Tag: Nursery Jobs

Nursery Jobs: Are You Cut Out for One?

Nursery jobs are, by some, considered to be unskilled jobs that anybody can do – this is not the case.  Nursery jobs come with plenty of challenges, and not everybody is cut out for working in a childcare setting.  Fun they may be, but nursery jobs are no easy option!

However, the rewards of nursery jobs are many, and if you are the kind of person who can adapt to nursery life, a nursery job might well be the perfect career option for you.

So, how do you know if you are cut out for one of the many nursery jobs that are available?

Do you like children?

This may be devastatingly obvious, but it’s an important point nonetheless – in order to be able to hack the daily hustle and bustle of a nursery, you will need to have some kind of passion for children and early years education.  With office jobs and the like, it’s not the end of the world if you don’t like your job much, as long as you can fulfil your tasks – with nursery jobs, enjoying your work (most of the time) is important.  After all, you’re dealing with little people every single day – little people who will need to be connected with you and who need you to have their best interests at heart.

Can you tolerate noise and chaos?

Good nurseries tend to be well-organised and run to a schedule.  In any facility where there are a lot of people in one place that need caring for, some kind of schedule is necessary.  However, children being children, things won’t always go to plan.  There will be moments that the nursery will be a chaotic environment, and you can guarantee that it will be noisy nearly all of the time.  Not everybody can tolerate such a busy and noisy environment, and nursery jobs require that you are able to stay calm and in control even if all hell is breaking loose.

Are you patient?

We all lose our temper sometimes, and you don’t have to be endlessly patient to be a great nursery worker.  However, you need to be able to be patient with the children – shouting at them is never okay.  We all have limits and that isn’t a bad thing, but you need to be self-aware enough to realise when you are approaching your limit so you can remove yourself from stressful situations before they escalate.

Do you have a sense of fun?

If you don’t enjoy playing and being silly, you certainly won’t enjoy working in a nursery.  Of course, there are plenty of other duties besides playing to undertake in nursery jobs, but playing is certainly one of the most important.  Small children learn through play, so being able to engage them in stimulating, creative activities is vital.  Having a sense of fun and a good imagination is important, as is not being afraid to make animal noises and dress up like a princess or a superhero in the presence of lots of children (and probably a few adults, too).

Nursery Jobs

Nurseries take care of children from just a few weeks old until the age of 4-7 (depending on the nursery), so they are usually very noisy and busy places! One thing’s for sure – no two days will be the same!

 

You don’t usually need any specific qualifications to start – employers generally want to see some evidence of education in the form of 3 or more GCSE passes, but specific childcare qualifications are unnecessary for somebody starting out as a nursery assistant.  One thing that everybody who works with children is required to provide is a CRB (Criminal Records Bureau) check, the cost of which will usually be met by your employer.

 

Aside from qualifications, to be a great candidate for any nursery jobs you may apply for you will need certain traits, such as:

 

  • A caring and sensitive nature
  • A love for spending time with children
  • Responsibility
  • Ability to work as part of a team
  • A positive, fair approach to discipline
  • A good sense of humour
  • Creativity is always a bonus
  • The ability to relate to young children
  • An awareness of safety and hygiene practices, although training on these areas will be provided

 

As a nursery assistant, you can expect to earn about £10k-£12k pa.  Fully qualified nursery nurses can earn up to £18k and other nursery jobs, such as a nursery manager, can provide in excess of £30k.  There are other jobs available in a nursery, such as cooks and cleaners, the wages of which are usually not far above minimum wage.

 

In nurseries, there are separate rooms for different age groups, the baby rooms having a higher staff ratio than the rooms for older children.  The days are usually structured, especially so for the older children, but play is the focus for the majority of the time.  Gone are the days of strict learning schedules for young children.  Play-based learning has been proven time and time again to be more effective (and more fun for all involved!).

 

So what does the average day look like for somebody with a nursery job?

 

  • Planning and facilitating activities such as arts, crafts, cooking, music and dancing
  • Personal care such as changing, feeding, bathing, and assisting toilet training children with using the bathroom
  • Reading stories in a group setting, or one-on-one
  • Taking children on planned outings
  • Playing outside
  • You may be responsible for some paperwork
  • Implementing health and safety guidelines
  • Being aware of possible signs of abuse and neglect, and reporting any concerns you may have to the appropriate person

 

There are many opportunities for advancement in nursery jobs.  From being a nursery assistant, you could qualify as a nursery nurse, then a senior nursery nurse, and move on to becoming a nursery manager or an EYP (Early Years Professional).  To gain further qualifications, you may be able to train on-the-job (an apprenticeship), or work part time and attend a college course.