Nursery Practitioner Level 3

Busy Bees Childcare; Harlow; On-site; GBP 22,000 - 28,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading nursery group in Harlow is seeking an Early Years Educator to foster the development of young children. The ideal candidate will have a Level 3 qualification in Early Years Education and relevant experience. This role offers competitive salary, professional development, and a supportive team environment. Benefits include up to 28 days holiday, flexible shifts, and opportunities for career advancement.

Benefits

Competitive salary

Ongoing professional development

Up to 28 days holiday per year

50% childcare discount

Enhanced family leave

Employee Assistance Programme

Cycle to Work scheme

Discounted Private Medical Insurance (PMI)

Qualifications

• Proven experience working with children under 5.
• Genuine interest in early childhood education.

Responsibilities

• Create a safe, stimulating environment for children.
• Plan and deliver educational activities aligned with EYFS.
• Oversee children's development and care needs.

Skills

Good communication

Excellent organisational skills

Knowledge of child development

Education

Level 3 or above qualification in Early Years Education

Job description

Join Our Team at Busy Bees - Leading Nursery Group in the UK

As an Early Years Educator, you will play a leading role in fostering the intellectual, social, and emotional development of children at Busy Bees. Join a company that values high‑quality education and provides ample growth opportunities.

About Us

Busy Bees is the UK's leading nursery group, with nearly 400 nurseries across the UK and more overseas. We are dedicated to giving every child the best start in life and are proud to have won awards for our workplace culture. At Busy Bees, we ensure that every member of our team feels heard, valued, and nurtured.

Why Work at Busy Bees?

We offer a supportive environment that empowers you to create engaging, educational spaces where children can thrive. As part of our team, you'll be introduced to our unique Bee Curious curriculum, designed to foster curiosity and confidence in young learners.

Our charitable commitment — through our partnership with BBC Children in Need — provides fantastic opportunities for community involvement and fundraising to support children’s lives.

About our Nursery

Join our friendly team at Busy Bees in Harlow, an Ofsted‑rated Good nursery with a capacity of 105 children. Our longstanding staff is dedicated to providing quality childcare in a nurturing environment, and we’re excited to welcome new team members as we continue to grow. Located in a business park, we offer free parking for our staff, making it convenient to access our nursery. Enjoy flexible shifts and staff lunch two days a week, enhancing your work‑life balance. This is a fantastic opportunity to advance your career in early childhood education within a supportive and collaborative team.

Busy Bees Benefits

• Competitive salary
• Ongoing professional development and career progression
• Our 'Hive' benefits and wellbeing hub, with discounts across a huge range of retailers
• Up to 28 days holiday per year (including bank holidays)
• Birthday off – it’s our gift to you!
• 50% childcare discount
• Enhanced family leave and return to work bonus
• Menopause support through Peppy
• Financial support through Salary Finance
• Employee Assistance Programme and Mental Health First Aiders
• Cycle to Work scheme
• Easy access to your workplace pension through Cushon
• Discounted Private Medical Insurance (PMI)
• Opportunities to travel to other countries, experience different cultures and learn new practices
• Access to our Benefits and Wellbeing platform, Hive – offering huge array of retail discounts helping your money to go further, along with a Wellbeing Hub featuring resources to support your physical and mental health
• A Celebrating You section showcasing the ways we recognise and reward our valued team members
• A dedicated Grow with Us area sharing the exciting development opportunities and training designed to support you to thrive and grow at Busy Bees

What to Expect as a Nursery Practitioner

• Create a safe, stimulating environment: prepare materials and arrange rooms to encourage children's growth and learning.
• Lead educational activities: plan and deliver activities that support children's physical, emotional, intellectual, and social development, aligned with the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS).
• Key person role: oversee children's development, care needs, and build strong family connections.

What We're Looking For

• Level 3 (or above) qualification in Early Years Education.
• Proven experience working with children under 5 and a genuine interest in early childhood education.
• Skills: good communication and excellent organisational skills, and the ability to apply knowledge of child development to plan and deliver activities.
• Preferred experience: working as an Early Years Educator, Nursery Practitioner, Nursery Assistant or Nursery Nurse.

At Busy Bees, we’re committed to care, quality, value and service. If you have previous experience working with children and are ready to make a meaningful impact in early childhood education, we encourage you to apply!