University Hospital Southampton NHS Trust

Senior Nursery Practitioner (Room Leader)

The closing date is 24 February 2026

Job summary

University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust is delighted to offer a fantastic opportunity to work with us.

Please see below for detailed job description of the role.

You'll based at Western Community Hospital at Trust Taplins nursery in our Purple room (children aged 2:6-3:6) working as a key-person and room leader.

Main duties of the job

Are you a knowledgeable and inspiring Early Years practitioner, passionate about providing high standards of care and education to children aged 3 months- 5 years old? Do you want to develop your own skills as well as the skills of the practitioners in your team?

This is a great opportunity to work with a friendly and experienced Leadership team working together to provide high standards of care and education to children aged 3 months-5 years old.

Taplins operates two purpose built day nurseries supporting our local NHS staff, and being part of the UHS family means you'll have access to lots of great benefits such as generous holiday allowance, and a discount scheme.

We're open Monday- Friday from 7am to 6.30pm and you'll work a Monday 10.15-6.30pm and Tuesday 6.45-2.30pm. We work in our purpose built nurseries with generous outdoor space, and have a great reputation for developing supportive relationships with the children and families who attend.

About us

University Hospital Southampton is one of England's largest acute teaching Trusts, offering a wide range of learning and development opportunities to support your career aspirations.

Located on the south coast with an international airport and direct rail links to London, Southampton offers an ideal setting to live and work, with the New Forest, South Downs and Jurassic Coast.

We believe that using technology wisely shows strong time management and commitment to innovation. However, personalizing your recruitment application to highlight your unique skills and experiences is crucial. Relying too heavily on generic, AI-generated content instead of drawing from your own strengths and accomplishments may lead to your application being rejected if multiple candidates present identical or similar information.

At UHS we're committed to providing a flexible working environment where possible. Whether you are balancing family, study, or your wellbeing with your career, we want to support you so you can help our patients.

At UHS, we proudly champion individuality, recognizing that outstanding care is only possible with a diverse, inclusive team. We're committed to creating an anti-racist, anti-discriminatory environment where everyone feels valued, safe, and empowered to make a meaningful impact in our communities. We welcome applicants of all backgrounds, identities, and experiences to join us in building a healthcare community where everyone can belong, thrive, and contribute.

Details

Date posted

10 February 2026

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 4

Salary

Depending on experience £27937- £30162 per annum pro rata

Contract

Fixed term

Duration

12 months

Working pattern

Part-time

Reference number

188-THQ050226

Job locations

HR Trust Taplins

Tremona Road

Southampton

SO16 6YD


Job description

Job responsibilities

What youll do

Youll role model, motivate, lead, coach, support and manage our teams to provide high standards of childcare and education.Youll be responsible for leading specific areas of practice or completing specific management tasks.

What were looking for :-Youll hold an appropriate Early Years qualification (Level 3 or above- see job specification for details), and be able to use your experience to support others.Youll need to be calm, kind and caring, with a sense of humour- we like our nurseries to be happy places!Youll have a knowledgeable, enthusiastic and inspiring approach to leading a team and working with children and their families.Youll need to be committed and reliable with a flexible approach.

Attached you will find the person specification document which provides more detail about the essential and desirable skills and experience needed for this role. We highly recommend you review this document and use it when completing your application as these criteria are used by hiring managers as guidance during shortlisting.

For an overview of the main duties of the role please see the Job Description and Main Responsibilities section below. To understand the day-to-day responsibilities in more detail please read the full job description document attached.

Job description

Job responsibilities

What youll do

Youll role model, motivate, lead, coach, support and manage our teams to provide high standards of childcare and education.Youll be responsible for leading specific areas of practice or completing specific management tasks.

What were looking for :-Youll hold an appropriate Early Years qualification (Level 3 or above- see job specification for details), and be able to use your experience to support others.Youll need to be calm, kind and caring, with a sense of humour- we like our nurseries to be happy places!Youll have a knowledgeable, enthusiastic and inspiring approach to leading a team and working with children and their families.Youll need to be committed and reliable with a flexible approach.

Attached you will find the person specification document which provides more detail about the essential and desirable skills and experience needed for this role. We highly recommend you review this document and use it when completing your application as these criteria are used by hiring managers as guidance during shortlisting.

For an overview of the main duties of the role please see the Job Description and Main Responsibilities section below. To understand the day-to-day responsibilities in more detail please read the full job description document attached.

Person Specification

Qualifications, knowledge and experience

Essential

  • Good standard of secondary education with literacy and numeracy skills demonstrable to GCSE pass level or equivalent standard
  • Current food hygiene certificate
  • To hold a full and relevant Level 3 Early Years Qualification (in accordance with https://www.gov.uk/guidance/early-years-qualifications-finder ) or above. If level 3 qualified post June 2016, to also hold a full paediatric first aid (PFA) or an emergency PFA certificate.
  • Experience as a Senior Nursery Practitioner or experience gained through acting up or relevant equivalent experience
  • Able to provide relevant activity ideas and ability to care for children
  • Demonstrates enthusiastic approach to working with children and learning practically within nursery
  • Recent previous experiences of working with 3 months - 5-year-olds within a childcare setting.

Desirable

  • Current paediatric and/or first aid at work certificate if qualified pre- June 2016, or if candidate holds a qualification higher than level 3
  • Experience in supervising students and/or colleagues.

Trust Values and Bahaviours

Essential

  • Patients First
  • Always Improving
  • Working Together
Person Specification

Qualifications, knowledge and experience

Essential

  • Good standard of secondary education with literacy and numeracy skills demonstrable to GCSE pass level or equivalent standard
  • Current food hygiene certificate
  • To hold a full and relevant Level 3 Early Years Qualification (in accordance with https://www.gov.uk/guidance/early-years-qualifications-finder ) or above. If level 3 qualified post June 2016, to also hold a full paediatric first aid (PFA) or an emergency PFA certificate.
  • Experience as a Senior Nursery Practitioner or experience gained through acting up or relevant equivalent experience
  • Able to provide relevant activity ideas and ability to care for children
  • Demonstrates enthusiastic approach to working with children and learning practically within nursery
  • Recent previous experiences of working with 3 months - 5-year-olds within a childcare setting.

Desirable

  • Current paediatric and/or first aid at work certificate if qualified pre- June 2016, or if candidate holds a qualification higher than level 3
  • Experience in supervising students and/or colleagues.

Trust Values and Bahaviours

Essential

  • Patients First
  • Always Improving
  • Working Together

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

Additional information

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

Employer details

Employer name

University Hospital Southampton NHS Trust

Address

HR Trust Taplins

Tremona Road

Southampton

SO16 6YD


Employer's website

https://www.uhs.nhs.uk/home.aspx (Opens in a new tab)


Employer details

Employer name

University Hospital Southampton NHS Trust

Address

HR Trust Taplins

Tremona Road

Southampton

SO16 6YD


Employer's website

https://www.uhs.nhs.uk/home.aspx (Opens in a new tab)


Employer contact details

For questions about the job, contact:

Nursery Manager

Anna Rixon

anna-marie.rixon@uhs.nhs.uk

07795685987

Details

Date posted

10 February 2026

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 4

Salary

Depending on experience £27937- £30162 per annum pro rata

Contract

Fixed term

Duration

12 months

Working pattern

Part-time

Reference number

188-THQ050226

Job locations

HR Trust Taplins

Tremona Road

Southampton

SO16 6YD


Supporting documents

Privacy notice

University Hospital Southampton NHS Trust's privacy notice (opens in a new tab)