Rainbow Nursery
Job Description
Job Title Nursery Key-person
Hours 39.5 hrs per week to include either 7.45am starts or 5.15pm finishes each day.
Basis Permanent
Salary £27,423 per annum (pay award pending for April 26)
Line Manager Nursery Lead
Responsible to Childcare Services Manager
Accountable to Daisy and Rainbow Childcare Board of Trustees
Location Rainbow Nursery, The Mansion, Fore St, Totnes TQ9 5RP
Training / experience / Qualifications
Background to the post
Daisy and Rainbow childcare is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation CIO registered with the Charity Commission, in its current guise, since 2016. The charity has a long history within the community dating back into the 1980s.
Rainbow Nursery is based in the centre of Totnes, opens each weekday from 8am-5.15pm and provides care for children from 3 months to 4 years old.
Daisy Pre-school is a term-tine only provision based at the Daisy Play Centre in Bridgetown, Totnes, opens from 9am-3pm each weekday, and provides care for children aged 2-4 years old.
The two settings, in partnership, form Daisy and Rainbow Childcare which has a strong ethos towards allowing a child to explore, play and learn through open ended play, creative adventure with a core intent to support each child to develop a positive self-image. We know that a child’s family and the environment they live in will shape the child, hence we are keen to get to know the family and work with them as closely as possible.
Brief Description of the Job
To work under the supervision of the Two-year Old Team Lead and wider leadership team to care for the needs of a key group of children aged 2-3 years old. The postholder will also spend parts of the day working with the wider age group as the setting is designed to be open access to all age groups to encourage “family” learning. To work using the early Years Foundation Stage, as appropriate to the children’s ages planning for, leading, and providing high quality care and early education through play.
Key Tasks
Play and Learning
Communication with Parent / carers
Care Needs
Care for the Nursery Environment
Safeguarding
Staff Supervision
General
The above is an outline of the range of duties expected of a Nursery Keyperson for the time being to indicate the level of responsibility. It is not a comprehensive or exclusive list and duties may be varied from time to time which do not change the general character of the job or the level of responsibility.
Person Specification
E Warm, welcoming personality with a ready smile and laugh
E A playful spirit
E Early years qualification at level 3 or above or working towards
E Experience of working with under 5’s in an early years setting
E Ability to work with children in a warm sensitive manner.
E Sound capability at planning children’s learning and play from observations made of individual children.
E Ability to communicate well at all levels
E Ability to work in a team.
E Ability to recognise and respond appropriately to children’s care needs
E Ability to develop a strong and appropriate relationship with all children in the group under care
E Ability to respond well and learn from direction
E A commitment to continued Professional development / training
E A commitment to equal opportunities
E Sound Understanding of child development
E Understanding of special educational needs in early childhood.
E Sound understanding of child protection issues
E Ability to record and evaluate your practice
E IT capabilities
D Any additional training related to child development
D Current first aid qualification
D current food hygiene certificate
E = essential D = desirable
To apply please complete our APPLICATION FORM
NOTE
There is no specific closing date however we recommend Early application as we look to fill this post as soon as possible as the right candidate steps forward and applies
Initial Nursery Assessment Visits and interviews to follow
Start Date - April 2026
Job Description
Job Title Nursery Key-person
Hours 39.5 hrs per week to include either 7.45am starts or 5.15pm finishes each day.
Basis Permanent
Salary £27,423 per annum (pay award pending for April 26)
Line Manager Nursery Lead
Responsible to Childcare Services Manager
Accountable to Daisy and Rainbow Childcare Board of Trustees
Location Rainbow Nursery, The Mansion, Fore St, Totnes TQ9 5RP
Training / experience / Qualifications
- Appropriate early years qualification at level 3.
- Previous experience working with under 5’s in an early year setting.
Background to the post
Daisy and Rainbow childcare is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation CIO registered with the Charity Commission, in its current guise, since 2016. The charity has a long history within the community dating back into the 1980s.
Rainbow Nursery is based in the centre of Totnes, opens each weekday from 8am-5.15pm and provides care for children from 3 months to 4 years old.
Daisy Pre-school is a term-tine only provision based at the Daisy Play Centre in Bridgetown, Totnes, opens from 9am-3pm each weekday, and provides care for children aged 2-4 years old.
The two settings, in partnership, form Daisy and Rainbow Childcare which has a strong ethos towards allowing a child to explore, play and learn through open ended play, creative adventure with a core intent to support each child to develop a positive self-image. We know that a child’s family and the environment they live in will shape the child, hence we are keen to get to know the family and work with them as closely as possible.
Brief Description of the Job
To work under the supervision of the Two-year Old Team Lead and wider leadership team to care for the needs of a key group of children aged 2-3 years old. The postholder will also spend parts of the day working with the wider age group as the setting is designed to be open access to all age groups to encourage “family” learning. To work using the early Years Foundation Stage, as appropriate to the children’s ages planning for, leading, and providing high quality care and early education through play.
Key Tasks
Play and Learning
- To provide and support play experiences with playfulness, care for the children and enthusiasm for their development.
