Level 2 Early Years Educator - Sure Start Whitley Nursery
| Posting date: | 27 February 2026 |
|---|---|
| Salary: | £25,583 to £26,403 per year |
| Hours: | Full time |
| Closing date: | 15 March 2026 |
| Location: | Reading, Berkshire |
| Remote working: | On-site only |
| Company: | Reading Borough Council |
| Job type: | Contract |
| Job reference: | DOC0049 |
Summary
12 months fixed term contract
Are you passionate about helping young children learn, grow, and thrive?
Sure Start Whitley Nursery is looking for caring, enthusiastic, and motivated Early Years Educators to join our friendly team. This is a fantastic opportunity to make a real difference for children aged 0–5 in a warm, supportive, and inclusive environment.
If you are Level 2 qualified looking to build on your experience, we would love to hear from you.
We seek the best talent from the widest pool of people as diversity and inclusion is the key to our success. Reading Borough Council is a Disability Confident Employer and is committed to the recruitment and continued employment of people with disabilities.
About the role
You will play a key role in providing highquality care, education, and “in the moment” teaching for our children.
In this role, you will:
Welcome, settle, and build strong relationships with children and their families.
Create a safe, nurturing, and stimulating environment where every child can flourish.
Act as a Key Person/Buddy, supporting each child’s unique way of learning.
Understand and follow the EYFS framework, Ofsted requirements, and nursery policies.
Observe and assess children’s development, recording progress termly.
Promote positive behaviour through modelling, guidance, and encouragement.
Celebrate diversity, British Values, and cultural events within the nursery.
Support children with SEND and contribute to Individual Education Plans where needed.
Supervise indoor and outdoor play, outings, and daily routines.
Work collaboratively with your team to deliver engaging activities and highquality provision.
Maintain high standards of safeguarding, safety, hygiene, and cleanliness.
About you
We are looking for someone who is warm, dependable, and committed to delivering excellent early years practice.
You will bring:
A Level 2 Childcare/Education qualification (essential)
Experience working with young children
A caring attitude and a cheerful, positive personality
Good communication skills (written and verbal)
Ability to work effectively as part of a team
Understanding of children’s developmental needs from 2 months to 5 years
Willingness to keep knowledge up to date, including training in safeguarding, paediatric first aid, health & safety and food hygiene
Reliability, flexibility, and strong organisational skills
Commitment to inclusive practice and supporting all children and families
You’ll be part of a team that relies on each individual to play their part to the best of their ability. As well as the colleagues that you work closely with every day, you’ll also be part of Team Reading, playing your personal part in making Reading a successful and vibrant place.
Our vision is to ensure that Reading realises its potential as a great place to live, work and play, and that everyone shares the benefits of this success. Our values and behaviours guide how we will achieve this:
Work Together as one team - work collaboratively, with each other and with our partners, and demonstrate the Team Reading values in everything we do
Drive Efficiency - show initiative, be adaptable to change and put forward ideas to help improve delivery and efficiency. Take responsibility for our own learning and development and for reaching our potential
Be Ambitious - be demanding of our own performance – striving to be even better – and be prepared to engage with and challenge leaders in a constructive and positive way
Make a Difference to Reading - maintain the highest levels of customer service and be flexible and willing to provide the services needed at the time they are needed
Our offer
We offer a supportive environment to grow and develop your career with the opportunity to put your ideas across. Innovation and ambition is strongly encouraged, and you’ll get a great feel for that working in our friendly and collaborative environment.
A competitive salary alongside a range of benefits including:
Generous holiday entitlement - 25 days holiday each year plus bank holidays - rising to 30 days after 5 years’ service and 33 days after 10 years' service, with the option to buy additional leave
A wide range of flexible working opportunities
Modern working environment at the Civic Offices in the heart of Reading
Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS)
Life Assurance - three times your annual salary (for members of the LGPS)
On-site day nursery (Kennet Day nursery) rated outstanding by Ofsted
Season Ticket Loan - a loan to help with the cost of your rail or bus journey, to and from work
Lease car salary sacrifice scheme allowing you to lease a brand new, greener car for three years. The monthly fee includes insurance, servicing and road tax
Closing Date: Sunday 15th March 2026
Interview Date: To be confirmed
Interview Process: To be confirmed
Are you passionate about helping young children learn, grow, and thrive?
