Lead Early Years Practitioner
📍 Acorn Early Years – Kents Hill
⏰ Full-time / Permanent
If you are offered a Lead EYP role, you will receive a ÂŁ500 recruitment bonus after successfully completing your 3 month probation period.
Are you an experienced Early Years Practitioner looking to take the next step in your career? Acorn Early Years at Kents Hill is seeking a passionate and motivated Early Years Lead Practitioner to support high-quality practice and develop leadership skills within our setting.
This role is perfect for someone who enjoys being a positive role model, supporting colleagues, and working closely with senior staff while continuing to provide outstanding care and education for children.
About Acorn Early Years – Kents Hill
Our nursery building at Kents Hill has been designed in an innovative octagonal shape with a central atrium and light and spacious rooms. The nursery benefits from large garden areas which can be accessed from each of the rooms; this gives the children the opportunity to free-flow indoors and outdoors to access a full range of activities. The nursery have pet chickens who roam freely in part of the garden throughout the day, enabling the children to collect eggs and then take turns to take eggs home.
The Nursery is currently being expanded with custom buildings which will enable us to offer a further 20 places.
We offer full and part-time care for up to 60 children from the age of four months to four years, and are open from 7.30am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, all year round.
About the Role
The role will be 40 hours per week, Monday to Friday working between 0730 and 18.15.
The Early Years Lead Practitioner role is a stepping stone into senior leadership. You will work in partnership with the Senior and Deputy within your room, contributing to the smooth day-to-day running of the provision and leading the room in their absence when required.
You will play a key role in nurturing staff development, embedding Acorn’s ethos, and ensuring children thrive in a safe, stimulating, and inspiring learning environment.
Key Responsibilities
- Deliver a holistic, child-centred curriculumin line with the EYFS and statutory guidance
- Ensure children’s emotional wellbeing, safety, and care needsare consistently met
- Act as a positive role model, embedding Acorn’s values, policies, and procedures
- Support and nurture colleagues, particularly apprentices, students, and volunteers
- Lead the room in the absence of the Senior or Deputy
- Promote high-quality interactions and positive behaviour strategies
- Support planning in the moment, observations, assessments, and next steps
- Create rich, engaging learning environments that promote curiosity, independence, and critical thinking
- Build strong professional partnerships with parents/carers and external professionals
- Uphold safeguarding responsibilities and stay up to date with guidance and legislation
- Complete and oversee relevant child documentation and paperwork
About You
- Hold a Level 3 qualification in Early Years(or equivalent)
- Have strong practical experience in an early years setting
- Be beginning to demonstrate leadership skills and potential
- Have taken on, or be keen to take on, additional responsibilities (e.g. mentoring, health & safety)
- Be reflective, confident, and committed to professional development
- Share Acorn’s values and passion for delivering high-quality early years provision
Why Join Acorn Early Years?
- Clear career progression and leadership development opportunities
- Ongoing support and mentoring from an experienced senior team
- A values-led, inclusive, and supportive working environment
- Strong focus on quality, wellbeing, and staff development
Safeguarding & Inclusion
At Acorn Early Years, we are proud to be an inclusive employer and welcome applications from people of all backgrounds. Reasonable adjustments throughout the recruitment process are fully supported.
All applicants must:
- Have the right to work in the UK
- Provide two satisfactory references
- Undergo an Enhanced DBS check
Benefits:
As a thank you for all of your hard work and dedication to making Acorn a safe, nurturing and fun place for our children to be, we offer:
- Payscales that are competitive, transparent and reviewed annually
- 65% Childcare discount - Pro Rata according to contracted hours
- Generous family leave
- Christmas closure
- 25 days of annual leave, plus bank holidays (and the option to buy more)
- 4 dedicated training days and individual development plans
- Enhanced pension scheme
- Cyclescheme
- Techscheme
- Length of Service awards
- Summer and Christmas parties
- Pay advances
- Employee assistance wellbeing programme