This isn't a standard London nursery.
You'll hear English.
You'll hear German.
You'll probably spend quite a lot of time outside.
And you'll work alongside educators bringing experience from the UK, Germany and Austria, including Forest School and Montessori backgrounds.
Tiny Tots Recruitment is looking for a Level 3 Early Years Practitioner in Forest Hill to join a small, independent bilingual kindergarten with a genuinely distinctive approach to early education.
You do not need to speak German to apply.
The nursery's own recruitment information simply describes German proficiency as a bonus.
Why bilingual?
Because language here isn't treated like a ten-minute activity.
English and German are naturally woven into children's everyday experiences through conversations, songs, stories, games and nursery rhymes.
Ofsted described the setting as particularly language rich, with children and practitioners interacting positively in both languages and children confidently singing songs and rhymes in English and German.
For a practitioner interested in communication and language development, multilingual early years practice or working with children who speak more than one language at home, that's valuable experience.
Then open the doors.
Indoor and outdoor provision are treated with equal importance.
The nursery's current recruitment describes free-flow access between indoors and outdoors throughout the day, while Forest School experiences are part of its curriculum.
Ofsted saw children:
Exploring bark and sand Taking appropriate physical risks Caring for strawberry and rhubarb plants Collecting water from a water butt Learning about living things Visiting nearby woodland
and specifically highlighted how confidently children who prefer outdoor learning can explore the natural world.
So you're not going to be told outdoor learning means taking everybody into the garden for 20 minutes because the weather is nice.
What will you be doing?
As a qualified practitioner, you'll be expected to take an active role in children's learning rather than simply supervise the day.
You'll:
Build secure relationships with your key children Support learning across the EYFS Observe children's development and recognise useful next steps Create engaging indoor and outdoor experiences Encourage children's independence and confidence Support communication and language Help children develop positive social relationships Work closely with parents and carers Support children's personal care and self-help skills Maintain strong safeguarding practice Contribute ideas to planning Work collaboratively with the wider team
The employer's current 2026 recruitment specifically highlights creativity, enthusiasm, initiative, EYFS teaching, outdoor activities and strong communication with families.
You'll join people who've stayed
This isn't a team page filled entirely with people who arrived three months ago.
The current Forest Hill team includes a Manager who joined in 2015, a Deputy who joined in 2019, and other educators who've developed their careers within the kindergarten.
There is a good mix of backgrounds too.
The Manager is a trained Forest School and Montessori teacher, another educator has Montessori experience, and the team includes qualified educators with experience ranging across early years, mental health, creative learning and outdoor education.
That gives a new Level 3 practitioner plenty of different people to learn from.
It's small enough to feel personal
The Forest Hill site has 24 registered places.
At its latest inspection, there were seven members of staff, including Level 6 and Level 3 qualified educators.
That creates a very different feel from joining a 100-place nursery with four separate floors.
You're much more likely to know the children outside your own key group, know the families and understand what's happening across the setting as a whole.
And the working pattern is unusual
The Forest Hill kindergarten currently opens to children:
8am to 6pm, Monday to Thursday
and is closed on Fridays.
It operates for 44 weeks of the year, closing during August and for two weeks around Christmas and Easter, while remaining open through half terms.
I'd want to confirm the practitioner's exact contracted rota with the client before promising that every Friday is automatically a non-working day, but the nursery's actual operating pattern is certainly very different from the usual five-day, 51-week nursery model.
The opportunity £28,000 to £30,000 per year Permanent opportunity Level 3 qualified position Small independent setting English/German bilingual curriculum German language skills welcomed but not essential Forest School approach Free-flow indoor and outdoor learning 24-place setting Experienced international team Montessori and Forest School expertise within the team Staff supervision and professional development Strong focus on staff wellbeing Forest Hill location, SE23
The setting is currently rated Good by Ofsted, having previously been rated Outstanding. At the latest inspection, staff reported high levels of support for their wellbeing and regular supervision meetings where professional development opportunities were identified.
If you're looking for a Level 3 Nursery Practitioner job in Forest Hill, Early Years Educator role in SE23 or a qualified nursery position in South East London with bilingual and Forest School provision, we'd love to hear from you.
Apply today through Tiny Tots Recruitment for a confidential conversation about the opportunity.