🌟Nursery Practitioner – Maternity Cover

Join Our Warm & Welcoming Nursery Team!

Nursery Practitioner – 12 month cover until April 2027

Salary: Up to £24,570 per annum (pay award pending)

Weekly Hours: 37.5 hours

Job Type: Full Time, fixed term contract

Closing date:  This is a priority hire for us. We will close the advert as soon as the position is filled

We are seeking a warm, dedicated, and enthusiastic Nursery Practitioner to join our vibrant team and help give children the very best start in life.

At YMCA North Tyneside, we are guided by our core values: Believe, Inspire, Serve, and Thrive. This is more than a job; it’s an opportunity to belong, contribute, and truly make a lasting positive difference in the lives of young children and their community. If you have a passion for creating a world where every child feels secure, happy, and confident to explore, we want to hear from you!

Your Benefits & Rewards

We value our staff and encourage them to learn and grow as individuals. When you join us, you will enjoy:

• We value our staff and encourage them to learn and grow as individuals. When you join us, you will enjoy:
• Competitive Salary.
• Generous Leave: 5 Weeks Holiday + Bank Holidays, plus your Birthday Off!
• Flexibility: Flexible Public Holidays.
• Health & Fitness: Free Gym Membership to YMCA Gym for you and a loved one.
• Staff Discounts:
• Discounted fees at YMCA Day Nursery.
• Discounts at our Café’s (including Café 1879 and Community Cafe).
• Discounts on holidays at our Patterdale Estate in the Lake District.
• Wellbeing Support: Access to a free and confidential Employer Assistance Programme and a 24/7 GP Helpline.
• Financial & Extras: Access to Salary Sacrifice Schemes, Life Assurance (2x annual salary), Group Pension Contribution Scheme, and Reward Gateway (100’s of retail discounts).
• Community Focus: 2 x Paid Volunteering Days.

Key Responsibilities: Making a Positive Difference

In this role, you will be key to creating an enriching experience for our children, learning and growing your practice by:

You will be instrumental in delivering exceptional provision, consequently holding high expectations for all children. Therefore, your main duties will include:

• Behaviour & Wellbeing: Finally, you will promote positive behaviour, self-control, and independence, while also maintaining practices that promote children’s health, safety, and physical, mental, and emotional well-being.
• Safeguarding & Inclusion: Crucially, you will be responsible for recognising and acting appropriately when a child is at risk of harm. Simultaneously, you must promote children’s rights, equality, inclusion, and anti-discriminatory practice at all times.
• Exceptional Provision: Specifically, delivering high-quality care and education within the setting, being fully committed to children achieving their full potential.
• Safe & Stimulating Environment: You will provide a safe, welcoming, purposeful, and encouraging environment where children feel confident and secure.
• Enriching Activities: As part of this commitment, you will provide safe, appropriate, child-led, and adult-initiated experiences, activities, and play opportunities in all contexts (indoor, outdoor, and out-of-setting).
• Setting the Stage: Therefore, you must organise the environment and resources to ensure they are available and appropriate to meet the individual needs of the children.
• Monitoring Progress: Moreover, you will actively support the development of children’s language and communication skills, and furthermore, monitor/evaluate their learning through various strategies.

(Please note: This is a summary of key duties. Full responsibilities will be covered during training.)

Working with Us: Our Commitment

At YMCA North Tyneside, the health, wellbeing, and safety of our colleagues is of paramount importance, which is why it has guided our refreshed approach to recruitment.

Inclusion & Diversity: To elaborate, we are committed to eliminating discrimination and are an Equal Opportunities Employer. We seek to create an inspiring and inclusive place to work, and as such, we warmly welcome applications from all sections of the community.

How to Apply

We are reviewing applications and conducting interviews on a rolling basis as they come in, so therefore please apply ASAP if you are interested!

Apply Online: Next, please use our secure online application form.

Prepare: To begin, prepare a cover letter explaining why you are the best fit for this role alongside an up-to-date CV.

Have a Chat First?

If you’d like an informal, friendly discussion about the role and expectations, please call us on 0191 257 5434 and ask for Ian Pearson (Nursery Manager) or a member of our HR team. We’re happy to arrange a time to talk.

Our Commitment to You: YMCA North Tyneside is dedicated to being an inspiring and inclusive place to work. We are an equal opportunities employer and value inclusion and diversity, welcoming applications from all sections of the community.