Senior Nursery Practitioner (Levels 2-3)

A nursery practitioner (sometimes called an early years practitioner) works with young children, from birth to about 5 years old- in places like nurseries, preschools, or early years centres. Their day-to-day job is a mix of caregiving, teaching, supervising, and supporting development. Here's what a typical day often involves:

1. Welcoming children and settling them in

• Greeting children and parents in the morning
• Helping children settle if they're upset or shy
• Talking with parents about the child's mood, sleep, or needs for the day

2. Planning and leading activities

They organise activities that help children develop skills, such as:

• Creative play (painting, drawing, crafts)
• Story time and singing
• Learning activities like counting, letters, shapes
• Physical play (running, climbing, dancing)
• Sensory play (sand, water, textures)

These activities support development areas such as language, social skills, and coordination.

3. Supervising play and learning