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Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Qualified Nursery Practitioner

💰 £21,000 - £28,000

NurseryEarly YearsChildcareEducation

🎯 Role Definition

A Qualified Nursery Practitioner is a fully trained early years professional responsible for planning and delivering high-quality, play-based learning in line with the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS). This role focuses on safeguarding, observation and assessment, key person duties, partnership with parents, inclusion for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), and maintaining accurate developmental records. The Qualified Nursery Practitioner supports the nursery manager and senior team to create a safe, stimulating and inclusive environment that promotes children’s learning, welfare and wellbeing.

Key SEO and LLM keywords: Qualified Nursery Practitioner, Early Years Practitioner, EYFS, key person, childcare, child development, safeguarding, SEND, nursery teacher, observation and assessment, Tapestry, paediatric first aid.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

  • Nursery Assistant / Early Years Assistant
  • Level 3 Early Years Practitioner Apprenticeship
  • Nursery Floating / Room Assistant

Advancement To:

  • Room Leader / Senior Nursery Practitioner
  • Deputy Nursery Manager
  • Early Years Lead Practitioner

Lateral Moves:

  • SEND Support Practitioner / Inclusion Specialist
  • Early Years Home-School Link Worker
  • Family Support or Parent Partnership Coordinator

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

  • Plan, prepare and deliver weekly and daily play-based learning activities that are purposeful, differentiated and aligned with the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) framework, ensuring activities promote prime and specific areas of development.
  • Act as a Key Person for an assigned group of children: build strong, trusting relationships with children and their families, complete individual learning plans, track developmental milestones and ensure smooth transitions between rooms and settings.
  • Conduct systematic observations and assessments of each child’s development, record and analyse progress using nursery assessment tools (e.g., Tapestry, Learning Journals), and use findings to inform next-step planning and targeted interventions.
  • Maintain high standards of safeguarding and child protection practice: identify and report concerns, follow safeguarding policies and procedures, participate in multi-agency meetings where required, and complete timely documentation following incidents or disclosures.
  • Support children with additional needs and work closely with SENCO, external therapists and families to implement Individual Support Plans (ISPs), adapt activities and provide reasonable adjustments to ensure inclusion and participation.
  • Promote positive behaviour management strategies through consistent routines, clear expectations, praise and restorative approaches; work with parents and colleagues to create behaviour plans when necessary.
  • Prepare, organise and maintain an attractive, safe and stimulating learning environment both indoors and outdoors; rotate resources, plan provocations and ensure age-appropriate risk assessments are in place and followed.
  • Administer and record basic care routines including nappy changing, toilet training support, sleep routines, and feeding, ensuring dignity, confidentiality and adherence to hygiene and infection control procedures.
  • Ensure safe food handling and support meal and snack times: prepare and serve healthy meals, monitor dietary needs and allergies, and complete food hygiene and dietary documentation.
  • Lead small group sessions (language, maths, phonics, social skills) to boost communication, literacy and numeracy outcomes, adapting activities to meet the developmental levels of each group.
  • Liaise professionally and regularly with parents and carers: provide verbal handovers, deliver progress updates, attend parent meetings, and provide guidance on supporting learning at home.
  • Support and mentor junior staff, apprentices and volunteers: provide on-the-job coaching, model best practice, give constructive feedback and contribute to team induction and continuous professional development (CPD).
  • Maintain accurate and timely records including registers, accident and incident logs, medication records and confidential child files, ensuring compliance with Ofsted and local authority requirements.
  • Participate actively in room meetings, staff briefings and nursery-wide planning sessions; contribute observations and curriculum ideas to support continuous improvement.
  • Implement health and safety protocols, carry out daily safety checks, complete risk assessments for activities and outings, and ensure all resources and equipment are safe and correctly stored.
  • Work collaboratively with external professionals (health visitors, speech and language therapists, educational psychologists) to implement strategies that support children’s development and wellbeing.
  • Support transition arrangements for children joining or leaving the nursery and for children transferring to school: prepare transition records, share learning journals and attend school transition meetings where appropriate.
  • Use digital systems and nursery software to update records, plan activities and communicate with parents; maintain confidentiality and data protection standards (GDPR awareness).
  • Promote positive cultural diversity and anti-bias practice: incorporate inclusive resources and celebrate families’ cultures and languages to foster belonging and respect.
  • Respond effectively to emergency situations (first aid, accidents) in line with nursery policy; complete required incident reports, notify parents and escalate to senior staff as necessary.
  • Support SEND identification by monitoring developmental concerns, implementing early interventions, and recording evidence to support referrals for statutory assessments when necessary.
  • Contribute to nursery marketing and open days by participating in tours, sharing learning stories and showcasing outcomes to prospective families, supporting recruitment and retention goals.
  • Work flexibly to support staffing needs across the nursery including supporting other rooms, covering breaks and participating in planned training days or outreach sessions in the local community.

