Culford School Nursery Address : Culford School, Culford, Suffolk IP28 6TU Salary: £26,208 per annum Hours: 40 hours per week (7.30am - 6pm, Monday - Friday over 4 and a half days) Contract: Permanent Reference: 8440 Culford School are currently looking to appoint an Early Years Practitioner to work as part of the team at Culford Nursery. We are looking for motivated, passionate and knowledgeable individuals to join our growing team. Main responsibilities and tasks To work as a key person within a ‘family group’, planning, creating and implementing engaging activities, tailored to each of your key children To provide safe, high-quality education and care for children aged 1-3 To have full regard to the requirements of the Statutory Guidance for the Early Years Foundation Stage Contribute towards an environment which safeguards children at all times Develop and maintain strong parent/ carer partnerships Promote and ensure child welfare, protection, health and safety and safeguarding Work with colleagues to maintain a positive, happy and safe environment To liaise closely with parents /carers, informing them about the nursery and its delivery of the EYFS, exchanging information about the children’s progress and encouraging parental involvement Provide a safe and healthy environment for all children in the group at all times Provide comfort and care at all times and ensure that children feel welcome and safe Be familiar with safeguarding including own responsibilities together with care and risk assessment To meet the physical needs of children, encouraging good standards of personal hygiene, whilst promoting independence To provide support for the children’s emotional and social needs by implementing the principles of our Promoting Positive Behaviour Policy and role modelling high standards in all aspects of their role and personal conduct To have a knowledge of and adhere to all Health and Safety Regulations To attend meetings as required and participate in training opportunities and performance development To undertake any duties set to you by the Management Team that will assist in the day-to-day running of the Nursery. Skills and personal qualities Minimum of relevant Level 3 childcare qualification (or equivalent) Experience working with children 0-5 and a good knowledge of the EYFS Fully supportive of the aims and ethos of an independent school A good standard of written, spoken and listening skills A high level of flexibility with a ‘can do’ attitude and an openness to new ideas and practices Engaging and approachable, able to put people at ease, reassure, guide, and explain Ability to confidently work alongside children, staff and parents Understanding the age-appropriate needs and concerns of young children and having natural empathy with them Innovative, hard-working, driven and determined Resilient with a good sense of humour The ability to work under pressure and meet deadlines. What we can offer you Free lunch provided by the on-site catering team Membership of the Culford Sports and Tennis Centre Continuing Professional Development and networking opportunities Enhanced pension contributions Employee Assistance Programme Access to Health Cash Plan after 6 months’ service Group Life Insurance after 6 months service. Safeguarding Culford School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Applicants will be required to undergo a child protection screening appropriate to the post, including checks with past employers and the Disclosure and Barring Service. Flexibility and variation This job description outlines the role as it stands at the date shown. Culford School periodically reviews job descriptions to ensure they remain accurate and relevant. Changes may be made following consultation with the post holder. While the aim is to agree on reasonable changes, the school reserves the right to change the job description following consultation. All appointments are subject to pre-employment checks to meet vetting and barring requirements. For more information about that process please refer to the application form. As an equal opportunities employer, Culford School is committed to the equal treatment of all current and prospective employees and does not condone discrimination on the basis of age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity, race or ethnicity, religion or belief, gender identity, or marriage and civil partnership. We aspire to have a diverse and inclusive workplace and strongly encourage suitably qualified applicants from a wide range of backgrounds to apply and join Culford School. Culford School puts at the centre of its operation the safeguarding of the pupils of the school. There is a commitment to keep safeguarding at the forefront of every employee and volunteer’s mind. We encourage a culture of challenge, not just to act when there is a need, but also in the way we think to ensure the risks of harm to the pupils’ individual welfare are minimised. Job applicants will undergo appropriate child protection screening and be subject to checks with previous employers and the Disclosure and Barring Service. Successful applicants must complete mandatory pre-employment training in safeguarding and other key areas before the commencement of employment. If you are unsure whether you need to disclose criminal information, you should seek legal advice or you may wish to contact Nacro or Unlock for impartial advice. There is more information on filtering and protected offences on the Ministry of Justice website. Nacro - https://www.nacro.org.uk/criminal-record-support-service/ or phone 0300 123 1999 How to apply Early applicants are encouraged and we reserve the right to close the deadline at any time. Please go to our website vacancy page and complete the online application. Please note that a Culford application must be submitted for your application to be considered. Closing date: 12 March 2026. Culford School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and we expect all staff to share this commitment. This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974; pre-employment checks will be carried out, references will be sought and successful candidates will be subject to an enhanced DBS check and other relevant checks with statutory bodies. We comply with the Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) code of practice and have a written policy on the recruitment of ex-offenders, both of which are available on request. If you are shortlisted, you are required to declare any relevant convictions, adult cautions or other matters which may affect your suitability to work with children. As a result of amendments to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (exceptions order 1975) in 2013 and 2020, some minor offences are now protected (filtered) and should not be disclosed to potential employers, and employers cannot take these offences into account.