Nursery Practitioner (Early Years)
Nursery practitioners care for babies and children up to the age of five. They help children learn and develop through play and everyday activities in a safe, supportive environment. When looking for jobs, you may also see titles such as Nursery Assistant, Early Years Educator, Pre-school Assistant, Playgroup Assistant or Childcare Worker.
Day-to-day tasks
- In this role you could:
- Organise and supervise activities such as painting, making music and cooking.
- Use games, songs and stories to help children build early number and language skills.
- Accompany children on outings.
- Feed babies and change nappies.
- Keep play areas clean and safe, indoors and outdoors.
- Keep records of children’s progress and share updates with parents, carers and colleagues.
Skills & knowledge
You'll need:
- A caring approach and an understanding of how others feel.
- The ability to work well in a team.
- Flexibility when plans or routines change.
- The ability to communicate clearly with children, parents, carers and colleagues.
- Customer service skills for working with families.
- The ability to notice and respond to how others react.
- The ability to listen carefully.
- Patience and the ability to stay calm under pressure.
- Basic skills using a computer or handheld device.
Industry Qualifications
On the Isle of Man, University College Isle of Man (UCM) offers a Level 3 Diploma in Childcare & Education (Early Years Educator). This is a two-year, full-time course, with three days at college and two days on an early years work placement each week. UCM asks for four GCSEs at grade C or above, or equivalent, including maths and English language. A DBS check and a health check are also required for the course. For current course details and entry requirements, visit UCM’s childcare courses page.
Nursery roles may require a paediatric first aid certificate and an enhanced background check.
For more information about careers in childcare, visit Coram PACEY.