Baby Room Practitioner

Abacus Ark Ltd.; Tooting; On-site; GBP 32,000 - 35,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

4-Day Week

Medical cashback plan

Training & career development

Progression opportunities

New site openings

Job summary

Abacus Ark Nursery is seeking a Senior Key Teacher (under 18 months room) to lead the Home from Home area in a four-day week setting in Southfields (SW18). You will work full-time with a salary of £32,100–£34,500 per year, depending on qualifications and experience.

The role focuses on babies, safeguarding, and developmental progress in a nurturing, family-run environment. You’ll lead activities, track child progress, support settling-in with parents, and mentor the team while collaborating with

Qualifications

• Level 3 CACHE/NVQ qualification in Childcare or equivalent.
• Previous experience working within a baby room.
• Right to work in the UK before employment commences.
• Ability to obtain an enhanced DBS check (paid for by us)
• Ability to provide references.
• Good understanding of safeguarding and health & safety requirements.
• Experience as a senior practitioner or room leader.

Responsibilities

• Lead the 'Home from Home' room and support children through early learning with hands-on activities.
• Provide a safe, welcoming 'home from home' environment while tracking progress and celebrating development.
• Build strong relationships with parents and carers and guide settling-in.
• Collaborate with leadership to maintain high standards and promote safeguarding, wellbeing, and team culture.

Skills

Strong communicator

Teamwork

Organised

Education

Level 3 CACHE/NVQ qualification in Childcare or equivalent

Job description

Full-time Permanent Level 3

Posted 23 Oct 2026

Description

Job Title: Home from Home Senior Key Teacher (under 18months) (Level 3+ Qualified only)

Full-Time | 4-Day Week

Location: Southfields (new setting SW18 - close to station)

Salary: £32,100–£34,500 per annum, depending on qualifications and experience.

Join a family run nursery where you're truly valued. We're looking for an enthusiastic and experienced Senior key Teacher to join our growing team, working. If you're passionate about babies and early years education and want to work somewhere that values your wellbeing and career development, we'd love to hear from you.

Why Join Abacus Ark Nursery?

• 4-Day Working Week- Work full-time hours across just 4 days and enjoy 3 days off every week for better work-life balance.
• Medical Cashback Plan- Health Shield plan worth over £1,000 per year (including GP Anytime, health screening, health cash plans, MyGymDiscounts, SkinVision, online health assessments, massages, dental, optical and more)
• Training & Career Development- including specialised training and support/funding with enrolling onto further qualifications
• Progression opportunitieswithin the company
• New site openings- further opportunities available

We invest heavily in our team with:

• Blue Light Cardaccess with major high street stores/food/cinema/holiday/travel discounts (various discounts between 10-20% off)
• Long service rewards
• Mental health and wellbeing support
• Team social events and celebrations
• Company pension
• Supportive team culture and mentorshipfrom experienced early years professionals
• Inclusive and positive working environment
• First aid and safeguarding training

As aSenior Key Teacher, you’ll take the lead in the 'Home from Home' room, supporting children through their early learning journey with engaging, hands-on activities. You will provide a safe, welcoming 'home from home' feel, and inclusive space where children can thrive, while tracking their progress and celebrating their development.

You’ll build strong, trusting relationships with parents and carers guiding them through the settling in process, support and guide your team, and work closely with leadership to keep standards high. You’ll also play a key role in promoting safeguarding, wellbeing, and a positive, collaborative team culture where everyone feels valued and supported.

What we're looking for:

• Level 3 CACHE/NVQ qualification in Childcare or equivalent
• Previous experience working within a baby room
• Right to work in the UK before employment commences.
• Ability to obtain an enhanced DBS check (paid for by us)
• Ability to provide references
• Good understanding of safeguarding and health & safety requirements
• Someone passionate & enthusiastic about baby sensory, messy play & caregiving
• Someone organised, proactive and confident in settling children and leading a room
• A strong communicator with excellent teamwork skills
• Committed to providing exceptional childcare and learning experiences
• Higher qualification in childcare or education
• Experience in a senior practitioner or room leader role

Abacus Ark Nursery is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. All appointments are subject to enhanced DBS clearance, satisfactory references, right-to-work checks and safer recruitment procedures.

If you’re ready to progress your childcare career in a nursery that genuinely values and supports its staff, we’d love to hear from you!

Company Overview

We strive in everything we do:

• To provide each child with a unique and safe experience tailored and delivered to their individual needs.
• To provide each parent with an experience which is underpinned by two-way communication and expert support.
• To provide each practitioner with an experience underpinned by development opportunities, wellbeing and personal satisfaction.

Abacus Ark Values

These underpin everything we do:

• Partnership - Effective and positive Partnership is seeking to ensure the group as a whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
• Awareness- Show concern and be well informed of situations or developments that are relevant to your role.
• Creativity- A mind open to possibilities.
• Thrive- Ambition for growth and development

Company Overview

Our mission is to empower every child with the essential tools they need to thrive from day one of school and to discover the joy of learning. We are dedicated to nurturing their Focus, Independence, Resilience, Social Understanding, and Trustworthiness, alongside introducing language, mathematics, and a wider understanding of the world. We seek to ensure children are not only ready to learn but also to shine. We believe in the boundless potential of every child and strive to ignite their passion for learning, helping them grow into confident, capable, and compassionate individuals.