Nursery Practitioner

North Somerset Council; Weston-super-Mare; On-site; GBP 18,000 - 24,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Flexible working arrangements

Local Government Pension

Job summary

North Somerset Council is seeking nursery practitioners to support high-quality care and education for children aged 2-5 at its nurseries in Weston-super-Mare. You will work with parents and carers to meet developmental needs in a safe, nurturing environment.

Join a proactive team with strong Family Hub links, access to professional development, and a commitment to wellbeing and inclusivity. DBS checked and safeguarding knowledge are essential.

Qualifications

• Relevant Level 3 Childcare/Early Years qualification preferable, level 4/5 more desirable.
• Maths and English GCSE grade C or above, or equivalent.
• An ability to observe and record childrens learning and development; when required produce reports relating to this, i.e. IPPs (Individual Progress Plan).
• Experience of working with children aged 0-5 and their families
• Understanding of North Somersets Early Help process and how early intervention can support child development. (Common Assessment Framework)
• Understanding of child protection/safeguarding and how this can impact on all aspects of child development, including completion of Safeguarding course.

Responsibilities

• Actively contribute and support high quality care and education to children aged 2-5 years attending the nursery, ensuring developmental needs are met.
• Working positively in partnership with parents/carers whilst creating a safe and nurturing environment as part of the nursery team.

Skills

Level 3 childcare

English GCSE C

Observation & reporting

Experience with 0-5

Safeguarding knowledge

Education

Level 3 Childcare/Early Years qualification

Maths & English GCSE grade C or equivalent

Job description

About Us

We are looking for nursery practitioners for two of our maintained nurseries in North Somerset.

Little Waves Nursery is for children aged 2 3 years old located in Weston-Super-Mare. Little Waves has a Good Ofsted judgement and our dedicated team continually strive to seek innovative ways to further improve and develop practice. We have an exciting opportunity for the right candidate to join our aspirational team.

Ashcombe Nursery is for children aged 2-4 years 11 months and is located in Weston-super-Mare. Ashcombe Nursery has an Outstanding Ofsted judgement and our dedicated team continually strive to seek innovative ways to further improve and develop practice. We have an exciting opportunity for the right candidate to join our aspirational team.

You will be part of a dynamic work family who support each other and value staff wellbeing and diversity. We are forward thinking and embrace new continuous professional development opportunities including Five to Thrive, Attention-Strategy, Emotion Coaching, Theraplay and evidence informed practice.

North Somerset Council is committed to providing high-quality services to our community. We are committed to creating a fair, green, and more inclusive environment for all our residents. Join us and contribute to making a positive impact on our community.

The Roles

Do you want a job that makes a difference to young children and families?

If you do, this is a unique career opportunity not to be missed!

You will actively contribute and support high-quality care and education to children aged 2-5 years attending the nursery, ensuring developmental needs are met. Working positively in partnership with parents/carers whilst creating a safe and nurturing environment as part of the nursery team.

We are proud of our strong Family Hub links and the shared core values which are embedded throughout our nursery. We work closely with our families and have effective partnerships with a range of agencies including Family Support Workers, Social Workers and Health Visitors, towards improving the outcomes for our children.

Within this role, you will be supported by an experienced Room Lead, Deputy and Nursery Manager as well as having many professional development opportunities to develop new skills and be immersed in evidence-informed practice.

In this role, you will:

• Actively contribute and support high quality care and education to children aged 2-5 years attending the nursery, ensuring developmental needs are met.
• Working positively in partnership with parents/carers whilst creating a safe and nurturing environment as part of the nursery team.

This position is exempt under the provisions of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions) Order 1975 and is subject to an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check.

About You

We are looking for an individual who is passionate about making a difference to young children and families, and who possesses the following skills and experience:

Essential Criteria:

• Relevant Level 3 Childcare/Early Years qualification preferable minimum level 4/5 more desirable.
• Maths and English GCSE grade C or above, or equivalent
• An ability to observe and record childrens learning and development; when required produce reports relating to this, i.e. IPPs (Individual Progress Plan).
• Experience of working with children aged 0-5 and their families
• Understanding of North Somersets Early Help process and how early intervention can support child development. (Common Assessment Framework)
• Understanding of child protection/safeguarding and how this can impact on all aspects of child development, including completion of Safeguarding course.

Desirable Criteria:

• Has an understanding and awareness of relevant legislation and guidance including, but not exclusively, EYFS, Statutory guidance, SEND, Prevent Duty, relevant safeguarding documents.
• Ability to work independently using own initiative.
• Ability to work effectively as part of and lead in the room a dynamic, motivated
• Ability to demonstrate and promote outstanding practice in line with the nurserys ethos.
• To be a caring, friendly, approachable, inclusive professional with a strong enthusiasm towards working holistically with children.

What We Offer

At North Somerset Council, we value our employees and provide a supportive and inclusive work environment. We offer:

• Competitive salary and benefits
• Flexible working arrangements
• Local Government Pension
• Opportunities for professional development
• Inclusive Staff groups including Carers, Disabled, LGBTQ+, REACH (Race, Ethnicity, and Cultural Heritage), and Young Staff Forums
• Opportunity to purchase up to an additional 10 days annual leave each year
• Dedicated in house Wellbeing Team
• Salary sacrifice Cycle to Work and Electric Vehicle schemes

Further details of our excellent rewards package can be found in our Benefits booklet.

Contact Information

For further information about the role, please contact Lucy Thie, Nursery Manager, at [e-mail] or 01934 427450

Important Information

As a Disability Confident Leader, we guarantee to interview all disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the role.

Interview Date: Wednesday 11 November 2026

Please note: We are currently only able to accept applications from candidates who have full permission to work in the UK and are unable to provide Sponsorship for this role.

Equal Opportunities

At North Somerset Council we want all our employees to feel valued and appreciated. We aim to ensure equality of opportunity and prevent discrimination irrespective of your sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion or belief, race, age, disability, including neurodiversity, if you are married or in a civil partnership or are pregnant or currently on maternity leave. We strive to create a workplace that reflects the communities we serve and where everyone feels empowered to bring their full, authentic selves to work.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expect all our staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

We reserve the right to close this advertisement early or extend the closing date depending on the number of applications received.