Early Years Practitioner, Early Years Centre

Early Years Centre

Location:  Day Nursery
Salary:   £23,149 to £24,715 per annum
Full Time Permanent
Closing Date:  Tuesday 18 April 2023
Interview Date:   To be confirmed
Reference:  2230123MT

The Student Experience Directorate (SED) within the University of Southampton is recruiting! Click here to find out more.

An exciting opportunity has arisen to work in the University of Southampton’s outstanding Early Years Centre. We provide high quality childcare from birth to five years of age. You will be responsible for the delivery of exceptional care and education, whilst supporting all needs and stages of early development. Your focus will be to create a calm and tranquil space where both children and staff feel safe, secure, and content. We want all our families to feel welcomed and at peace, knowing that their little ones are being cared for in the most nurturing and inspiring way.

As a team of Early Years Practitioners, together we put the child at the centre of everything we do; always asking ourselves “why?” and reflecting on how what we are doing is benefiting the child. We reflect on our areas and resources and think about the open-ended opportunities they provide, focusing on the child’s interests. We look to extend on children’s play to support them through their learning and development, by modelling play, actions, and communication. We believe children thrive and learn best when they are happy, relaxed and having fun, encouraging a natural love of learning and curiosity.

About you

We want our practitioners to take pride in the care they provide and help create a compassionate and kind setting for all. We can achieve this by being united and working together to create a setting that allows children, families, and staff to express their own curiosity and nurturing personalities.

Applicants must have an NVQ Level 3 in Childcare and Education/CACHE Diploma/NNEB or equivalent. A satisfactory Disclosure and Barring Service clearance at Enhanced level is also required.

We are currently on our journey to gain ‘The Curiosity Approach’ accreditation, where we aim to provide endless opportunities for children to learn, laugh and explore in a safe and supported environment. 

What we can offer you

We are open 50 weeks per year, Monday to Friday 08:00 - 17:45, and are closed for one week at Christmas, one week at Easter, and all bank holidays. All of our full time (37.5 hours) staff work their contracted hours in four days and then benefit from one weekday off every week. We can offer you a variety of working opportunities and encourage applications for full time permanent roles or part time permanent hours. To be discussed at interview.

Working at the University of Southampton gives you access to a wide range of benefits in addition to our competitive rates of pay. Our core benefits include pension scheme membership; a generous annual leave allowance with additional University closure days and public holidays, and excellent family leave arrangements (including maternity, paternity, adoption and parental leave). To view the University of Southampton’s wide range of benefits, please visit https://www.southampton.ac.uk/hr/services/benefits-explained/index.page 

For more information on the Student Experience Directorate, the roles we offer and top tips for applying please visit our website: Click here