Sure Start Whitley Nursery is looking for caring, enthusiastic, and motivated Early Years Educators to join our friendly team. This is a fantastic opportunity to make a real difference for children aged 0–5 in a warm, supportive, and inclusive environment.
If you are Level 2 qualified looking to build on your experience, we would love to hear from you.
We seek the best talent from the widest pool of people as diversity and inclusion is the key to our success. Reading Borough Council is a Disability Confident Employer and is committed to the recruitment and continued employment of people with disabilities.
About the role
You will play a key role in providing highquality care, education, and “in the moment” teaching for our children.
In this role, you will:
Welcome, settle, and build strong relationships with children and their families.
Create a safe, nurturing, and stimulating environment where every child can flourish.
Act as a Key Person/Buddy, supporting each child’s unique way of learning.
Understand and follow the EYFS framework, Ofsted requirements, and nursery policies.
Observe and assess children’s development, recording progress termly.
Promote positive behaviour through modelling, guidance, and encouragement.
Celebrate diversity, British Values, and cultural events within the nursery.
Support children with SEND and contribute to Individual Education Plans where needed.
Supervise indoor and outdoor play, outings, and daily routines.
Work collaboratively with your team to deliver engaging activities and highquality provision.
Maintain high standards of safeguarding, safety, hygiene, and cleanliness.
About you
We are looking for someone who is warm, dependable, and committed to delivering excellent early years practice.
You will bring:
A Level 2 Childcare/Education qualification (essential)
Experience working with young children
A caring attitude and a cheerful, positive personality
Good communication skills (written and verbal)
Ability to work effectively as part of a team
Understanding of children’s developmental needs from 2 months to 5 years
Willingness to keep knowledge up to date, including training in safeguarding, paediatric first aid, health & safety and food hygiene
Reliability, flexibility, and strong organisational skills
Commitment to inclusive practice and supporting all children and families
You’ll be part of a team that relies on each individual to play their part to the best of their ability. As well as the colleagues that you work closely with every day, you’ll also be part of Team Reading, playing your personal part in making Reading a successful and vibrant place.
Our vision is to ensure that Reading realises its potential as a great place to live, work and play, and that everyone shares the benefits of this success. Our values and behaviours guide how we will achieve this:
Work Together as one team - work collaboratively, with each other and with our partners, and demonstrate the Team Reading values in everything we do
Drive Efficiency - show initiative, be adaptable to change and put forward ideas to help improve delivery and efficiency. Take responsibility for our own learning and development and for reaching our potential
Be Ambitious - be demanding of our own performance – striving to be even better – and be prepared to engage with and challenge leaders in a constructive and positive way
Make a Difference to Reading - maintain the highest levels of customer service and be flexible and willing to provide the services needed at the time they are needed
Our offer
We offer a supportive environment to grow and develop your career with the opportunity to put your ideas across. Innovation and ambition is strongly encouraged, and you’ll get a great feel for that working in our friendly and collaborative environment.
A competitive salary alongside a range of benefits including:
Generous holiday entitlement - 25 days holiday each year plus bank holidays - rising to 30 days after 5 years’ service and 33 days after 10 years' service, with the option to buy additional leave
A wide range of flexible working opportunities
Modern working environment at the Civic Offices in the heart of Reading
Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS)
Life Assurance - three times your annual salary (for members of the LGPS)
On-site day nursery (Kennet Day nursery) rated outstanding by Ofsted
Season Ticket Loan - a loan to help with the cost of your rail or bus journey, to and from work
Lease car salary sacrifice scheme allowing you to lease a brand new, greener car for three years. The monthly fee includes insurance, servicing and road tax
Closing Date: Sunday 15th March 2026
Interview Date: To be confirmed
Interview Process: To be confirmed
Proud member of the Disability Confident employer scheme
Disability Confident
About Disability Confident
A Disability Confident employer will generally offer an interview to any applicant that declares they have a disability and meets the minimum criteria for the job as defined by the employer. It is important to note that in certain recruitment situations such as high-volume, seasonal and high-peak times, the employer may wish to limit the overall numbers of interviews offered to both disabled people and non-disabled people. For more details please go to Disability Confident.