Senior Nursery Practitioner
Help Lead Our Exciting New Nursery Journey at The Little Magpies
About The Little Magpies Nursery
We're thrilled to welcome passionate professionals to join us at The Little Magpies — a brand-new, purpose-driven nursery designed with curiosity, care, and creativity at its heart. As we prepare to open our doors, we're looking for an experienced and confident Senior Nursery Practitioner to play a key role in shaping our provision from the very beginning.
Our spacious nursery includes six well-resourced rooms and a large outdoor play area, with future plans to expand into a local forest space to support our child-led, nature-inspired approach. We foster independence, nurture individuality, and create a home-from-home environment for every child in our care.
Your Role as Senior Practitioner
As a Senior Practitioner, you'll take on additional responsibility within the team, acting as a role model and helping to drive the daily operations of your room. You'll support colleagues, lead activities, contribute to planning, and ensure that our children receive the very best care and learning experiences every day.
Key Responsibilities:
* Lead by example in creating a warm, stimulating, and inclusive environment in line with the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS)
* Oversee day-to-day routines and planning within your designated room, including mentoring and guiding junior staff
* Support the Room Leader or Management in ensuring high standards of practice, safety, and care are consistently met
* Observe, plan, and assess key children, ensuring that their individual needs are met through engaging, tailored experiences
* Build trusting and effective relationships with parents and carers, sharing updates and milestones regularly
* Help embed a culture of safeguarding and wellbeing, following all nursery policies and procedures
* Support in training and inducting new team members as needed
* Promote our ethos of fostering independence, emotional resilience, and curiosity in young children
What We're Looking For:
* A minimum of Level 3 Early Years and Childcare qualification
* At least 1 year of recent experience in a nursery or childcare setting
* A strong understanding of child development and the EYFS framework
* Experience in supporting or leading a small team is desirable
* A confident communicator who thrives in a collaborative and supportive environment
* A positive, proactive attitude and a genuine passion for early childhood education
* An Enhanced DBS check is required before employment
Why You'll Love Working With Us:
At The Little Magpies, we know that our staff are our greatest strength. We prioritise wellbeing, professional development, and team culture, offering a generous package of staff benefits:
* Up to 20% Childcare Discount
* 29 Days Annual Leave (Including Bank Holidays)
* One Dedicated Wellbeing Day Per Year
* Blue Light Card Access for retail & leisure discounts
* Career Progression Opportunities within our growing nursery
* Team Training & Appreciation Events
* Birthday Day Off (after 2 years of service)
* Christmas Closure: Enjoy the festive break with loved ones
Why The Little Magpies?
This is a rare and exciting opportunity to be part of something from the very beginning helping us build a nurturing, inspiring environment that supports both children and practitioners to flourish. You'll be supported, valued, and encouraged to grow in your role as we grow together.
Equal Opportunities
We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We welcome applications from all backgrounds and experiences and are committed to building a diverse, inclusive team. This role involves regulated activity with children and is subject to enhanced DBS clearance and reference checks. Applicants on the Children's Barred List are not eligible for this role.
Job Types: Full-time, Part-time
Pay: £13.30-£13.80 per hour
Expected hours: 40 per week
Benefits:
* Employee discount
* Free parking
* On-site parking
Work Location: In person