Nursery Practitioner in Bury St Edmunds

South Lee Prep School are seeking a Nursery Practitioner to join our hard-working and inclusive team.

Attributes of a successful candidate:

• Confidence, warmth, sensitivity, reliability and flexibility
• Ability to communicate effectively with children and young people
• Good interpersonal skills and sense of humour
• Excellent knowledge of child development
• The ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing
• Good personal organisation e.g., time management
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team
• Ability to show initiative in a range of situations
• Ability to work with tact and diplomacy
• Ability to interact positively with pupils, parents and colleagues
• Experience of planning as part of a team
• Inclusive, kind and empathetic
• Good understanding of school and nursery policies and procedures relating to health and safety, behaviour, attendance, equal opportunities and child protection

Additional desirable skills and experience:

• Good ICT skills
• Current experience in a nursery setting
• EYFS
• Paediatric first aid qualification

About us:

Founded in 1961, South Lee School is a thriving, highly successful, co-ed day prep school. Pupils move on at 13+ to a range of senior schools, locally and further afield.

About South Lee Prep School and Nursery:

South Lee Prep School is a forward-thinking school that is always looking for ways to enhance learning and ignite intellectual curiosity in our children. We want them to become independent learners, to ask questions, to challenge what they already know, to learn new ways of thinking and to be the best they can possibly be. We also want them to learn who they are and how to be resilient and happy in their own skin.

Through our six South Lee pillars (authenticity and achievement, communication and community, nurture, and zest) we aim to instil the skills and confidence in each child so they can go out into the world, ambitious and brave, ready to make a positive difference in whichever way they choose.

Benefits of working at South Lee Prep and Nursery:

• Various opportunities for professional development
• Fee concessions
• Free on-site parking
• Free wellbeing gym sessions in our onsite gym
• Delicious, cooked lunches every day during term time and free refreshments available throughout the day
• Conveniently located on the edge of Bury St Edmunds
• Reduced rates on facility hire for family events or groups from outside school
• Thorough induction with mentor and staff buddy for the first year in post
• Amazing colleagues with a culture of teamwork, sharing best practice and support

For more information:

Please read the Job Description (pdf) or alternatively, please visit our website. Visits to the school are welcomed. Please contact Sarah Catchpole, Headteacher by calling 01284754654.

How to apply:

Please submit your completed Application Form (word) via email to: recruitment@southlee.co.uk

Closing date: 12 pm, 19 June 2026. Interview date: 24 - 26 June 2026. Suitable candidates may be interviewed before the closing date and the school reserves the right to withdraw the position if an early appointment is made. Applicants are therefore encouraged strongly to apply in good time.

For reasons of safer recruitment, please be aware we do not accept or review curriculum vitae. To progress your application, we will require a completed South Lee Prep School Application Form. It is our policy that we request employment references for all short-listed candidates prior to interview. Applicants will be asked to confirm that they have not been disqualified from working with children. Any gaps in employment will be explored at interview. Candidates should be aware that in line with Keeping Children Safe, we will conduct online searches for shortlisted candidates.