Southmead Hospital: Qualified Early Years Educator
Qualified Early Years Educator Band 3
Main area Facilities
Grade Band 3
Contract Permanent
Hours Full time – 37.5 hours per week (Monday to Friday, 1 day off a week ,Shift pattern 7.30-6.00 x 3 8.00-6.00 x 1 ,1 hour lunch break)
Job ref 339-TA-FD4025-JN
Site Southmead Hospital
Town Bristol
Salary £27,476 per annum
Salary period Yearly
Closing 30/04/2026 23:59
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Job overview
Do you have a passion for childcare?
- Are you imaginative, nurturing, and committed to giving every child the best start in life?
- Do you thrive in a playful, inclusive environment where no two days are the same?
- Do you believe in the power of play to shape a child’s future?
Then Saplings Day Nursery is the place for you!
We are currently looking to recruit Qualified Early Years Educators.
What we are looking for:
- A full and relevant Level 3 qualification in Early Years (e.g. NVQ Level 3, NNEB, CACHE).
- Please note: Level 3 Health & Social Care is not an equivalent qualification.
- Experience working in a nursery or early years setting.
- A solid understanding of the EYFS and safeguarding requirements.
- Excellent communication and teamwork skills.
- A positive, caring attitude and a commitment to high-quality childcare.
- Your commitment to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children – all staff are expected to share this commitment
As an Early Years Educator, you will help to:
- Deliver the EYFS framework through engaging, child-led play.
- Support the development of key children through observation, assessment, and planning.
- Build strong, supportive relationships with parents and carers.
- Ensure safeguarding and inclusive practice are consistently upheld.
- Work as part of a friendly, professional team in a well-resourced, stimulating setting.
Main duties of the job
Your main duties will be to:
- Provide high-quality, stimulating childcare for children aged 3 Months–5 years.
- Create a safe, caring, and happy environment that supports each child’s development.
- Take an active role in settling new children and maintaining up-to-date learning records.
- Plan and evaluate imaginative activities that promote curiosity and confidence.
- Communicate effectively with children, families, and colleagues.
- Complete written assessments and contribute to nursery documentation.
What we offer in return:
- Salary Band 3 (Top) £27,476.
- 27 days paid holiday, plus bank holidays.
- Free uniform.
- Ongoing training and development, with opportunities for career progression.
- Automatic enrolment in the NHS Pension Scheme, offering strong retirement benefits.
- Access to Holistic Health & Wellbeing Support.
Important Information
- All positions are subject to an enhanced DBS check and references.
- Applicants must have the right to work in the UK.
Working for our organisation
A Little Bit About Us.
Established for over 20 years, Saplings Nursery is an Ofsted “GOOD” registered day nursery located within the grounds of Southmead Hospital. Saplings Nursery moved to our current location, Somerset House in July 2018.
Our Nursery provides care for up to 94 children each day, for families who work for the Trust, aged from 6 weeks to 5 years. Our dedicated and experienced team at Saplings is committed to providing a warm, safe and stimulating environment for children to learn, explore, develop and grow, whilst being the best version of themselves.
About North Bristol NHS Trust
North Bristol NHS Trust employs over 12,000 staff providing healthcare to the residents of Bristol, South Gloucestershire and North Somerset from our award-winning hospital building at Southmead. We are the regional Major Trauma Centre, and an internationally recognised centre of excellence in a range of services and major specialities. Our vision is that by enabling our teams to be the best that they can be, we will provide exceptional healthcare, personally delivered.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
- To ensure the health and safety of the children in your care
- To provide a safe, stimulating environment to encourage children to reach their full potential
- To plan and evaluate day-to-day activities to ensure that children experience a wide range of appropriate activities that meet their interests and learning needs
- To organise both individual and group activities for the children and ensure they are adequately supervised on and off the site
- To take responsibility and care for a group of children, taking the lead for their learning diaries and completing all observations, reports and other paperwork as necessary
- To work closely and build a good relationship with parents and ensure all relevant information is available to parents and communicate with them daily as regards their child’s welfare
- To provide a transition plan for new children to the nursery or for those children who are moving on to another setting or school
- To work alongside other agencies to support special educational needs
- To occasionally take part in home/school visits for any children needing extra support
- To work as part of the early years team, usually in one room but being flexible about working in other rooms with different age groups and occasionally, working at other locations within North Bristol Trust
- To be responsible for the maintenance of positive behaviour in accordance with the Behaviour Policy
- To attend staff training, feeding back information to colleagues and to keep up to date with childcare information
- To have a sound knowledge and understanding of the Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage and Welfare Requirements which is implemented and lead by the manager
- To follow North Bristol Trust’s and the Childcare Services Dept. policies and procedures
- To work towards and contribute to a quality assurance scheme
- To attend parents’ evenings to provide parents with their child’s progress and developmental files and discuss any issues they feel relevant
- To attend and contribute to staff meetings on a regular basis
- To maintain professional relationships, build on team work and share ideas
- To promote equal opportunities and follow the Valuing Diversity and Promoting Equality policy within the setting and ensure that a culturally sensitive environment is maintained
- To adhere to the settings dress code at all times
- To attend staff appraisals where performing and training needs are monitored
- To be aware of data protection and the importance of confidentiality
Person specification
Education/Training/Qualifications
Essential criteria
NNEB/DCE/NVQ level3/BTEC in Childcare
Work Experience
Essential criteria
- Experience with children between the ages of 0-5 years
- Experience in a childcare setting
Knowledge/Skills/Abilities
Essential criteria
- Able to work under pressure
- Able to plan for a wide range of activities
- Excellent interpersonal and communication skills
- Knowledge of current legislation
Personal Qualities/Special Circumstances
Essential criteria
- Team player
- Enthusiasm for the role
Applications
If you apply for this vacancy and have not received a communication from North Bristol NHS Trust within three weeks of the closing date, please assume that on this occasion your application has been unsuccessful.
Please note that North Bristol NHS Trust does not reimburse travel expenses relating to interview attendance.
If you feel you meet the requirements of the Disability Act / Two Ticks scheme and require further support/advice, please contact us on tel 0117 414 1151.
North Bristol NHS Trust are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.
The successful applicant(s) will normally commence at the minimum of the scale unless they have previous NHS service at the same band. Progression through the scale is by annual increments.
At North Bristol Trust (NBT), we know diverse and inclusive environments lead to happier and healthier teams and improved patient care and outcomes. We are committed to equality of opportunity, to being fair and inclusive, and to being a place where we all belong. We therefore particularly encourage applications from candidates who are currently underrepresented in NBT’s workforce at Band 8a and above. These include people from Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds, disabled people and LGBTQIA+ people.
Please note that stringent pre-employment checks are undertaken on all successful applicants prior to commencement in post.
Applicant requirements
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.
Documents to download
EYP JD (PDF, 568.5KB)
EYP PS (PDF, 80.7KB)
DBS Charges Information (PDF, 71.0KB)
DBS Charges Information (PDF, 148.1KB)
Further details / informal visits contact
Name Helen Dacre
Job title Nursery Manager
Email address Helen.dacre@nbt.nhs.uk
Telephone number 01174142540
