Essential Job Information
The following information will be of interest to those seeking jobs or, considering a career in the early years sector. Teaching agencies and employers of nursery staff may also find this of value.
• What is a nursery nurse?
• What is the work like?
• What qualifications are needed?
• How can you find work?
Nursery nurses, sometimes referred to as ‘nannies’, can be either male or female. Nursery nurses are specifically employed to look after, care and educate the very young, usually from newborn babies to the age of eight.
Depending upon the age of the children, the role of the nursery nurse can vary. For the very young (i.e. babies) nurses will be more involved with the care of the child, whereas for older children (toddlers), language development and social skills will be increasingly important.
Good nursery nurses are always in demand and work can be found in public and private nurseries, crèches, as well as supporting teachers in schools. Jobs and vacancies throughout the UK are often included in our free newsletters.
To be recognised as nursery nurse, it is important to be suitably qualified (see ‘What qualifications are needed?’). Qualifications can take 1-2 years to obtain.
Life as a nursery nurse can be extremely varied & rewarding, not to mention tiring, messy and noisy!
Most of the work for nursery workers is usually indoors, although supervising play or going on visits or day trips can often involve outdoor work too.
With pre-school children, much of the work is focussed on the physical care of the child so, feeding, bathing, dressing etc are key elements of the job, although focus is still given to language development and exploration through play. Older children will be encouraged more academically to recognise numbers, letters and writing.
Assessing the children and providing feedback on their development to parents, teacher & health visitors can also be part of the job.
The hours of work can also vary. Many nurseries open early and close late and nannies may often have early starts and late finishes. The work environment will often dictate the hours of work. It is also possible to get part-time work.
Salaries can range from approximately £8,000 to £20,000+ depending upon qualifications, experience and responsibilities.
What qualifications are needed?
To work with children unsupervised, nursery nurses
must have the Council for Awards in Children’s Care and Education
(CACHE) Diploma in Child Care and Education or NVQ/SVQ Level 3 in Early
Years Care and Education.
Although academic qualifications are not always necessary to work as
a nanny, these accreditations are strongly recommended or required
by nannying
agencies. A driving licence is also useful.
In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, people can study for one of the following qualifications:
CACHE Level 2 Certificate in Child Care and Education. This allows individuals
to work under supervision. It can be followed by the CACHE Level 3 Diploma
or NVQ Level 3.
City & Guilds Level 2 Progression Award in Early Years Care and Education.
This also allows students to work under supervision.
CACHE Level 3 Diploma in Child Care and Education. Many colleges ask for
GCSEs/S grades (A-C/1-3) or equivalent qualifications. Students can progress
to nursery nurse training courses. This is run at several private colleges.
NVQ Early Years Care and Education. Some colleges offer full-time courses
leading to NVQ Levels 2 and 3. Nursery nurses and assistants in work may
work towards NVQ Levels 2, 3 and 4.
BTEC National Diploma in Early Years. This consists of two years full time
or three years part time. Applicants need at least four GCSEs/S grades
(A-C/1-3) or equivalent vocational qualifications.
There are many sources available to help you to identify jobs within the early years sector, including our message boards and our free online newsletters. (Subscribe Now!).
There are also a wide variety of education recruitment
agencies (sometimes known as ‘Teaching Agencies’) and nannying
agencies, who can help you to find work that suits.
Teaching Agencies
There are hundreds of recruitment agencies nationwide, dedicated to the
task of helping to find you work. Some agencies are well known national
high street names such as Reed, Select Education, Protocol and Celsian,
however there are also many local agencies available too.
The standard of agencies can vary from area to area and it cannot be assumed that a national agency will be any better at finding you work than a local agency. A guide to Teaching Agencies, the services they offer and a comprehensive list can be found at: www.teachingagencies.co.uk
Alternatives to using an agency include:
- Local jobs papers.
- National jobs papers such as the TES (Times Education Supplement), The Guardian or, The Independent.
- Contacting your LEA (Local Education Authority)
- Search online – See Great links.
The Government is committed to delivering additional childcare places
to almost 2 million children by 2006. To achieve this expansion it is estimated
that some 175 -180,000 new childcare workers will need to be recruited
(and where necessary trained or re-trained) up to 2006. Thus, it is clear
that there are increasing opportunities in this sector, for the foreseeable
future.
For further help and advice please contact
us.
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