Forest School Nursery Practitioner - Level 3

FOREST SCHOOL NURSERY PRACTITIONER - LEVEL 3

Location: Tops Newport, Isle of Wight

Pay rate: Up to £13.13 per hour 

Contracted Hours: 30 hours per week/ Part Time

About the Role

As a Forest School Lead, you will be responsible for planning, delivering, and leading exciting outdoor sessions for children aged 0-5 in a natural, woodland setting. You will inspire a love of nature, encourage outdoor exploration, and support the development of children’s physical, social, and cognitive skills through engaging and creative outdoor activities.

About the Nursery

Tops Newport Nursery is a 92 place Day Nursery & Pre-School situated in Isle of Wight, Newport. The nursery run several extra-curricular activities including Before and after school clubs, Forest School, cooking school, Boogie Mites, yoga, tooth brushing, football fun and much more!

What does the role involve?

• Planning and delivering Forest School sessions that align with the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) curriculum.
• Creating a safe, engaging, and stimulating outdoor learning environment.
• Encouraging children to explore nature, take calculated risks, and develop confidence, independence, and teamwork skills.
• Supervising children during outdoor activities, ensuring safety and managing risk assessments.
• Promoting sustainability and environmental awareness through nature-based education.
• Working closely with nursery staff and parents to support children’s individual learning and development.

What are we looking for?

• A minimum of a Level 3 Early Years Qualification is required.
• Have a strong understanding of safeguarding procedures.
• Experience working with young children in an outdoor or nursery setting.
• A strong understanding of the Forest School ethos and outdoor learning principles.
• A passion for outdoor education and a commitment to promoting nature-based play.
• Excellent communication skills and the ability to work well in a team.
• Enthusiasm, creativity, and the ability to inspire children in an outdoor environment.

Why You’ll Love Working with Us

At Tops Day Nurseries, we believe in rewarding our team for their hard work and dedication. Here are some of the fantastic benefits you’ll enjoy as part of our family:

Annual Bonus Scheme: As an Employee-Owned Company, you’ll share in our success. Each May, you’ll have the opportunity to receive a bonus from our profit shares.

Childcare Discount: Enjoy up to 60% off childcare within Tops Day Nurseries, making it easier for you to balance work and family life.

Flexible Working Options: Make the Most of Your Time Off with Compressed Hours. By working compressed hours, you could gain up to 48 extra days off per year. Alternatively, if you work nine days over a two-week period, you’ll receive up to 24 additional days off annually. And that’s in addition to your standard holiday allowance!

Holiday Allowance: Take advantage of 29 days of holiday to relax and recharge.

Wellbeing Day: For you to enjoy the way you would like.Take a step back, unwind, and focus on the things that bring you joy and relaxation.

Free meals: Our nurseries are proud to provide free breakfast to our colleagues as part of our commitment to supporting your well-being. Enjoy freshly prepared meals each day, ensuring you're energized and ready to provide the best care and education for the children we nurture.

Employee Recognition: Access to the Blue Light Card, offering exclusive discounts and savings at thousands of retailers, restaurants, and attractions.

Employee Recognition Platform: Access our reward and recognition platform, Each Person, for Gym discounts, Cycle2Work benefits, GP on demand, Cinema deals, Diesel Savings Card, and cashback on your favourite supermarkets and high street retailers. We also use Each person to celebrate employee of the month!

Health and Wellbeing Support: We’ve got you covered with NHS Prescription Charges, Optical Care, and Dental Treatment.

Career Development: We’re committed to your growth and offer fantastic opportunities for career advancement.

Travel and Parking Season Ticket loan: Borrow up to £500 interest-free and spread the expense easily, whether for public transport or parking.

Why Tops Day Nurseries?

We are a leading early education and childcare provider in South England, established in 1990. We promote environmental sustainability and social responsibility by educating today’s children to influence future generations. We value respect, open communication, and teamwork, fostering a positive, purpose-driven work environment.

As an Employee-Owned Company, our colleagues are co-owners, benefiting from the company’s growth through annual profit-sharing bonuses. We're also proud to rank 9th in the 2024 Top 100 Apprenticeship Employers in the UK, offering career development from Level 2 Childcare Apprenticeships to Nursery Manager or Early Years Teacher.

Exciting? We think so! Your journey starts here, so take the first step to become part of Tops Team by clicking apply!

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, colour, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status or disability status. All candidates will be required to have an enhanced DBS which is on the update service. All offers are conditional upon satisfactory background checks. This role involves regulated activity with children. You should not apply if you are on the Childrens’ Barred List.