Lead Early Years Practitioner

Bs3community; Bristol; On-site; GBP 31,000; Full time

Job summary

A local charity-run nursery in Bristol is seeking a compassionate and experienced Lead Early Years Practitioner. The successful candidate will lead a team, ensuring a secure and enriching environment for children under two. This full-time position offers a £30,866.88 annual salary and includes benefits like subsidised childcare and ongoing training opportunities. Ideal candidates will hold a minimum Level 3 qualification with over 2 years’ experience in early education. Closing date for applications is January 22, 2026.

Benefits

Subsidised childcare

Training and development opportunities

Qualifications

• Minimum of 2 years’ experience with children under 5.
• Hold or be willing to attend Paediatric First Aid training.
• Experience in leading a team.

Responsibilities

• Lead and manage own team in the nursery.
• Work closely with families and internal Early Years team.
• Develop a caring environment for children under 2.

Skills

Leading on supervision

Family engagement

Safeguarding awareness

Qualified Level 3

Education

Recognised Level 3 qualification or QTS

Job description

New position available, we are searching for a Lead Early Years Practitioner based in The Southville Centre. Location is BS3 1QG.

Overview

Are you looking for your next step within Early Education, if so, we are searching for an experienced practitioner who is caring, confident and motivated to lead and manage their own team, work with families, enjoy the Charity wider offer and collaborate with our internal Early Years team.

The Lead Early Years Practitioner will develop and strengthen the current room and work alongside supportive team members including supporting an apprentice. You will be part of a management team, alongside other Lead Practitioners.

Working with children under two years old, you will be passionate about providing our youngest friends a secure, warm and caring environment. You will see the potential in all the children in our care and will collaborate closely with our team to create interesting opportunities for each child to develop and shine.

Who we are…

BS3 Community Development is an independent charity-run nursery and preschool working across two sites in Southville and Bedminster: The Southville Centre and the Chessel Centre. Our charity aims to improve the lives and well-being of people who live and work within the BS3 postcode and we are looking for our newest team member to help us achieve this goal.

We are committed to supporting our staff team to help them fulfil their ambitions, with several of our early years team currently undertaking CPD training. We understand how important the job as a Lead Early Years Practitioner is and the difference that you make to each child in your care, we are passionate about providing you with space and support to develop and grow in your career.

BS3 Community Development holds high expectations, we strive to offer a welcoming setting, a place that offers a holistic approach in supporting our under 5’s to flourish. Our aim is to add value to our children’s experiences, to support our families and ultimately offer outstanding childcare. We are keen for the post holder to undertake Forest school training and support our want to develop our outside environments. We are passionate about research, being current and actively being involved in projects. We are excited to hear your ideas that will enhance our practice and develop how we care for and educate the children in our care.

We are actively involved in the Bristol Standard, Health and Wellbeing, Outdoor Framework projects and supporting our communities team based here providing support for all families. We are interested in promoting intergenerational work (both onsite and within the UK) and as our name suggests, we are deeply committed to development. We take pride in supporting young people through a variety of placements and apprenticeships across our sites. For our employees, we offer a comprehensive range of on-site training programs.

Who you are…

• Qualified to a recognised minimum Level 3, with more than 2 years’ experience with under 5’s
>Hold (or be willing to attend training) Paediatric First Aid
• Have experience of leading on supervision, families engagement and awareness of Safeguarding
• Other skills and training to support and expand children’s experiences will be valued.

Visit & Application

We are able to offer visits prior to applying, please email [e-mail]. We are excited to meet you, and sometimes a visit around the nursery helps with making a decision to apply or not. We understand that changing careers or employment can be daunting so a visit might be useful.

Position Details

Full-time position; we are committed to supporting a healthy life-work balance for our team and can be flexible for the right person. Hours: 37.5-40 hours per week, all year round (we are closed on Bank holidays and for 1 week for Christmas). Pay: £30,866.88 per annum for 40 hours (£14.80/hour) plus benefits including subsidised childcare & training and development opportunities.

Qualifications: minimum recognised level 3 qualification or QTS. Closing Date: Thursday the 22nd of January 2026. Interviews to be held: First week in February.

Safety & EEO

SAFEGUARDING NOTE: As this role is working in a “regulated activity” according to the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006, the successful applicant will require an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Certificate (DBS). We are committed to equality and diversity and are actively seeking people with a wide variety of backgrounds and experiences. Let us know if you require any adaptations or further support to apply for this job.