Senior Nursery Practitioner in Shepperton, Surrey

CherryLands Nursery is nestled on the outskirts of Byfleet, offering a warm and nurturing environment where children can thrive through active learning and purposeful play. Easily accessible by public transport and with the convenience of an onsite car park, our nursery is surrounded by nature and features a large, spacious garden completed with exciting climbing frames designed to inspire outdoor learning and exploration. We are proud to provide a home from home setting that combines professionalism with genuine care, creating a place where every child feels secure, valued, and ready to grow.

We are currently seeking a Third in Charge to join our team. This full-time role requires working 42.5 hours per week, with shifts between 7:30 am and 6:30 pm. The ideal candidate will hold a full and relevant Level 3 qualification. Please note, this is a year-round position, as the nursery operates throughout the year and is not term-time only.

Why Join Us?

• Referral programme: Refer a friend and earn up to £750
• Employee Childcare Discounts: 75% off nursery fees for our team members
• Annual Leave: Starting at 24 days, plus a paid day off for your birthday and bank holidays
• Health and Wellbeing Programme: Confidential employee assistance helpline available
• Development: Tailored learning and development opportunities to support your career growth

As Third in Charge / Room Leader, you will:

• Provide stimulating and purposeful experiences, environments, and resources to children, that are appropriate to their age and stage of development.
• Enhance the all-around daily needs of children, including their physical, intellectual, social, and emotional development.
• Assist staff in updating the EyLog system and their child learning journals with the highest quality.
• Promote respect and credibility for this position by leading as a role model with impartiality and consistency.
• Assist with embedding an effective key person approach to enable children to form secure attachments and identify training or development needs for staff.
• Maintain accurate records and accounts relating to children and staff on EyMan system and on file.
• Ensure the safety and wellbeing of every child, staff, parent, and visitor at all times.
• Understand and ensure that the requirements of the statutory framework for the EYFS are met.

As Third in Charge / Room Leader, you will need:

• Full and relevant Level 3 in Childcare qualification – Essential.
• Over 1 year's experience working in Early Years – Essential.
• Over 6 months' experience working in a senior position – Desirable.
• Sound knowledge of Ofsted expectations to achieve a Good or Outstanding rating – Desirable.
• Knowledge of the statutory framework for the EYFS and regulatory requirements – Essential.
• Fluent in written and spoken English – Essential.

We are committed to safeguarding and protecting the welfare of children and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. A Disclosure and Barring Service Certificate will be required for all posts. This post will be subject to enhanced checks as part of our Safeguarding Duty.

Cherrylands Nursery is part of the Family First Group where we take great care to treat everyone as a person, with equal rights and responsibilities to any other individual, whether they are an adult or a child. We are committed to providing equality of opportunity and anti-discriminatory practice for all children and families according to their individual needs. Discrimination on the grounds of gender, age, race, religion or belief, marriage or civil partnership, disability, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, pregnancy or maternity, ethnic or national origin, or political belief has no place within the Family First Group.