Nursery Practitioner

Lily's Nursery and Daycare; Greenhithe; On-site; GBP 24,000 - 26,000; Full time

Job summary

Lily’s Nursery and Daycare in Greenhithe, Kent, invites applications for a Nursery Practitioner to join our founding team. This full-time, permanent role supports children from 6 months to 5 years, guided by the EYFS framework and led by a Room Leader.

You will be a key person for a small group, delivering high‑quality care, play and early learning, with a warm, nurturing approach and close collaboration with families and colleagues.

Qualifications

• Proven warmth and passion for working with young children.
• Strong communication with children, families and colleagues.
• Reliable and punctual with flexible availability to cover rooms.

Responsibilities

• Act as key person for a group of children, building secure relationships.
• Observe and contribute to learning journeys and baseline assessments.
• Plan and deliver EYFS activities with the room team.
• Safeguard and support children's welfare and development.
• Engage with parents and carers to share progress and next steps.

Skills

Warmth & care

Communication with children & families

Reliability & punctuality

Flexibility across rooms

Education

Level 2 Early Years qualification or above

Job description

Job Description

November 2026

Nursery Practitioner

Full-time | Permanent | Monday to Friday

Position Nursery Practitioner (Early Years Practitioner)

Reports to Room Leader / Nursery Manager

Location Lily’s Nursery and Daycare, 3 North Star Boulevard, Greenhithe, Kent DA9 9UG

Hours Full-time, permanent – Monday to Friday, on a shift basis between 7.30am and 6.30pm

Salary Competitive, depending on qualifications and experience: £24,000 – £25,500 per year

Experience Experience of working with young children in a nursery or similar setting is desirable

Qualifications A full and relevant Level 2 Early Years qualification or above

Help every child play, learn and thrive.

Lily’s Nursery and Daycare is a brand-new early years setting in Greenhithe, Kent, caring for children from 6 months to 5 years across three dedicated rooms. We are looking for warm, dedicated Nursery Practitioners to join our founding team. As a key person to your own small group of children, you will be at the centre of their day – their care, their play, their learning and their relationships with home – in a setting that is building its practice around the standards Ofsted expects of an outstanding nursery

The Role – Job Description

As a Nursery Practitioner you will work as part of a close room team, led by your Room Leader, providing outstanding care and early learning in line with the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS). Depending on experience, you may work in our baby, two-year-olds or preschool room, and everyone lends a hand across the nursery when needed.

Safeguarding and children’s welfare

• Follow the nursery’s safeguarding procedures at all times and report any concerns immediately to the Designated Safeguarding Lead
• Supervise children effectively throughout the day, including keeping children within sight and hearing at mealtimes in line with the EYFS safer eating requirements
• Maintain good standards of safety, hygiene and cleanliness, and support room and outdoor checks in line with nursery procedures
• Care appropriately for a child who is unwell and alert senior staff straight away so parents can be notified
• Ensure children are only ever released to an adult known and agreed by the nursery and the parent
• Respect the confidentiality of all information received

Care and daily routines

• Provide all aspects of personal care – washing, changing, feeding and sleep routines – warmly, respectfully and in line with each child’s individual needs
• Make mealtimes a time of pleasant, sociable, unhurried sharing, following each child’s dietary requirements and allergy information at every meal and snack
• Support children’s settling-in, transitions through the day and growing independence in self-care and healthy routines

Learning and development – your key person role

• Act as key person for an agreed group of children: build secure, trusting relationships and know each key child’s starting points, interests and next steps
• Observe children’s learning accurately and keep learning journeys up to date, contributing to baseline assessments when children start
• Plan and deliver adult‑led and child‑initiated experiences across the seven areas of learning, with your room team
• Provide warm, high‑quality interactions that extend children’s communication, language and thinking
• Support the early identification of children who may have special educational needs, and deliver agreed strategies and interventions
• Contribute to progress checks at age two, as applicable to your room
• Support positive behaviour calmly and consistently, in line with the nursery’s approach

Partnership with parents and carers

• Give friendly, accurate daily handovers to your key families and share progress, photos and next steps regularly
• Hold termly reviews with your key families, with the support of your Room Leader
• Develop and maintain strong partnerships and communication with parents and carers to facilitate day‑to‑day caring and early learning needs

Team and nursery life

• Work as part of the room team, supporting colleagues, students and apprentices, and engaging in a good staff team
• Keep the learning environment inviting and well resourced, and take ownership of an agreed area of provision (for example the book corner or outdoor area)
• Undertake certain domestic jobs within the nursery, e.g. preparation of snacks and cleaning equipment, and other duties of an equivalent nature as reasonably required
• Be involved in out‑of‑hours activities, e.g. training, monthly staff meetings, parents’ evenings and fundraising events, as required and agreed
• Read, understand and adhere to all nursery policies, including equal opportunities, and work across the nursery rooms as required
• Be aware of the community profile of the nursery and uphold its standards at all times

What an outstanding Nursery Practitioner looks like

• Hold secure safeguarding knowledge – recognising signs of concern and knowing exactly who to report to, contributing to a strong culture of safeguarding
• Deliver consistently warm, high‑quality interactions that build children’s communication and language
• Know your key children deeply – what they can do, what comes next, and how you and their families will get them there
• Support behaviour calmly and consistently, so the room stays purposeful and happy
• Help children grow in independence, healthy habits and confidence in their personal, social and emotional development
• Reflect on your practice, act on feedback from supervision and peer observation, and share what works with your team

Education

• Hold secure safeguarding knowledge – recognising signs of concern and knowing exactly who to report to, contributing to a strong culture of safeguarding
• Deliver consistently warm, high‑quality interactions that build children’s communication and language
• Know your key children deeply – what they can do, what comes next, and how you and their families will get them there
• Support behaviour calmly and consistently, so the room stays purposeful and happy
• Help children grow in independence, healthy habits and confidence in their personal, social and emotional development
• Reflect on your practice, act on feedback from supervision and peer observation, and share what works with your team

Essential

• A full and relevant Level 2 Early Years qualification (or above)
• Genuine warmth and a real passion for working with young children
• A sound understanding of the EYFS and of safeguarding in an early years setting
• Good communication skills with children, families and colleagues
• Reliability, punctuality and flexibility to work across our rooms
• Commitment to equality, inclusion, confidentiality and professional conduct

About you (person specification)

Desirable

• A full and relevant Level 3 Early Years qualification
• A current paediatric first aid certificate (or willingness to complete training)
• Experience as a key person, or experience supporting children with special educational needs
• Food hygiene awareness

Safeguarding and safer recruitment

Lily’s Nursery and Daycare is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and expects all staff, students and volunteers to share this commitment. Appointments will be made in line with our safer recruitment procedures: the successful applicants will be required to complete an enhanced DBS check (including the children’s barred list), provide suitable references, and evidence their qualifications, identity and right to work in the UK before starting employment.

Note: Read this advert alongside Lily’s Nursery and Daycare’s policies, employment terms and the regulatory requirements that apply to the nursery.