Roles we recruit
Nursery jobs we recruit year round
These are the early years roles we are briefed on continuously, every one of them a permanent appointment. Each has its own page: what the job actually involves day to day, what you will need to get it, and the 2026 salary band. For roles open right now, see current vacancies.
Nursery Practitioner
Nursery Nurse
The Level 3 role at the heart of every nursery. Key person to a group of children, responsible for their day, their development records and their families.
£27,000 to £30,500 outside London
About this roleEarly Years Practitioner
The professional title for the job most people call nursery nurse. Level 2 and Level 3 both count in ratio, but not for the same things.
£27,000 to £30,500 at Level 3, outside London
About this roleNursery Practitioner
The title most private day nurseries put on the advert. Same job as nursery nurse, same Level 3, same place in ratio.
£27,000 to £30,500 outside London
About this roleSenior Practitioner
The step between practitioner and room leader. More responsibility for practice, including other people's, without full room accountability.
£28,500 to £32,000 outside London
About this rolePre-School Practitioner
Three to five year olds, usually term time, often in a village hall or a charity-run setting with a committee rather than an owner.
£26,900 to £30,000 outside London, usually term time only
About this roleNursery Support
Room Leader
Room Leader
Running a room: the children in it, the staff in it, the ratio, the planning and the parents. The first genuinely managerial job in a nursery.
£29,000 to £33,500 outside London
About this roleBaby Room Leader
Leading the under-twos. The tightest ratio in the building, the most anxious parents, and the hardest room in the country to staff.
£29,000 to £34,000 outside London
About this roleNursery Management
Deputy Nursery Manager
Second in command, and usually the person who runs the floor while the manager runs the business.
£30,000 to £37,000 outside London
About this roleNursery Manager
Full accountability: the children, the staff, the occupancy, the budget and the inspection.
£34,000 to £46,000 outside London, by setting size
About this roleSEND & Inclusion
Early Years Teaching
Early Years Teacher
Level 6 practice leadership. The role that lets a setting run 1:13 with over-threes, and that usually leads the curriculum.
£30,000 to £38,000 outside London
About this roleMontessori Teacher
Montessori-trained practice in settings that actually run the method, rather than settings that simply own the materials.
£28,000 to £34,000 outside London
About this roleNot sure which role you are ready for?
Tell us where you are now and we will tell you honestly what the next step looks like.