Flexible Nursery Assistant in Bristol

Love working with little learners, but not the idea of 10-hour nursery shifts? We’re looking for a warm, flexible Teaching Assistant to support within a nurturing, school-based nursery setting in Bristol. This is a lovely opportunity for someone who enjoys the magic of Early Years, messy play included, but wants hours that fit around family life, study, or simply having your evenings back.

You’ll be joining a caring and experienced Early Years team where play, curiosity, and positive relationships sit at the heart of the day. The nursery follows a child‑led approach, with exciting indoor and outdoor learning spaces designed to spark imagination, confidence, and independence. Think mud kitchens, storytelling corners, water play, creative activities, and lots of “look what I made!” moments. The setting places a huge focus on helping children feel safe, valued, and ready to thrive. Staff work closely together to create a calm, inclusive environment where every child is encouraged to grow socially, emotionally, and academically through play and exploration.

What you’ll be doing:

• Supporting children aged 2–4 in nursery sessions
• Helping to create a fun, safe, and engaging learning environment
• Supporting play‑based learning and group activities
• Building positive relationships with children, staff, and families
• Encouraging communication, confidence, and independence

What we’re looking for:

• Experience working with children in a nursery, preschool, or school setting
• A patient, caring, and proactive approach
• Someone happy to muck in, from story time to sand trays
• Relevant childcare or TA qualifications are helpful, but not essential

Why this role works so well:

• School hours only, 8:30am–3:30pm
• £14.25 per hour through PAYE, no umbrella faff
• Perfect if you want nursery experience without longer private nursery shifts
• Friendly, supportive school environment
• Flexible opportunities available

Protocol Education also offers:

• Weekly PAYE pay
• FREE access to our CPD Academy
• Ongoing support from a dedicated consultant
• Opportunities to grow your experience in EYFS and SEND settings

Thrive trained already? Amazing. If not, ask us about our FREE Thrive training, it’s a brilliant way to build confidence in supporting children’s emotional development and makes your profile stand out to schools too.

Ready to swap late finishes for story time, play dough, and proper work‑life balance? Apply today and let’s get you into a nursery where you’ll feel right at home.

All applicants will require the appropriate qualifications and training for this role. Please see the FAQs on the Protocol Education website for further details. All pay rates quoted will be inclusive of 12.07% statutory holiday pay. This advert is for a temporary position. In some cases, the option to make this role permanent may become available at a later date. Protocol Education is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. We undertake safeguarding checks on all workers in accordance with the DfE statutory guidance ‘Keeping Children Safe in Education’, this may also include an online search as part of our due diligence on shortlisted applicants. We offer FREE online safeguarding and Prevent Duty training to all our workers. All candidates must undertake or have undertaken a valid enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check and subscribe to the DBS Update Service. Full assistance provided. For details of our privacy policy, please see visit the Protocol Education website.