Job Description

Job title:

Early Years Practitioner

Position:

Permanent

Responsible to:

Nursery Management team including Room Coordinator

Responsible for:

Poppins Day Nursery

Hourly wage:

13.00

About Poppins

We are a small homely setting, privately operated and not part of a chain. Often described as warm and welcoming by those who visit or know the setting, we put Outstanding care at the forefront of everything we do for our children, our team and our families. We follow a child led approach to learning and offer a home from home environment for children to explore and develop into confident little learners.

The wellbeing of our team is extremely important to us and one of the unique ways which we support staff is that we allow our team to work full time hours over 4-day weeks and to a maximum of 9 hours a day, dramatically improving work / life balance.

Poppins Day Nursery is an accredited employer with the Living Wage Foundation paying above National Living Wage across all roles. We are incredibly passionate about supporting your continuous professional development and career progression and offer a range of coaching support, resources, and training (both in house and external) to our team all of which is paid for by Poppins. You will be fully supported to excel in your role at Poppins by a well resourced and experienced management team, where in addition to a Nursery Manager, we have a dedicated Nursery Development Manager and an Administration Manager.

Your paid holiday entitlement increases with service and we carry out an annual pay and benefits review. We believe in taking opportunities to celebrate and that you're never too old for a party hat and balloons, so if your birthday happens to fall on one of your working days you will be gifted this day as holiday. We also don't have a staff uniform!

Other job benefits to working at Poppins include free parking, company pension, annual flu jab and staff referral scheme.

What we are looking for

Would you like to join a team in a small and homely setting who is proud to have achieved Ofsted 'Outstanding' for the second time? Do you value a child-led approach to learning and nurture from your heart? We have an exciting opportunity for a Nursery Practitioner to join our team.

At Poppins Day Nursery we are passionate about child led learning, the outdoors and providing authentic and meaningful learning opportunities for all of our children aged 0-4years, and we are searching for a skilled level 3 or above Nursery Practitioner to work up to 36 hours a week.

We are looking for an inspiring practitioner that is energetic, enthusiastic and can use their own initiative. You will be working alongside the Room Leaders in providing outstanding care, teaching and learning for our children. It is vital that you have a good understanding of the EYFS and a caring and comforting manner with the children.

The Role

An early years practitioner will work as part of a Key Worker team caring for children from birth to 4 years, maintaining a high quality, stimulating learning environment. They are warm and responsive individuals who work flexibly and effectively as part of a team to ensure the smooth running of the nursery.

An enhanced DBS check and three satisfactory references are required by Poppins Day Nursery before any appointment can be confirmed. Enrolment to the update service with a yearly subscription is required to be applied for and maintained by the practitioner.

MAIN DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

To contribute to the creation of a safe, welcoming and inclusive environment for all children To give support to other personnel within the nursery To be aware of 'Poppins Day Nursery' policies and procedures and ensure these are adhered to at all times To share responsibility for the welfare of all children in your designated room, following systems to ensure consistent, high-quality care To be vigilant and protect children from harm or abuse, reporting any concerns immediately - in accordance with safeguarding children, child protection and whistleblowing policies To be reliable and punctual, maintaining staffing ratios at all times To reflect on practice and daily routines, tailoring them to meet the individual needs of each child throughout the day Maintain confidentiality at all times To be professional and a good role model to the children and other staff members, at all times To work flexibly as part of the larger team, assisting and supporting colleagues wherever required, in order to ensure the smooth running of the company To be aware of the high profile and reputation of Poppins Day Nursery and refrain from irresponsible behaviour that would impact the company's commercial success. To attend reasonable out-of-working-hours activities, including training, staff meetings and special events To communicate effectively, sharing information and participating in meetings To respect and value all colleagues, children and parents/carers, encouraging a positive and diverse working environment To cooperate and work effectively with all members of Poppins staff and management team, taking on additional responsibilities/duties as required. To undertake any other aspects of nursery work according to need To maintain the health and safety in your base room at all times, including housekeeping duties such as cleaning and sterilizing Help with general cleaning duties of the nursery To support Key people with their observations and the assessment of children's learning and development ensuring records are kept up-to-date, are of a high standard and are shared effectively - includes Individual Education Plans for children with Special Educational Needs. To work in partnership with all parents/carers, building relationships that encourage trust, open communication and involvement in nursery life
This job description is intended to give you an indication of the main duties, but is not meant to be an exhaustive list.

Job Types: Full-time, Permanent

Pay: From 13.00 per hour

Benefits:

Company pension On-site parking Referral programme
Work Location: In person

Application deadline: 09/01/2026
Reference ID: POPP220