Early Years Practitioner

Job Title: Early Years Practitioner
Position: Full Time / Part Time
Working Hours: Monday to Friday – 8.15am to 5.30pm

Qualifications:
Minimum NVQ Level 2 or equivalent in Children’s Care, Learning and Development

Annual Salary: £24,561.00k to £28,000.00k We are committed to offering the Oxford Living Wage to employees aged 25 years and over.

Application Closing Date: Friday 30th August 2024

Start Date: Immediate or when successful candidate is available (up to the end of December 2024)

Interview Dates: Interviews will take place during September 2024

The Nursery  We are a privately run Early Years education provider established in 2006 and rated ‘Outstanding’ by Ofsted in 2018 and more recently in November 2023. We are registered for children aged 10 months to 5 years and located in a residential area one mile from Oxford City Centre. 

Due to increasing demand for quality Early Years places within our local area, we have created a new and exciting opportunity for a passionate practitioner to become part of our nursery team. 

The Position  

We are looking to appoint an enthusiastic, confident, committed, and passionate individual, with excellent communication & organisational skills and a ‘hands-on’ attitude to work tasks. As an Early Years provision, we believe that all of our staff should feel valued and be part of a supportive and caring practitioner team of Early Years professionals, where your voice is appreciated and respected. 

Candidate Criteria  
The successful candidate will be responsible for a key group of children aged either between 10 months 2 years or 2-3 years and will be expected to provide a high quality, caring, and stimulating environment. Where children can thrive while they learn, develop, and have fun in a safe and secure environment. Working as part of a small team, the successful candidate will report directly to the Room Leader. However, as a member of the nursery’s 18 employees, they will also be expected to support the nursery management in the day to day running of the nursery. The successful candidate will have already gained some experience in childcare and is now looking to move on from their current role and build and develop their skills.

Essential Criteria  

It is ESSENTIAL that candidates have the following qualities, skills, and knowledge:

• • Passionate about building a career as an Early Years Practitioner.  

• • Committed to supporting the delivery of quality; abiding by the nursery’s policies and procedures including the Safeguarding of Children and Health & Safety at Work. 

• • Willing to undertake and commit to completing an NVQ in Children’s Care, Learning and Development. 

• • Enthusiastic to develop your knowledge and experience. 

 

Desirable Criteria  

It is DESIRABLE but NOT ESSENTIAL that candidates have the following qualities, skills, and knowledge:

• • Childcare qualification of NVQ level 3 in Children’s Care, Learning and Development (or equivalent.)
  • Maths and English GCSE’s (or equivalent) at grade C (Level 4) or above.

    Continued further support, training and development will be given to the successful candidate.

 

 Staff Benefits 

Staff benefits include:  

• • 33 days paid annual leave (including all bank holidays and our one-week closure between Christmas and New Year).
  • A training & development program to help the successful candidate to progress further in their career development.
  • Further financial support should you wish to gain higher qualifications in Early Years Education.
  • 24-hour employee wellbeing support through our partnership with Croner.
  • Company pension.
  • Company bonus system.
  • Refer a friend bonus.
  • Monthly employee voucher reward.
  • Refreshment provision including hot lunches, healthy snacks and tea & coffee facilities.
  • Regular social events financed by the company.

Want to know what it is like working at Little Troopers Day Nursery? 

Our Ofsted inspector noted the following on our inspection report in November 2023:

• ‘All staff are superb role models who use a range of innovative strategies to empower children to understand and manage their own behaviour.’
• ‘The inspirational manager has embedded a rigorous system to support and monitor the development of staff. She coaches and mentors to help them confidently perform to their full potential. The manager and the provider recognise the importance of valuing their staff.’
• ‘The leadership team is well established and extremely supportive of the staff. The manager is a visionary whose uncompromising commitment to providing children with the highest level of care and education is evident. She strives to develop her own knowledge with an infectious desire to continually reflect with her staff to improve practice and support her team and children.’

• ‘I am part of a warm and supportive team, and I have been given the opportunity to develop both personally and professionally’.
• ‘I always feel my thoughts and opinions are respected’.

To Apply 

To gain further details (including a copy of the job description and person specification) and apply for the position,

• Please email Rebecca at info@littletroopers.co.uk for an application pack.

Please note we are not in the position to offer a sponsorship visa for this position.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Preferred candidates will be required to undertake a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check. 

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