Nursery Practitioner - Nurseries - 42272 - Grade 3

University of Birmingham; Park Central; On-site; GBP 20,000 - 30,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading educational institution in Park Central seeks a dedicated childcare professional to provide high-quality care for children under five. Candidates should possess relevant qualifications and experience in early years education, ensuring the children's welfare and development while maintaining compliance with health and safety standards. Offering a supportive environment, the institution values diversity and the personal growth of employees, providing flexible working opportunities and a strong benefits package.

Benefits

Generous holiday package

Occupational sick pay

Pension scheme

Subsidised day nursery services

Qualifications

• Childcare and Education NVQ Level 3 or equivalent.
• GCSE English Language and Maths or equivalent Level 1 qualifications.
• Experience working with children from birth to 5 years.
• Knowledge of legislation, regulations, and Ofsted requirements.
• Ability to promote good practice in a professional manner.

Responsibilities

• Provide high quality, positive care for children.
• Ensure the health and safety of colleagues and children.
• Plan, prepare, and supervise activities for children.
• Maintain a clean and safe environment for children.
• Work with parents/carers to keep them informed of their child’s progress.

Skills

Childcare and Education NVQ Level 3 or equivalent

GCSE English Language and Maths or equivalent

Attention to detail

Experience with children from birth to 5 years

Knowledge of early years education

Understanding of health and safety in childcare

Ability to communicate effectively

Excellent organizational skills

Commitment to equal opportunities

Education

Childcare and Education NVQ Level 3 or equivalent

Job description

Responsibilities

• The University will seek references from at least one referee prior to interview. Candidates must therefore provide at least one referee whom we can contact immediately. The remaining referees will usually only be contacted if you are offered appointment. Please indicate clearly on your application form which referee(s) we may contact prior to interview.
• Candidates invited to interview will be asked to disclose all past names, for the sole purpose of verifying identity for Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) and safeguarding checks. Candidates will be asked to bring documents to verify their identity (e.g. birth/adoption certificate and any evidence of name changes).
• All successful candidates will be required to undergo a DBS check covering all names used.
• You will provide high quality, positive care for children through social, emotional, educational and practical interaction, nurturing and guidance.
• You will follow the policies and procedures and comply with the Children Act (2006), Health and Safety legislation and within the requirements of Ofsted and the Early Years Foundation Stage, including ensuring confidentiality is maintained.
• You will ensure the children are kept safe, are well, and that Child Protection Procedures are followed.
• You will implement the key worker system to address the individual needs of each child, their family and carers.
• You will have an awareness of the Special Educational Needs and Disability Code of Practice, undertake observation and assessment of children's learning and development, helping ensure records are kept up-to-date, of a high standard and shared effectively.
• 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.
• Plan, prepare and supervise activities such as arts and craft, cooking, reading, music, outdoor and physical activities both indoors and out.
• Clean and maintain toys and equipment in a safe manner.
• Feed babies and young children ensuring their nutritional needs are met, complying with Food Safety Regulations.
• Change nappies and support children with potty training and toileting.
• 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 and 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, supporting equality and valuing diversity.
• Undertake other duties as required. You will undertake a range of activities within the Nursery that are allocated on a daily basis or by pre-determined routines and frameworks. You will need to complete these within the day or certain timeframes (with some tasks such as inspections needing to happen in specific time frames).
• Problem solving and decision making: you will work within existing processes and procedures, with an expectation to refer to the Manager before making any changes to Normal Operating Procedures. There will be prescribed procedures, with experience showing which is the best course of action.
• Internal and external relationships: you will interact with children and carers/parents from a range of backgrounds and will need to have a high level of communication skills to provide quality care, learning and development for all children attending the nursery, and to work in partnership with carers/parents.
• 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.

Qualifications and Skills

• Childcare and Education NVQ Level 3 or equivalent
• GCSE English Language and Maths or equivalent Level 1 qualifications
• Need strong attention to detail and can do attitude
• Experience of working with children from birth to 5 years and positive behaviour management
• Knowledge of developments in early years education and willingness to undertake training
• Sound knowledge of legislation, regulations, Ofsted requirements, inspection criteria and the Early Years Foundation Stage
• Understanding of how to ensure health and safety and hygiene in a childcare setting
• Understanding of and commitment to Child Protection procedures
• Physically and mentally suitable to care for children, including ability to deal with challenging behaviours
• Ability to promote good practice in a professional manner
• Ability to communicate well and work well with children and adults from diverse backgrounds
• Ability to write legibly and present information well
• Excellent communication skills and ability to work effectively 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
• A sound understanding of and commitment to equal opportunities, inclusion and anti-bias

University of Birmingham – About Us

The University of Birmingham is proud to have been a part of the City of Birmingham and the wider region for over 100 years, and we are 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 to develop through our sector‑leading Birmingham Professional programme which provides all professional services staff with development opportunities and the encouragement to reach their full potential. With almost 5,000 professional services jobs in a wide range of functions in Edgbaston and in our campus in Dubai, there are plenty of opportunities for you to be able to develop your career 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 and to the success of the University and, depending on the role, we offer a variety of 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 days paid holiday a 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 the benefits of working for the University of Birmingham.

Background Pre‑appointment checks. In line with recommendations and regulations relating to Early Years safeguarding and recruitment, please note that for this role… 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.