At a Glance
- Tasks: Support children during lunch, ensuring a safe and engaging environment.
- Company: Join a nurturing nursery team dedicated to children's development.
- Benefits: Enjoy 25 days off, professional training, and discounts at over 15,000 retailers.
- Other info: Flexible hours with opportunities for additional shifts and career growth.
- Why this job: Make a real difference in children's lives while gaining valuable experience.
- Qualifications: Passion for childcare and understanding of early years development.
The predicted salary is between 12.71 - 12.71 £ per hour.
Location: Exeter
Salary: £12.71 per hour
Contract/Hours: Permanent / Part Time – 10 hours per week (Lunch Cover)
Closing date: Midnight on 1st July 2026
Benefits
- Time off to recharge: 25 days per year plus bank holidays
- Professional qualifications: Gain qualifications and excellent training/development opportunities
- Staff discounts: Staff discounts portal and blue light card with over 15,000 retailers
- Well-being: 8 sessions in-person, phone, or online counselling or CBT
- Salary finance: Access to financial advice and the ability to manage savings or loans directly from your salary
- Childcare discount: 60% off childcare within our nurseries and out of school clubs
- Dependency leave: Up to 3 days to care for dependents in an emergency
- Paid maternity, adoption, and paternity leave
- Pension: Pension with up to 7% employer contribution with included life assurance cover
- Confidential helpline: 24/7 helpline with trained counsellors 365 days a year
About the role
As an Early Years Practitioner (lunch cover), you’ll play an important role within our nursery team, working closely with experienced practitioners to help create a safe, happy, and engaging environment where every child can thrive. This is an active and rewarding role, supporting children throughout the lunch period. As a lunch cover practitioner you will work across the nursery, supporting different rooms to ensure staff are able to take their breaks whilst maintaining ratio requirements and providing high‑quality care for the children. There may be opportunity to pick up additional shifts to support with holiday cover, staff absence and operational requirements across the nursery.
How you’ll help create brighter futures
- Provide high‑quality care and education for children in line with the EYFS
- Supervise children during lunch periods, ensuring a safe and positive mealtime experience
- Support children with developing independence and good eating habits
- Assist different rooms to provide staff breaks and operational support
- Help with setting up and clearing away lunch areas where required
- Work as part of a team to create a safe, stimulating and nurturing environment for our children
- Support and contribute to planning exciting, play‑based activities that spark creativity and curiosity
Let’s talk about you
We’re ideally looking for someone who:
- A passion for learning and developing — whether you’re new to the sector or already have experience
- Experience working with children in an Early Years or childcare environment
- An understanding of children’s developmental needs from birth to five years
- A positive attitude and a commitment to delivering high‑quality care and experiences
Diversity, Equality and Inclusion
At Spring we’re dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive, and authentic workplace. We actively encourage applications from Black, Asian & Minority Ethnic and disabled candidates as they are under‑represented within the organisation. We want to take deliberate and purposeful action to ensure equal opportunity to all groups. Male staff are often under‑represented within this sector, and we would like to encourage more male applicants for our roles. We are committed to safer recruitment practices to protect our service users; therefore, all applicants are expected to have an understanding of and commitment to safeguarding best‑practice.
Contact Recruitment Team: RecruitmentService@actionforchildren.org.uk (quoting reference 13271)
Application Process
Please note we are unable to offer visa sponsorship for this role.
Early Years Practitioner in Exeter employer: Spring Nurseries by Action for Children
At Spring, we pride ourselves on being an exceptional employer, offering a supportive and nurturing work environment in Exeter. Our commitment to employee well-being is reflected in our generous benefits package, including 25 days of annual leave, professional development opportunities, and a strong focus on diversity and inclusion. Join us as an Early Years Practitioner and be part of a team dedicated to creating brighter futures for children while enjoying a fulfilling career with ample growth potential.
Contact Details:
Spring Nurseries by Action for Children Recruitment Team
