Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Nursery Worker

🎯 Role Definition

A Nursery Worker provides nurturing, high‑quality care, supervision and early learning support to babies and young children in nursery, daycare or early years settings. This front‑line childcare role ensures children’s safety, well‑being and developmental progress through engaging activities, consistent routines, positive communication with families, and adherence to health, safety and safeguarding standards. Nursery Workers are key contributors to creating a stimulating, inclusive and educational environment that supports physical, emotional, social and cognitive growth.

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📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

• Childcare Assistant
• Early Years Support Worker
• Volunteer Childcarer

Advancement To:

• Senior Nursery Worker
• Room Leader / Key Worker
• Nursery Supervisor or Manager

Lateral Moves:

• Early Years Educator
• Child Development Support Specialist

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Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

1. Provide attentive daily care and supervision of children aged newborn to preschool, ensuring their health, safety and emotional well‑being.
2. Plan, prepare and implement age‑appropriate activities that promote physical, intellectual, and emotional development through play, storytelling, art and structured learning.
3. Observe children’s behavior, participation and milestones, documenting development and reporting concerns to supervisors and parents.
4. Create a safe, secure and welcoming nursery environment by maintaining cleanliness, managing hazards and adhering to health and safety protocols.
5. Establish positive, nurturing relationships with children to build trust, support routines and encourage social and emotional development.
6. Assist with children’s personal care tasks including feeding, changing nappies, supervising toileting and supporting hygiene routines.
7. Facilitate group activities, outdoor play and rest periods in line with nursery schedules and educational frameworks.
8. Communicate clearly and regularly with parents and carers about children’s day‑to‑day experiences, behavior and developmental achievements.
9. Maintain accurate records of attendance, developmental progress and daily care activities.
10. Support children in developing essential self‑care skills, including dressing, eating independently and personal responsibility.
11. Participate in planning and reviewing individual learning goals based on early years frameworks and observations.
12. Assist with the safe administration of medications and monitor children for illness or distress under established protocols.
13. Attend staff meetings, professional development sessions and training to enhance childcare practices.
14. Ensure every child’s needs are met sensitively, including children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).
15. Model positive behavior guidance, conflict resolution and social interaction strategies for children.
16. Support mealtimes by assisting with serving meals, encouraging balanced eating habits and supervising eating safely.
17. Set up, tidy and sanitize play areas, toys and equipment before and after activities.
18. Promote a stimulating nursery environment that fosters curiosity, creativity and early learning.
19. Follow all nursery policies, safeguarding procedures and confidentiality requirements at all times.
20. Engage with support staff and management to ensure consistency in routines, care standards and communication.

Secondary Functions

• Support ad‑hoc data requests and exploratory data analysis.
• Contribute to the organization's data strategy and roadmap.
• Collaborate with business units to translate data needs into engineering requirements.
• Participate in sprint planning and agile ceremonies within the data engineering team.

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Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

• Knowledge of early childhood development concepts and age‑appropriate activity planning.
• Ability to monitor, record and evaluate children’s progress and well‑being.
• Basic understanding of health, hygiene, safety and safeguarding standards in nursery settings.
• Proficiency in maintaining accurate childcare records and documentation.
• Experience implementing educational frameworks such as EYFS or similar.
• First Aid and paediatric emergency response knowledge (certification desirable).
• Ability to prepare and organize learning materials and activity resources.
• Competence in supervising mealtimes, naps and routine transitions safely.
• Familiarity with child development observation and assessment tools.
• Understanding of inclusive practices for children with varying needs.

Soft Skills

• Exceptional patience, empathy and emotional intelligence when working with young children.
• Excellent communication skills with children, parents and colleagues.
• Strong teamwork and collaboration skills in a diverse childcare environment.
• Adaptability and flexibility to handle changing routines and unexpected challenges.
• Positive attitude and enthusiasm for engaging children in learning and play.
• Reliable time management and ability to prioritize duties effectively.
• Insightful observation and problem‑solving capabilities.

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Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

• High School Diploma or equivalent; relevant childcare qualification preferred.

Preferred Education:

• Level 2/3 diploma in Early Childhood Education, Childcare, or related field.

Relevant Fields of Study:

• Early Childhood Education
• Child Development
• Health & Social Care

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:
1‑3+ years of experience working with young children in daycare, nursery or early years settings.

Preferred:
Experience with structured early years learning programs, observation reporting and inclusive childcare practices.