Nursery Assistant

Acorn Early Years Foundation; Milton Keynes; On-site; GBP 18,000 - 23,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive pay scales

65% childcare discount - pro rata

Generous family leave

Christmas closure

25 days annual leave + bank holidays

Training days & development plans

Job summary

Acorn Early Years Foundation is seeking a Nursery Assistant at Deanshanger Nursery to join a dedicated team. This full-time role supports a holistic approach to the curriculum in a nurturing, child-centered environment, focusing on wellbeing, development and learning for every child in care.

The role offers a 40‑hour week, a supportive training pathway, and opportunities to engage families and colleagues in safeguarding, planning and daily activities, indoors and outdoors.

Qualifications

• No formal qualification is required for this role; training and development will be supported.
• Interest in early years and child development is encouraged.
• Caring, enthusiastic and reliable with good communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Support children’s care, wellbeing and individual needs
• Deliver positive, high-quality interactions based on development stages
• Promote positive behaviour in line with Acorn’s policies
• Support rich learning experiences indoors and outdoors
• Encourage children’s independence, confidence and physical development
• Support planning in the moment
• Carry out regular observations in line with Acorn guidance
• Assist with maintaining records such as care plans and progress reviews
• Understand and support the key person approach
• Work flexibly as part of a team and cascade information to colleagues
• Safeguard all children at all times

Job description

We are looking for a Nursery Assistant to join our dedicated team at Deanshanger Nursery. This is a great opportunity for someone who is passionate about working with children and supporting high-quality early years care in a nurturing, child‑centred environment.

This is a full time position, 40 hours per week.

About Deanshanger Nursery

Nestled next to the community centre, our nursery is located in the former Deanshanger pre‑school building, a space that served local families for many years. We’re proud to bring it back to life with a fresh vision and a deep commitment to early years care.

Our Deanshanger nursery specialises in the under three age group, welcoming babies and toddlers under three years of age initially, offering a nurturing, stimulating environment where little ones can thrive. With a beautiful garden space and a strong emphasis on outdoor play, babies and toddlers will enjoy daily access to the outdoors, rain or shine!We have active CCTV in place throughout the nursery to help maintain a safe and secure environment.

About the Role

As a Nursery Assistant, you will support a holistic approach to the curriculum, helping to ensure the wellbeing, development and learning of all children in your care. You will work as part of a team to support the smooth day‑to‑day running of the nursery.

Key Responsibilities

• Support children’s care, wellbeing and individual needs
• Deliver positive, high-quality interactions based on children’s stages of development
• Promote positive behaviour in line with Acorn’s policies and procedures
• Support rich learning experiences indoors and outdoors
• Encourage children’s independence, confidence and physical development
• Support planning in the moment
• Carry out regular observations in line with Acorn guidance
• Assist with maintaining records such as care plans, “All About Me” forms, medication forms and progress reviews (where appropriate)
• Understand and support the key person approach
• Work flexibly as part of a team, adapting responsibilities as required
• Cascade relevant information to colleagues and management
• Safeguard all children at all times

What We’re Looking For

We welcome applications from candidates who:

• Share Acorn’s values and ethos
• Have an interest in early years and child development
• Are caring, enthusiastic and reliable
• Value parents as partners
• Communicate effectively with children, families and colleagues
• Are keen to learn, develop and progress within early years

(No formal qualification is required for this role, as training and development will be supported.)

Equality, Diversity & Safer Recruitment

At Acorn, we are committed to creating an inclusive and welcoming environment where everyone feels they belong. We value diversity and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds. Reasonable adjustments will be considered during the recruitment process.

Successful applicants must:

• Have the right to work in the UK
• Provide two satisfactory references
• Complete an Enhanced DBS check prior to commencing employment

As a thank you for all of your hard work and dedication to making Acorn a safe, nurturing and fun place for our children to be, we offer:

• Payscales that are competitive, transparent and reviewed annually
• 65% Childcare discount - Pro Rata according to contracted hours
• Generous family leave
• Christmas closure
• 25 days of annual leave, plus bank holidays (and the option to buy more)
• 4 dedicated training days and individual development plans