Early Years Practitioner

Job summary

We are seeking an experienced Early Years Practitioner who is passionate about teaching and learning and is committed to providing the highest standards of care and education for every child. Working with our dedicated team, you will be committed to creating a caring, creative and fun environment where all children can thrive.

You will have:

•  A Level 3 qualification in Childcare or above.
• Received training that specifically addresses the care of babies.
•  At least two years’ experience of working as an Early Years Practitioner (including at least two years’ experience of working with children under the age of two).
• Up-to-date knowledge of the EYFS framework and a demonstrable track record of delivering high quality early years education.
• A passion for making a difference to the lives of children and families.

Why join us?

The successful candidate will receive an excellent package including:

• Generous annual leave allowance of 27 days p.a. (plus bank holidays).
• Up to 11% employer pension contribution.
• Access to a staff Health Plan and Employee Assistance Programme.
• Excellent career progression and development opportunities as part of our growing nursery team.
• The opportunity to wake up each morning and feel you are making a positive difference!

ORGANISATIONAL INFORMATION

St. Francis Nursery and Family Centre offers high quality, Ofsted registered, early education and care for children aged from 9 months – 5 years; we also provide holistic family support, helping to give all children the best possible start in life.

At St. Francis, each child is valued as an individual. We are passionate about teaching and learning and are committed to providing the highest standards of care and education for every child. We understand that pre-school children flourish in a caring, creative and fun environment. Our aim is to help each child thrive by providing stimulating activities that engage their imaginations and help them find joy in learning!

St Francis is part of the Catholic Children’s Society (CCS), a registered charity.  CCS works with children and families of all faiths and none.  Through our educational, mental health and family support services we aim to help children achieve their potential and have a brighter future.  Our work is underpinned by our core values of integrity, compassion, inclusion and partnership.

PURPOSE OF THE JOB

The postholder will be passionate about delivering outstanding services for children and families.  Their strong early years skills will help ensure our children can have the best possible start in life and develop the skills they need to thrive. As part of our growing nursery team, the postholder will also be keen to learn and benefit from the excellent career progression and development opportunities this role has to offer.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Delivery and quality

• Work with colleagues to develop a safe, fun and stimulating learning environment.
• Help children develop a love of learning and provide them with the tools they need to develop excellent cognitive, language and social skills.
• Plan activities in the nursery in line with the Early Years Foundation Stage Framework.
• Use Development Matters to help design an effective and engaging early years curriculum for children of different ages and developmental stages, including children with additional needs.
• Ensure children’s progress is rigorously monitored and assessed and that this is used to inform future activities, providing tailored high-quality provision.
• Work confidently with children with a range of additional needs, providing sensitive and effective support for them and their parents/carers, including helping families access appropriate support services.
• Keep up to date with Ofsted’s Early Years Inspection Framework, ensuring we adhere to best practice and promptly implementing any Ofsted recommendations or guidance to support the continuous improvement of our service.
• Maintain up-to-date training and knowledge of early years service delivery and safeguarding guidance and legislation, promoting best practice.
• Ensure data is collected and monitored to evidence the impact of our work.
• Ensure our services are culturally appropriate and meet the needs of the diverse communities we serve.
• Support the health and safety of families and staff, undertaking risk assessments and mitigating any risks identified.
• Be aware of the physical safety and well-being of the children and administer first aid and comfort as necessary.
• Together with the St Francis team, take children and families on daytrips to various destinations including safari parks and the seaside.
• Contribute to a positive and supportive team ethos, ensuring communication is effective.
•  Support with some office duties as required.

 Safeguarding

• Ensure safeguarding is always paramount and embrace a culture of curiosity and continuous improvement.  
• Effectively implement our safeguarding and child protection practice and procedure.
• Ensure that all safeguarding cases are logged, monitored, reviewed and followed up appropriately, seeking support from colleagues as required.

Partnerships

• Establish excellent relationships with children and their families, working with individuals from diverse backgrounds.
• Work closely with parents/carers, offering support individually and in groups, to enhance their understanding of child development and help promote positive parenting.
• Provide parents/carers with guidance, activities and resources to promote a positive home learning environment for their children.
• Work collaboratively with staff across CCS, including our Connect-Ed team, to provide holistic and complementary support for families.

Service Development

• Support senior staff with identifying any emerging needs within our local communities.
• Work in partnership to co-create effective early intervention services to address the needs of the families accessing our early years services.

Note:

Fundamental to fulfilling the responsibilities of this post is the ability to respond flexibly and positively to support our organisational goals and business needs. This job description is a guide to the level and range of responsibilities which the post holder will initially be expected to undertake. It is not exhaustive and will be subject to review/change to meet evolving circumstances and demands. It will not form part of the postholder’s contract of employment.

CCS is committed to safer recruitment and maintaining a strong and positive safeguarding culture. This post will be subject to an enhanced DBS check. References from current/past employers will also be sought once an offer has been made.

Hours

We are recruiting for staff to work from 8am to 6pm, between two and five days per week. Working days will be agreed with successful candidates.

How to apply

Please submit:

• Your CV
• A cover letter (maximum two pages of A4) outlining how your skills and experience make you a strong candidate for this role. 

Please state in your cover letter what training you have received that specifically addresses the care of babies, and how many days per week you are hoping to work.

Key dates

CLOSING DATE: Monday 12th January 2026, 9am
INTERVIEW DATE: TBC