Early Years Practitioner (Nursery Assistant)
Date: 12 Oct 2026
Location: COVENTRY, GB, CV4 7AL
Company: University of Warwick
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Job Title: Early Years Practitioner (Nursery Assistant) Reference: 363 Department: Wellbeing and Safeguarding - Safeguarding & Childrens Services - Nursery Contract Type: Indefinite Hours: Part-time, 10 hours per week (0.27 FTE) Closing Date: Monday 26 October 2026, 11:59PM (UK) Salary Range: £25,528 per annum, pro rata |
About the Role
This role will require a Enhanced DBS Check with child's barred list. If you are included on a child barred list, you will be breaking the law by applying for this role.
As a member of the university nursery team, you will play an essential role in supporting the children and nursery staff over the lunch time and staff breaks.
Working from 12.00noon to 2.00pm Monday to Friday, you will work closely with the children to assist them with their lunchtime meal, including helping babies and young children to feed themselves. You will also help the children after lunch to get ready for their afternoon nap, which could include personal care routines, as well as playing with any children who are not napping.
This post is for 52 weeks of the year with 26 days annual leave.
For details on the experience and skills required, please refer to the job description (link here).
About You
Safeguarding babies and young children in our care is our paramount concern so you will have an understanding of Safeguarding within the Early Years sector and know that Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility.
Professional childcare qualifications are not essential, although applicants with these would be very welcome. You must have a genuine interest in working with young children and babies. You must have a strong team working instinct and be able to be flexible in your approach.
Strong, robust Safeguarding policies and procedures exist across the setting to provide a safe environment for all babies and young children, keeping them safe from harm, as well as all adults using the setting.
About the Department
The university nursery has a long history of providing excellence in Early Years Care and Education, having been judged as outstanding by OFSTED three times since 2011.
The nursery provides full day care for babies and young children aged between 3 months and 5 years and is open all year round, except for the period between Christmas and the new year when we are closed.
The nursery is in a beautiful area of the main campus beside the lake in the Lakeside Village. We have a purpose-built nursery which can accommodate up to 78 children. We employ 36 staff including apprentices, Early Years practitioners, admin staff and support staff. You will be joining a well-established team and be part of a supportive organisation.
How to Apply
To apply please complete your essential personal details and attach a CV and cover letter by the closing date and time stated.
We will review applications throughout the advertising period and may contact shortlisted candidates before the closing date. We therefore encourage interested applicants to submit their application as early as possible. We reserve the right to close this vacancy early should we receive a sufficient number of suitable applications.
Please ensure your CV includes your most recent employment experience along with any additional relevant experience and education history.
Your cover letter should detail your motivation for applying for the role as well as detailing how you meet the essential and desirable criteria.
The interviews will be held on 8 November 2026.
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We will provide you with a great range of benefits, which include an attractive pension scheme, a generous holiday allowance plus Christmas closure, excellent learning and development opportunities, and savings on a wide range of products and services. We offer a generous maternity/paternity/adoption/parental leave policy, and onsite childcare facilities.
We recognise the importance of a healthy work/life balance and offer you access to flexible working, for more information click here.
We are proud to say that we are a Living Wage employer.
If you are considering relocating to the UK, read our Relocation Guide to find out more about what Warwick has to offer and what might be involved in the process.
Warwick is committed to building an organisation of mutual respect and dignity, promoting a welcoming, diverse, and inclusive working and learning environment. We recognise that everyone is different in a variety of visible and non-visible ways, and that those differences are to be recognised, respected, and valued. Where possible, we go beyond legislation to provide a place where everyone can thrive, supporting all staff to achieve their full potential. We aspire to remove economic, social, and cultural barriers that may otherwise prevent people from succeeding.
We therefore welcome and encourage applications from all communities regardless of culture, background, age, disability, sex/gender, gender identity or expression, ethnicity, religion/belief, or sexual or romantic orientation. To find out more about our social inclusion work at Warwick visit our webpages here.
The University currently holds a Race Equality Charter Bronze Award, Athena Swan Sliver Award and a Disability Smart Bronze Award. Further information on all of the University's Awards and Accreditations can be found here. The University of Warwick is also one of the six founder institutions of the EUTOPIA European University Alliance.
Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS)
The University of Warwick is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all those we work with.
In line with the DBS Code of Practice, the successful candidates for any roles involving regulated activity, will be subject to a DBS check at the appropriate level. The University will take all necessary measures to ensure that any individual subject to a barring order does not undertake any work with the barred group specified (i.e. children and/or adults).
We expect all employees, volunteers, and partners to share our commitment to safeguarding.
Right to Work in the UK We wish to advise applicants that this role is not eligible for sponsorship for a Skilled Worker visa. If you do not yet have the right to work in the UK you will need to check the UK Government Website to see if you are eligible to obtain the right to work in the UK through one of the other UK immigration routes before you make your application. |