Student Casual – Nursery Playworker – Elms Day Nursery– Grade 2 – 904542

Overview

Post title: Nursery Playworker

College/Division: Campus Services

School/Department: Elms Day Nursery

Full time/Part time: Part time

Duration of the Post: 26/05/2026 – 24/08/2026

Grade: Grade 2

Hourly rate: £13.24 per hour plus holiday entitlement

Number of positions available: 8

Closing Date: 12/05/2026 at 23:55

Note: This vacancy may be taken down early depending on the number of applications received. We advise you to submit your application promptly.

Job context

The Elms Day Nursery is part of the University of Birmingham and provides care to children of university staff, students and the wider community.

Job Summary

We are looking for nursery playworkers to support the beginning and end of the nursery day. The role of the playworker is to support staff in providing high standards of quality care and support to children.

Main duties:

• Support staff in providing high standards of quality care and support for children
• Demonstrate inclusive practice and positive behaviour management techniques
• Promote the welfare of the children and ensure the children are kept safe and Child Protection Procedures are followed where necessary
• Support the nursery in its delivery of quality care
• Encourage and role model handwashing before meals and washing faces after meals
• Ensure the premises and the environment are safe, clean, tidy and well maintained

For any informal queries, please contact Sarah Perrott (s.l.locke@bham.ac.uk)

The University of Birmingham restricts all students to working up to 20 hours per week during term time for a maximum of 13 consecutive weeks. If your application is successful and your course does not follow the usual academic term timetable (e.g. PGT, PGR or PhD student), you and your supervisor must formally agree vacation periods if this role exceeds 20 hours per week. In addition to this, please be aware if you are an international student you will be required to apply to the Registry for the appropriate authorised absence. You are only eligible to apply to this role if you are a current University of Birmingham student. If you are not a University of Birmingham student your application will not be considered. To work you will need to carry out a right to work check. These checks will need to be completed prior to work commencing.

Regarding the use of AI in applications, we review hundreds of applications and shortlist candidates based on their unique perspective, motivations and potential. Cover letters generated through, or edited by, AI tools (e.g. ChatGPT or CoPilot) are easy to identify. They produce generic answers and will not score highly enough to progress. You may use AI tools for research, but all written content in your application must be your own work. Authenticity and originality are key to standing out in this process.

Due to the high volume of applications we receive, we’re unable to contact all applicants individually. You can check the progress of your application by logging into the Worklink jobs portal using the same email address you used to apply. If you haven’t heard back within six weeks of the closing date, please assume your application has been unsuccessful.

Our Shared Values:

• Ambitious: We are confident in the University of Birmingham and project this globally. We are focused on our goals, are clear about our strengths, and pursue our own direction. We are bold and take intelligent risks.
• Innovative: We enjoy being the first to do things. Inspired by our Birmingham heritage, we are resourceful, creative, grounded, and practical, and seek to make a real and positive difference to the world around us.
• Open: We welcome colleagues, collaborators, and students from across the world to work and study with us. We are committed to academic freedom, freedom of speech, and equality of opportunity for all. We expect everyone to act with sensitivity, respect, and fairness.
• Collaborative: The major challenges facing our city, nation, and the world cannot be solved if we act alone. We enhance our research and education by pursuing creative partnerships within and beyond the University.
• Responsible: We operate with transparency, trust, and respect. We value our role as an anchor institution for Birmingham. We strive to be an excellent employer, to reduce inequalities in access to education, and to place sustainability at the heart of our work.