nursery officer in Leeds

Salary: B3 £26,403 - £28,142 (pro rata)

Hours: 37 all year round

Contract: Temporary (until initially September 2026)

Location: Little Owls Chapeltown

Are you interested in a career in childcare? Little Owls nurseries are currently recruiting for nursery officers. Little Owls is a great place to progress in your childcare career and many of our officers move on to become managers. We support staff to learn and progress by offering regular training.

As a nursery officer based in one of our Little Owls nurseries you will be part of a great team and will deliver a high standard of care which meets the individual needs of the children. It is rewarding work, as well as energetic and at times challenging.

We are committed to the ambition of Child Friendly Leeds. We want Leeds to be a city where all children are safe, happy and healthy, do well at school, fulfil their potential and grow up to be active citizens with voice and influence.

You will:

• Provide high quality care and education for all children and support for families
• Be responsible for ensuring that the day to day childcare provision in your assigned room is of a high standard
• Work with the wider leadership team to ensure a broad and balanced Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) curriculum is provided.

About you:

We are looking for qualified, enthusiastic, adaptable candidates with personal qualities to care for and develop young children. You must have:

• Ability to build relationships and communicate effectively with a wide range of people individually, in groups and at all appropriate levels
• Ability to safeguard children and support them to develop their resilience
• Able to effectively use the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) to lead planning and evaluation of activities to aid children's learning.
• Able to write and oversee the production of reports and plans to support children's learning, development and wellbeing, to the required standard.

We expect the following experience and qualifications:

• Minimum of level 3 qualification in childcare.
• Good standard of literacy and numeracy
• Recent experience of working with young children and families

What We Offer You:

• A competitive salary and annual leave entitlement plus statutory holidays
• Membership of the West Yorkshire Pension Fund with generous employer contributions
• Flexible and hybrid working arrangements subject to service requirements
• A clear career pathway and continuing professional development opportunities
• A range of staff benefits to help you boost your wellbeing and make your money go further

How To Apply:

Please complete the online application form. Read our guidance for further advice on completing your application. Please be aware that successful applicants will be employed by LCC and not a particular centre and could be asked to work at any of the city wide Little Owls Nurseries.

If you have any queries or would like an informal chat about the role please contact Andrea Smith (Support Services Manager).

All new Leeds City Council appointments are made subject to the satisfactory completion of a 6-month probationary period. A Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check against the Children's or Adults' barred list as applicable will be carried out on preferred candidates.

We welcome applications from everyone and actively seek a diverse range of applicants from all backgrounds and cultures. We particularly encourage applications from, but not limited to, women, carers, veterans as well as LGBT+, ethnically diverse, disabled and care experienced people.

This role is based in the UK. Home Office guidance states that candidates must evidence their right to work in the UK prior to commencing employment, either as a UK or Irish citizen, under the EU Settlement scheme or having secured any other relevant work visa.

Job Purpose:

Under the general direction of the Manager and Senior staff, to work as part of the team to deliver a high standard of care which meets the individual needs of the children. All staff are required to support the services main purpose of encouraging and enabling children to develop, behaviourally, educationally and emotionally.

Responsibilities:

