Early Years Practitioner

We are looking for inspirational Level 3 qualified Early Years Practitioners to join our nursery in Emberton, Milton Keynes.

We are located in what was the old school in the lovely village of Emberton, near Olney. We have adapted the building to younger children and added our Acorn touch, whilst retaining the character of the original architecture. We have developed the expansive outside area into an outdoor learning centre, which we offer a nature kindergarten during term-time for 3-4 year olds, and an outdoor playscheme in school holidays, for school aged children. 

If you are offered a EYP role before the end of  May, you will receive a £300 recruitment bonus after successfully completing your 3 month probation period. 

The role needs to cover 40 hours per week, but if you aren’t able to work the full time hours, still get in touch, as we may be able to offer job sharing opportunities.  

Key Responsibilities:

• Support the planning and delivery of engaging and developmentally appropriate activities for children aged [insert age group, e.g., 0-5 years].
• Promote the safety and well-being of all children in your care.
• Encourage children to explore and develop their skills through play and structured learning activities.
• Observe and monitor children's development and contribute to progress reports.
• Build positive relationships with children, parents, and colleagues.
• Ensure a clean, safe, and stimulating environment for children to learn and grow.
• Support the implementation of safeguarding and health & safety policies.

Key Requirements:

• Level 3 Early Years qualification (e.g., NVQ, CACHE, or equivalent).
• Previous experience working with children in an early years setting.
• A good understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) curriculum.
• A passionate and caring attitude toward children’s development.
• Ability to work well in a team and on your own initiative.
• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal.
• A commitment to continuous professional development.

Desirable:

• First Aid certification.
• Previous experience in a nursery or childcare setting.
• Knowledge of child safeguarding practices

We’re proud to be one of the leading childcare providers in Milton Keynes, Northampton and Bedford with over 30 years’ experience who specialise in nature pedagogy and promoting the professional development of our employees and have recently been awarded a Top20 DayNurseries group award. We believe that childcare needs a personal touch, and our nurseries and out-of-school clubs offer flexibility and individuality with a homely feel. As a not-for-profit organisation, we place our children’s well-being at the heart of our work.

We very much welcome candidates that are looking to progress their personal career development due to future nurseries in the pipeline within the location of MK. The ideal candidate will be passionate, motivated and enthusiastic about outdoor learning and creative play, as well as a good working knowledge and practice of the EYFS and safeguarding procedures.

Successful applicants must be able to provide ‘right to work in the UK’ documentation, provide two satisfactory references and undertake an enhanced DBS check prior commencing employment.

Benefits

Working at Acorn

As a thank you for all of your hard work and dedication to making Acorn a safe, nurturing and fun place for our children to be, we offer:

• Payscales that are competitive, transparent and reviewed annually
• Childcare discount – nothing should be a barrier to your career
• Generous family leave – supporting you to support your family
• Christmas closure – Santa doesn’t wait for anyone
• 25 days of annual leave, plus bank holidays (and the option to buy more) – even superheroes need time off
• 4 dedicated training days and individual development plans – investing in you for the whole journey
• Enhanced pension scheme – not as far away as you think ?
• Cyclescheme – helping you get back on the saddle
• Techscheme – making a brand new laptop a little more affordable
• Length of Service awards – time with us means treats for you
• Summer and Christmas parties – all work and no play is a myth
• Pay advances for when times are tough