as part of our dedicated team.

As a Room Leader at our nursery, you will oversee the care and development of children aged 3 months to 1 year, working closely with a team of skilled practitioners. Your mission is to create a nurturing and safe environment that fosters their physical, emotional, social, and intellectual growth.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Implementing a key person approach to help babies form secure attachments.
• Guiding colleagues in identifying training and development needs.
• Maintaining high-quality learning journals and records on the EyLog and EyMan systems.
• Building positive relationships with parents and inviting them to participate in activities.
• Modeling professionalism, consistency, and impartiality within the team.
• Ensuring compliance with the EYFS framework and promoting the welfare of all children, staff, and visitors.

A passion for outdoor learning and a strong understanding of child development will be key to your success in this role.

Essential Qualifications & Skills:

• Full and relevant Level 3 qualification in Childcare (Essential)
• A passion for the outdoors and outdoor learning, with enthusiasm for forest school activities
• Strong understanding of child development and the ability to provide purposeful learning experiences
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, particularly in working with parents and colleagues
• Knowledge of and commitment to safeguarding and child protection

Why Join Us?

At Family First, we value our team members and offer a comprehensive benefits package, including:

• Annual leave: 24 days’ holiday, plus bank holidays and an extra paid day off for your birthday
• Childcare discount: 75% off nursery fees for team members
• Wellbeing support: Access to a confidential Employee Assistance Programme helpline
• Learning and development: Tailored training and development opportunities to support your career growth
• Pension: Company pension scheme
• Employee discounts: Access to Perkaboo employee discounts
• Mentoring: Employee mentoring programme
• Health and wellbeing: Dedicated health and wellbeing support
• Refer a Friend scheme: Earn up to £750 through our referral programme

We are committed to safeguarding and protecting the welfare of children and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. A Disclosure and Barring Service Certificate will be required for all posts, and this position will be subject to enhanced checks as part of our Safeguarding Duty.

Small People is part of the Family First Group, where we treat everyone with respect and equality, regardless of their background. We are dedicated to providing equal opportunities and anti-discriminatory practices for all children and families according to their individual needs.