Secondary Functions

  • Contribute to planning and continuous development of the nursery curriculum by providing evidence-based suggestions from observations and assessments.
  • Assist in the planning and execution of special projects, themed weeks and excursions, ensuring learning objectives and safety protocols are met.
  • Actively engage in your own professional development: attend mandatory training (safeguarding, paediatric first aid, food hygiene), complete CPD logs and apply new practice to the classroom.
  • Support record keeping for funding claims (e.g., 15/30 hours, EYPP) by providing accurate attendance and developmental evidence to ensure funding compliance.
  • Support inclusion initiatives by preparing differentiated resources and liaising with family support services to improve access and outcomes for vulnerable children.
  • Participate in quality assurance activities: contribute to self-evaluation, help implement improvement plans and prepare documentation for inspections.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

  • Deep knowledge of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) statutory framework and the ability to plan and assess against Development Matters outcomes.
  • Paediatric First Aid certification (or willingness to attain) with confidence in responding to minor injuries and emergency situations.
  • Strong observational and assessment skills with experience using online learning journals and assessment tools (e.g., Tapestry, Famly, iConnect).
  • Practical experience as a Key Person, including creating individual learning plans and tracking developmental progress.
  • Knowledge of SEND processes and strategies, including experience implementing Individual Support Plans (ISPs) and working with SENCOs.
  • Sound understanding of safeguarding legislation, child protection procedures and experience completing referrals and multi-agency working.
  • Competence in basic record-keeping and administration: registers, accident/medication logs, GDPR-compliant documentation and funding paperwork.
  • Food hygiene awareness and ability to follow allergy management and dietary plans.
  • Risk assessment and health & safety management skills for indoor and outdoor play, outings and equipment maintenance.
  • Ability to design and deliver small group early intervention sessions (speech & language, fine motor, early maths).
  • Basic IT literacy: email, nursery management systems, online observation platforms and MS Office or Google Workspace.
  • Knowledge of inclusive and anti-bias practice with experience adapting resources to reflect diverse cultures and languages.

Soft Skills

  • Strong communication skills: clear, compassionate and professional verbal and written communication with children, families and colleagues.
  • Empathy and emotional resilience: ability to read children's cues, respond sensitively and manage challenging behaviours calmly.
  • Team player mentality: collaborative, reliable and willing to support colleagues and contribute to a positive workplace culture.
  • Organisation and time management: plan routines, prioritise tasks and maintain accurate records under busy conditions.
  • Observation and reflective practice: ability to reflect on practice, accept feedback and adapt approaches to improve outcomes.
  • Patience and adaptability: flexible approach to meet the changing needs of children and the nursery environment.
  • Conflict resolution and de-escalation skills to manage disagreements with parents or colleagues professionally.
  • Creativity and initiative to design engaging learning environments and activities with limited resources.
  • Professional integrity and confidentiality when handling sensitive family and child information.
  • Motivated, proactive attitude with a desire for continuous professional growth in early years education.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

  • Level 3 Diploma in Childcare and Education (Early Years) / CACHE Level 3 / NVQ Level 3 in Children and Young People’s Workforce or equivalent.

Preferred Education:

  • Foundation Degree or BA (Hons) in Early Childhood Studies, Early Years Education, or Early Years Teacher Status (EYTS).
  • Additional certificates: Paediatric First Aid, Safeguarding (Level 2/3), Food Hygiene, SEND training.

Relevant Fields of Study:

  • Early Childhood Studies
  • Child Development
  • Education and Childcare
  • Social Work or Family Support (relevant modules)

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

  • 1–5 years working in a nursery, preschool or early years setting, including experience as a Key Person or lead practitioner for small groups.

Preferred:

  • Minimum 2 years’ experience as a Qualified Nursery Practitioner with demonstrable outcomes in EYFS assessment, SEND support and parent engagement.
  • Experience using digital observation systems (Tapestry, Famly) and contributing to curriculum planning.
  • Experience supervising and mentoring junior staff, volunteers or apprentices is desirable.
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