Our Outstanding East Finchley nursery is looking for an exceptional Early Years Practitioner to support and educate our VIPs (Very Important Pre-Schoolers).

Our pre-school children are unbelievably amazing. Every day you will be wowed by the range of creativity, imagination, curiosity and kindness that these children display. Their unlimited capacity for fun and play is infectious. We are very lucky to have 2 preschool rooms arranged into younger and older age groups. Pre-schoolers are 3-5 years old and often move up from our Toddler room

Although no 2 days are the same with our VIPs, a typical morning will involve: breakfast, circle time, free play (including a range of activities set up), rolling snacks, garden time, lunch and nap time with a similar structure in the afternoon. Opportunities are taken throughout all of these activities to encourage independence, self care, resilience, gross & fine motor skills as well as social skills. Our VIPs love messy play – anything they can do to get dirty -especially the mud kitchen. Other favourite activities include role play, playing in the tree house, music and dance. If you join our team you must be prepared to sing along with a few nursery rhymes & songs (you don’t need a good voice – just a willingness to join in). We also have quieter times when they sit and draw, read a book or get involved in a craft activity. Some of the older children show a real interest in phonics, letters and numbers and we encourage and develop this however we can. We take the pre-schoolers outside every day and at least once per week the children eat their lunch outside before settling down for their afternoon nap wrapped up snug and warm in their sleeping bags in our outdoor forest school den.

Our VIPS love to get out and about and we constantly look for opportunities to engage children with the local community, this can include trips to the shop to but baking ingredients, visits on the bus to the local care home, spending time in the local library, dropping off donations to the foodbank or even just pooing into the local coffee shop for a baby chino. We have external providers who come in to deliver music and sports activities for our VIPs every week. In addition we also have our very own Forest School where children are taken to the local woods by our Forest School Leaders – where they engage in a whole array of activities whist earning about nature and how to respect it. If you think that you can keep pace with our VIPs, support and develop them with a smile on your face then apply today we would love to hear from you.

Why Us?

Our vision is to create a future generation who are kind to each other, their communities and the planet, as well as building children’s confidence and curiosity to explore the world around them. Working as a team, we create strong minded, independent thinkers through a rich variety of learning experiences. We promote high aspirations, encouraging children to take risks and push boundaries. We teach respect, tolerance, social justice, empathy and kindness and we foster a love of nature and respect for the environment. To achieve all this we need caring practitioners with a can do attitude. We value our team and demonstrate this through our benefits and rewards package. Working as part of our team you will benefit from:

  • A salary up to £30,000 per year
  • Use of our Zen-Den during lunch breaks
  • Breakfast bar
  • Company pension
  • £1000 Refer a Friend scheme (T&CS apply)
  • Access to store / online / retail / holiday discounts
  • Free on-site parking
  • Cycle to work scheme
  • Employee Wellness programme including mental health support
  • Additional annual leave e.g. birthday bonus/festive fun day
  • Free or heavily discounted childcare
  • Uniform provided along with a welcome goodie bag
  • Company events including Winter and Summer Socials
  • Excellent transport links
  • Employee mentoring programme
  • Free Counselling helpline
  • Flexible working options
  • Monthly employee recognition awards £100 bonus
  • End of years awards (eg spa days / additional weeks salary)
  • 2 Inset training days per year
  • Continued opportunities for professional growth and access to our online training platform
  • Daily / adhoc rewards such as Treats for Feats

“Working at Monkey Puzzle is such a joy! The management are fantastic and always provide opportunities to grow. They promote from within wherever possible which allowed me to progress from an unqualified assistant nursery teacher to completing my level 5 qualification and becoming a room leader. The wellbeing of staff is at the forefront of the management teams minds. During lunch breaks we have the opportunity to use the “Zen Den” staff room which has a TV, breakfast bar, face masks and lots more to give you a rest from the crazy day! It is always a fun day at Monkey Puzzle East Finchley!

Why You?

  • You have a positive attitude and creative ideas that inspire children to learn
  • You are passionate about providing high standards of care and education to meet the individual needs of all children.
  • You take pride in maintaining positive working partnerships with colleagues, parents and carers.
  • You recognise the importance of adhering to all company policies and procedures.
  • You have a positive attitude and creative ideas to inspire learning
  • You have good verbal and written communication skills

Essentials

  • Only candidates with full and relevant Level 2 or 3+ in Early Years/Childcare/Nursery will be considered.

Great to Haves

  • Food and Hygiene Level 2
  • Prevent Duty
  • FGM
  • Safeguarding
  • Paediatric First Aid

Apply Now

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  • In order to protect the public, the post you have applied for is exempt from certain provisions of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. You are therefore required to disclose all and any past or pending cautions or convictions, whether spent or otherwise, unless it is either a “protected caution” or a “protected conviction” under the terms of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975. All information provided will be kept in the strictest confidence and only used for the purpose of assessing your suitability for the post you have applied for. Please specify details of all and any past or pending cautions or convictions, whether spent or otherwise, except for protected cautions or convictions. If you have no past or pending cautions or convictions, please specify “None”.]
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