Nursery Practitioner - Campus Services - 48307 - Grade 3

University of Birmingham; Birmingham; On-site; GBP 25,000 - 28,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading university seeks a Nursery Practitioner for The Elms Day Nursery in Birmingham. The role focuses on providing high-quality care and stimulating play experiences for children up to 5 years, following the Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum. The position offers a full-time contract with generous benefits, including 40 paid holidays annually and ongoing training opportunities.

Benefits

40 days paid holiday a year

Paid volunteering day annually

Occupational sick pay

Discounted gym membership

Induction and training opportunities

Qualifications

• Experience working with children from birth to 5 years.
• Knowledge of early years education developments and willingness to train.
• DBS clearance required due to the nature of the position.

Responsibilities

• Ensure high-quality care for children aged 6 weeks to 5 years.
• Implement the key worker system to meet children's individual needs.
• Observe and record children's activities and progress.

Skills

Communication

Organization

Child Protection Knowledge

Teamwork

Understanding of Early Years Curriculum

Behaviour Management

Education

Childcare and Education NVQ Level 3

GCSE English Language and Maths at Grade C or above

Job description

Position Details

Campus Services

Location: University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham UK

Full time starting salary is normally in the range £25,618 to £27,126

Grade: 3

Full Time, Permanent

Closing date: 4th August 2025

Our offer to you

People are at the heart of what we are and do.

The University of Birmingham is proud to have been a part of the City of Birmingham and the wider region for over 100 years, andweare equally proud to be recognised as a leading global university.We want to attract talented people from across the city and beyond, support them to succeed, and celebrate their success.

We are committed to helping the people who work here todevelopthrough our sector-leading Birmingham Professional programmewhichprovides allprofessionalservices staff with development opportunities and the encouragement to reach their full potential.With almost 5,000professionalservices jobs in a wide-range of functionsin Edgbaston andin our campus inDubai, there are plenty of opportunities foryou to be able to develop yourcareer at the University.

We believe there is no such thing as a typical member of staff and that diversity is a source of strength that underpins the exchange of ideas, innovation, and debate.We warmly welcome people from all backgrounds and are committed to fostering an inclusive environment where diversity is at the heart of who and what we are,and how we work.

Supporting our people to achieve a healthy work/life balance is important both to our employees andtothe success of the University and, depending on the role, we offer avarietyof flexible working arrangements. We therefore welcome discussions on all forms of flexible working.In addition, you will receive a generous package of benefits including 40 dayspaid holidaya year, one paid day a year for volunteering, occupational sick pay, and a pension scheme. We also have three high quality subsidised day nurseries.

The University is situated in leafy Edgbaston and there are excellent transport links to our beautiful campus, including main bus routes and a train station on site.On campus we have a state-of-the-art sports centre with pool, shops,places to eat and drink,our own art gallery, museum and botanical gardens.

Find out more about thebenefits of working for the Universityof Birmingham

Role Summary

The role of the Nursery Practitioner is to ensure that all children attending The Elms Day Nursery receive high quality care, are kept safe, and receive rich and stimulating play experiences which meet their individual needs and support all aspects and components of the Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum. This role will entail light domestic duties as and when required in the playrooms.

This role as a Nursery Practitioner is working up to 35 hours per week for a private early years day nursery based in leafy Edgbaston, next to the University of Birminghamcampus offering excellent public transport links. You will receive a generous package of benefits including:

• 40 days paid holiday a year
• 1 paid day a year for volunteering
• 2 paid staff training days
• Occupational sick pay
• Discounted gym membership at the new sports centre
• Recognition scheme
• Staff discount on childcare
• An in-depth induction to the nursery including EYFS
• Ongoing training and development opportunities

Main Duties

• Provide high quality, positive care for babies and children from 6 weeks old to 5 years through social, emotional, educational, and practical interaction, nurturing, and guidance. And having good/clear understanding of developmental stages.
• Make sure the babies are kept safe, are well, and that Child Protection Procedures are followed.
• Implement the key worker system to address the individual needs of each child, family, and carers.
• Observe and keep records of the activities and progress of children.
• Complete parental inductions to liaise and ensure a smooth transition from home to nursery.
• Partner with parents/carers to keep them informed of their child’s day and progress.
• Organise, maintain and ensure a clean, tidy, hygienic, safe, child-friendly environment.
• Supervise activities such as arts and crafts, cooking, reading, music, and outdoor and physical activities.
• Maintain toys and equipment.
• Feed babies and ensure the nutritional needs of babies and children are met via a variety of stages from preparation of bottles, weaning to full solid diet that complies with Food Safety Regulations and NHS Guidance.
• Change nappies and help children with potty/toilet training.
• Help children to learn social, emotional, numeracy, language, and practical skills.
• Work with staff within the nursery to provide a high quality nursery service.
• Work with outside professional bodies or agencies as appropriate.
• Implement the daily routine of the nursery.
• Participate in meetings.
• Follow the nursery’s practices, processes, and procedures. E.g. positive behaviour management techniques.
• Learn about developments in childcare and undertake training as required.
• Ensure the health and safety of colleagues and children, complying with all Health and Safety requirements.
• Treat everyone with dignity and respect, support equality, and value diversity.
• Undertake other duties as required.
• Know your children.

Required Knowledge, Skills, Qualifications, Experience

• Childcare and Education NVQ Level 3.
• GCSE English Language and Maths at Grade C or above.
• Experience in working with children from birth to 5 years and positive behaviour management.
• Knowledge of developments in early years of education and willingness to undertake training.
• Knowledge of legislation, regulations, inspection criteria, and curriculum relevant to Early Years.
• Understanding of how to ensure health and safety and hygiene in a childcare setting.
• Understanding of and commitment to Child Protection procedures.
• Suitability and ability to care for children, including the ability to deal with challenging behaviours.
• Ability to communicate well and work well with children and adults from diverse backgrounds.
• Reliable.
• Punctual.
• Ability to write legibly and present information well.
• Ability to work well as part of a team.
• Good organisational skills.
• Ability to learn and understand how diversity considerations affect early years’ childcare.
• Ability and willingness to take on duties as required.

DBS required

The University is committed to safeguarding and we promote safe recruitment practice, therefore all associated pre-employment checks will be undertaken before any appointment is confirmed.Due to the nature of the work undertaken in this role all successful applicants will be subject to a satisfactory DBS clearance prior to appointment.

Informal enquiries to Selina Hunt, email: [e-mail]

View our staff values and behaviourshere

We believe there is no such thing as a 'typical' member of University of Birmingham staff and that diversity in its many forms is a strength that underpins the exchange of ideas, innovation and debate at the heart of University life. We are committed to proactively addressing the barriers experienced by some groups in our community and are proud to hold Athena SWAN, Race Equality Charter and Disability Confident accreditations. We have an Equality Diversity and Inclusion Centre that focuses on continuously improving the University as a fair and inclusive place to work where everyone has the opportunity to succeed. We are also committed to sustainability, which is a key part of our strategy. You can find out more about our work to create a fairer university for everyone on our website .