- To bring an enthusiasm for play and willingness to co-play with the children, scaffolding and developing their learning through your interactions with them.
- To work directly with a group of named children aged from 2-3 years old providing learning opportunities through play.
- To carry out appropriate child observations, assessments, and individual planning for a key group of children.
- To use the EYFS to accurately assess a child’s current level of development and learning.
- To listen carefully to children’s needs and meet them in an appropriate manner enabling children to develop and grow in a safe and caring environment.
- To be able to respond with ease to the needs of all children in the nursery’s care as the nursery encourages all age groups to integrate freely across the full provision.
- To work alongside a wider team of colleagues in close communication to ensure the care and play needs of all children are met.
- To support, alongside your colleagues, the set up of the play spaces at the start of the day, monitor and make necessary changes to the play environment throughout the day and to ensure that the nursery is left tidy and ready for play the following day.
- As designated across the week, take a lead with delivering the Belly Breathing, My Time and Rhythm and rhyme sessions,
- To take children out on visits to develop their knowledge of the world around them.
- To lead singing, messy play, garden play and storytelling sessions with small groups of children.
Communication with Parent / carers
- Provide the induction to new parents and children when they first start at the nursery.
- Greet your key children into the nursery, share and receive information with parents and provide an effective handover with key observations of how the child has been, at the close of the day.
- To communicate directly with a child’s parents/carers about their child’s development and learning, and care needs.
- To use WhatsApp, and phone to communicate with parents as needed during the play day.
- To maintain appropriate confidentiality regarding the children and their families
- To attend any family meetings, as necessary, when requested by the SENDCO
- Complete any necessary documentation to monitor a child’s wellbeing across the course of the day – accident forms, medication, sleep, diet, existing injuries, safeguarding – to be shared with parents.
- To utilise video technology to record observations and assessments and to communicate with parents.
Care Needs
- To ensure that all the care needs of the children are met – nappy changing, toileting, hand washing, helping with clothes, nose wiping etc
- To sit with children, and supervise and support brunch, lunch, and tea sessions.
Care for the Nursery Environment
- To actively support the ongoing cleaning and sanitising of play resources and the environment as required
- Ensure all areas of the nursery are maintained at a high level of cleanliness – this to include filling and emptying the dishwasher, wiping down kitchen surfaces, cleaning down highchairs, tables, and chairs, sweeping floors and tidying after messy play sessions.
- To be responsible, alongside your colleagues, for maintaining the garden to include hosing surfaces, weeding, sweeping, emptying water containers, cleaning sand, making the space safe to play in etc.
- Work with colleagues to fill the washing machine, ensure laundry is dried, folded and then ready for use.
- To be very alert and responsive to any potential play or safety hazards throughout the course of the day.
Safeguarding
- To be very alert to any safeguarding needs that may be presented by the children in your care by knowing your families, your children, being alert to any changes in behaviour or any signs of potential abuse or neglect.
- To follow up with any concerns about children by sharing this with a senior leadership team member.
Staff Supervision
- As designated by the manager take a mentoring role with a named student or volunteer which will include giving an induction, providing basic training, offering support and guidance
General
- To demonstrate anti-discriminatory and anti- racist attitudes in all areas of work
- To be a part of peer observation processes using video technology
- To be able to recognise potential child protection issues and to respond appropriately.
- To work to high health and safety standards
- To participate in staff meetings, supervision and training as required (safeguarding and first aid training are mandatory). – Evening staff meetings are held at least monthly
- To liaise effectively with other team colleagues
- To work with other professionals involved in the child’s care and education as required – i.e., Health, portage, speech and language therapist.
- Support the display of children’s work and visual resources which will aid play and learning.
- To support any fundraising and celebratory events during the working day, being willing to join in, dress up and take a part in full spirit.
- To adhere to all policies
The above is an outline of the range of duties expected of a Nursery Keyperson for the time being to indicate the level of responsibility. It is not a comprehensive or exclusive list and duties may be varied from time to time which do not change the general character of the job or the level of responsibility.
Person Specification
E Warm, welcoming personality with a ready smile and laugh
E A playful spirit
E Early years qualification at level 3 or above or working towards
E Experience of working with under 5’s in an early years setting
E Ability to work with children in a warm sensitive manner.
E Sound capability at planning children’s learning and play from observations made of individual children.
E Ability to communicate well at all levels
E Ability to work in a team.
E Ability to recognise and respond appropriately to children’s care needs
E Ability to develop a strong and appropriate relationship with all children in the group under care
E Ability to respond well and learn from direction
E A commitment to continued Professional development / training
E A commitment to equal opportunities
E Sound Understanding of child development
E Understanding of special educational needs in early childhood.
E Sound understanding of child protection issues
E Ability to record and evaluate your practice
E IT capabilities
D Any additional training related to child development
D Current first aid qualification
D current food hygiene certificate
E = essential D = desirable
To apply please complete our APPLICATION FORM
NOTE
There is no specific closing date however we recommend Early application as we look to fill this post as soon as possible as the right candidate steps forward and applies
Initial Nursery Assessment Visits and interviews to follow
Start Date - April 2026