Job Description

Early Years Practitioner (Qualified)

Location: Gateshead

Salary: £26,949 per annum

Contract/Hours: Permanent/Full Time – 40 hours per week

Closing date: Midnight on the4th of June 2026

Benefits:  

• Time off to recharge - 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays
• Treat yourself: Staff discounts portal and blue light card with 15,000 + retailers
• Salary Finance – access to financial advice and the ability to manage savings or loans directly from your salary
• Childcare Discount – A whopping 60% off childcare within our nurseries and out of school clubs
• Up to 3 Days Dependency Leave – to care for dependents in an emergency.
• Paid maternity, adoption, and paternity leave
• Gain professional qualifications and excellent training/development opportunities  
• Secure your future: Pension with up to 7% employer contribution with included life assurance cover  

A bit about the role

This is a fantastic opportunity for someone who truly enjoys making a difference in children's lives and is committed to creating a warm calm and nurturing, inspiring environment where every child can thrive.

You'll play a key role in delivering high quality care and education, supporting children's learning through play, and building strong relationships with families and colleagues. We're seeking someone who is enthusiastic, caring, and confident in supporting children's development in line with the EYFS, while bringing creativity, energy, and new ideas to the setting.

You'll have the opportunity to work across all rooms and age groups, building meaningful relationships with children and gaining a rich, varied experience that enhances your skills and supports every stage of early development.

What you’ll be doing:  

• Supervise and protect our children in the safe and stimulating environment  
• Lead exciting preschool activities that spark creativity and curiosity
• Use emotional regulation techniques to prepare the children for their next adventures
• Creating engaging learning experiences that help children shine
• Build strong relationships with parents/carers and families
• Meet each child's unique needs with love and attention
• Bring a positive attitude and make every day magical.

What we need from you:   

In the role of Early Years Practitioner (Level 3), we're ideally looking for someone who has:  

• A Level 3 early years and childcare qualification (NNEB, CACHE, NVQ Level 3 or equivalent)
• A passion for continuous learning and growth, Aligned with our core values and the Spring career pathway
• A deep understanding of children's development needs (0 to 5 years)
• A positive attitude and a commitment to excellence

The Nursery

Spring Leam Lane is a busy, 101 place nursery with baby, 2-year-old and preschool rooms. The setting has a calm, natural field, with lovely outdoor areas, forest school space, and newly refurbished garden areas. We have access to a sensory room and library for our children to enjoy.

Our team is long-standing, welcoming team and we're proud of our strong reputation for providing support to children with a range of disabilities and SEND needs.

Why Spring Nurseries

Imagine a place where laughter echoes, imaginations run wild, and every day is a new adventure. That's Spring Nursery! We're not just a nursery; we are a family dedicated to creating a joyful and nurturing environment where children thrive. As part of Action for Children, we're on a mission to provide outstanding early education that's accessible to all.

At Spring, we are committed to supporting your career growth! Check out our Spring Career Progression Map attached to this advert, which highlights the options for progression into a specialist role.

Ready to make a difference in the lives of children? Whether you're looking for a career change or the next step in your journey, we'd love to hear from you!

Apply now and help us give children a healthy start in life!

Contact: If you need support with your application, please contact our Recruitment Team at RecruitmentService@actionforchildren.org.ukquoting reference 12899

We'll be happy to give you any support you require.  

Diversity, Equality and Inclusion 

At Spring Oscars 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.  

Application Process

Please note we are unable to offer visa sponsorship for this  role.

There are 5 sections for you to complete - Personal Details, CV, Supporting Statement & Information, Equality & Diversity, Submission & Declaration – please refer to the Job Description when applying.  

We also want to know what unique qualities you can bring to help us reach our vision for children and families.   

Talent Pool: We're sure you've got what it takes to join our ambitious team. If you're unsuccessful this time around, we'd like to hold your details in case similar jobs come up that you might be better suited for. But feel free to let us know if you'd rather we didn't do that.  

Want to know more about Spring and Oscars? 

Check out our socials on  Linkedin, Facebook or Youtube

See below for further information about working with us:

Employee Reward Booklet

Spring Early Years Career Pathway