• To lead and provide high quality care and education for all children and support for families.
• To lead and provide a broad and balanced Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) curriculum that will meet the requirements of relevant National and Local standards.
• To establish and deliver on Individual Education Programmes (IEP) and the Early Support Programme for children with Special Educational Needs and disabilities (SEND).
• To observe and monitor children's development and prepare written reports of their progress, to promote their wellbeing.
• To liaise with and provide professional advice to, parents/carers; and other professionals involved with the child.
• To maintain client confidentiality.
• To liaise with the local primary school teachers and prepare reports that will support the child's transition into school.
• To report any injury or accident ensuring that the Health & Safety of the individual is maintained.
• To follow the process for reporting any suspicious or suspected non-accidental injury, complying with Departmental Child Protection Procedures in line with Local Safeguarding Children Board Procedures.
• To understand and operate the policies and procedures for the administration of medication including accurately recording and verifying drug sheets.
• To support student placements: to prepare and present accurate, concise reports on these to the Manager and/or college tutors.
• To support parents, carers and families in the successful admission and transition of their children.
• To organise and participate in interesting and appropriate educational visits for children and families, observing health and safety policies and making risk assessments.
• To take responsibility for the securing of the building and resources if required.
• To assist the management in providing professional support to parents and outside agencies on issues relating to child protection.
• To take responsibility for a group of children during any building evacuation.
• Participate in appraisal, training and development activities to ensure up-to-date knowledge and skills.
• Work collaboratively with colleagues, knowing when to seek help and advice.
• Be aware of and comply with Leeds City Council policies and procedures such as child protection, health, safety and security, confidentiality and data protection, reporting all concerns to an appropriate person.
• Recognise and appropriately challenge any incidents of racism, bullying, harassment or victimisation and any form of abuse of equal opportunities, ensuring compliance with relevant policies and procedures.
• The duties outlined are not meant as an exhaustive list and will also comprise any other duties within the spirit of the post commensurate with the job evaluation outcome for this post.

Qualifications:

To work in this role, you must hold a minimum of a relevant Level 3 qualification in Childcare. You must demonstrate good literacy and numeracy, through qualifications or a skills test completed at interview.

Essential requirements:

The candidate should be able to demonstrate the following criteria for the post within the context of the specific role duties and responsibilities. We will use one or more methods to assess whether candidates meet the essential requirements, including application form, interview, test and certificate. We will only shortlist candidates for interview if they can demonstrate that they meet all the following essential requirements.

Skills Required:

• Ability to build relationships and communicate effectively with a wide range of people individually, in groups and at all appropriate levels.
• Able to motivate children through positive role modelling and sustain their interest in play activities.
• Able to work as part of a team.
• Ability to safeguard children and support them to develop their resilience.
• Able to listen and follow instructions.
• Able to effectively use the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) to lead planning and evaluation of activities to aid children's learning.
• Able to write and oversee the production of reports and plans to support children's learning, development and wellbeing, to the required standard.
• Able to offer support to children and families in a culturally sensitive, positive and non-judgemental way.
• Able to work in partnership with parents and carers to support their children's learning, development and wellbeing.
• Able to supervise students and apprentices.
• Able to use ICT packages including Word and Excel.
• An ability to work with staff at all levels, working as part of a team, contributing to team cohesion and liaising with other professionals.
• A flexible approach to working hours with the ability to change shift patterns as required.

Knowledge Required:

• Relevant Level 3 qualification as detailed in the Qualification section above.
• GCSE Maths and English at grades A*-C or equivalent or commitment to achieve this within 2 years.
• A relevant and current Paediatric First Aid or Emergency Paediatric First Aid certificate or a commitment to achieve this within the first 3 months of employment, as required in the EYFS framework.
• Knowledge and understanding of practice in Safeguarding children and Local Safeguarding Board.
• Knowledge and understanding of current legislation, policy and guidance relating to the work of Sure Start Children's Centres including the 2004 Children Act, the 2006 Childcare Act, the Ofsted inspection framework, the EYFS, the SEN Code of practice and Working Together to Safeguard children 2015.
• Knowledge of a range of factors which create stress for children and families.
• Knowledge of guidance documents which support the development of young children's learning including the Early Years Foundation Stage Profile.

Experience Required:

• Experience of professional employment in work with young children and families.
• Experience of working in partnership with other agencies.
• Experience of working in close partnership with parents and carers.
• Experience of professional employment in a nursery environment.
• Experience of practice related to Child Protection issues.
• Experience of leading practice within a nursery environment.
• Experience of teamwork.
• Experience of leading in planning to organise play experiences for children.

Behavioural And Other Characteristics Required:

• Be physically fit enough to carry out all requirements of the role.
• Committed to continuous improvement.
• Able to understand and observe Leeds City Council's Equality and Diversity Policy.
• Carry out all duties having regard to an employee's responsibility under the council's Health, Safety and Wellbeing Policy.
• Willingness to actively participate in training and development activities to ensure up-to-date knowledge, skills and continuous professional development.
• Understand and embrace our values, behaviours and codes of conduct.