Early Years Practitioner

About Us

We are a large Local Authority Maintained Nursery School in Chichester taking children from 6 months to 4 years, with a reputation for high quality inclusive practice.

Supporting children and families is at the heart of everything we do.

We have an exciting learning environment and are a welcoming team who will welcome and support you as you settle in

Job Details

Salary: WSCC Grade 3 - £24,796 pro rata/£12.85 hour

Contract Type: Term Time Only

Working Pattern: 32.25 hours per week, Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday 9am – 3pm and Wednesdays 9am - 6pm, including staff meetings and a 45 minute unpaid lunch break

Location: Chichester

Interview dates will be arranged individually

We have an opportunity for a new staff member to join our team of Early Years practitioners in our Nursery School, supporting children up to 3 years old.

You will have experience of working with children in this age range and supporting children's development through child-led, responsive practice. Must have at least a level 3 in childcare.

The role involves supporting children's learning through a mix of pre-planned learning intentions and following children's interests to support and extend their learning.

Applicants need to be confident, reliable, adaptable and committed. You must have a real love of working with young children and supporting their learning through play.

You will be part of a friendly and experienced team of staff, who will give you all the support you need.

As part of a Maintained Nursery School you will be part of a high quality programme of CPD training, undertaken through INSET Days, staff meetings and other professional development opportunities and particularly in terms of working with children with SEND.

What You Need to Succeed

To be successful in this role you will need to:

• Be qualified to Level 3 in a childcare related qualification.
• Have experience of working with children in this age range, having developed a strong understanding of supporting child development through child-led, responsive practice.
• Be confident in delivering learning through a mix of pre-planned learning intentions and by supporting following children's interests to support and extend their learning.
• Be confident, reliable, adaptable and committed and have a real love of working with young children and supporting their learning through play.

Further Information

Chichester Nursery School and West Sussex County Council are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. We will ensure that all our recruitment and selection practices reflect this commitment. All successful candidates will be subject to an appropriate Disclosure and Barring Service check along with other relevant employment checks, including satisfactory references.

How to Apply

To apply for this role please download the job description and application form below.

Please complete the application form and ensure that you outline your motivations for applying and explaining the skills and experience you can bring to the role (please refer to the key skills in the job description).

Once complete please return this to

Should you have any questions regarding the role or the application please feel free to email us or contact us on

NOTE TO CANDIDATES - Please do not select the 'Apply online' button as the School processes your applications directly rather than through this site.

The reference number for this role is SCHO01411.

LOCATION

Chichester area

CONTRACT TYPE

Permanent

JOB TYPE

Education - School Support

CLOSING DATE

05 January 2026