Early Years Room Leader

Role Description

York Campus Nursery Overview

Join York Campus Nursery, a setting committed to fostering a safe, happy, and multicultural environment for children aged three months to school age. We nurture and encourage every child's diversity and potential, providing a secure, caring, and stimulating place for them to develop socially, emotionally, physically, and intellectually. Our modern, purpose-built premises on Kimberlow Lane, Heslington, provide care for up to 94 children across dedicated rooms for infants, toddlers, and pre-school.

We are seeking a creative and reflective Early Years Room Leader to join our experienced and supportive team. You will step into a fun, dynamic environment where no two days are the same, allowing you to make a direct and vital impact on children's development.

Role and Responsibilities

As a qualified childcare professional and a creative, reflective leader, the Early Years Room Leader is responsible for the day-to-day running of their baby room, ensuring a high-quality, stimulating learning environment for children aged 3 months to five years.

The role involves supporting children's development socially, emotionally, physically, and intellectually, in line with the Early Years Foundation stage  Curriculum (EYFS) and the Nursery's core principles: quality and consistency, secure foundations, partnership working, equality of opportunity, and anti-discriminatory practice.

Key responsibilities include:

• Caring for children and maintaining a high-quality, stimulating learning environment that offers a wide range of activities in line with EYFS.
• Supervising staff, mentoring them, and imparting your knowledge and skills to support their professional development.
• Implementing new ideas and using a range of strategies to continually improve practice and support the management team.

Essential Requirements

• Experience of supervising and motivating a team.
• Excellent interpersonal, communication, and organisational skills.
• A publicly recognised level 3 qualification in childcare.

Role Details

• Salary: £29,826.84 (£15.46 per hour)
• Role One (Permanent): 18 hours per week (Monday and Tuesday 9 am - 5.30 pm, Wednesday 9 am - 12 pm)
• Role Two (Maternity Cover until 9th October 2026): 19.5 hours per week (Wednesday 1 pm - 5.30 pm, Thursday and Friday 9 am - 5.30 pm)
• Note: Please state clearly in your application which role(s) you are interested in.

Benefits of Working for YCL

• Generous Annual Leave: 38 days including 8 bank holidays (pro rata) and two weeks off at Christmas.
• Enhanced Benefits: Enhanced company sick pay, maternity and paternity pay, and workplace pension schemes.
• Professional Development: Free training, with attendance paid.
• Wellbeing & Discounts: Free and confidential 24/7 wellbeing support, concession rates at York Sport Village and Centre, and discounts at campus outlets, local/national retailers, and attractions.
• Work Perks: Affordable on-site parking, DBS application cost covered, and salary sacrifice schemes (including Cycle to Work and campus nursery).

To find out more about York Campus Nursery please visit the York Campus Nursery website.

Please note: Applications will be reviewed on an ongoing basis therefore, suitable candidates will be contacted and invited to attend an interview whilst this vacancy is live. 

Candidates will be asked to inform us of their availability for an interview and this can be held by Zoom (video conferencing) or face to face, depending on preference.

If a suitable candidate is found, this position may close at any time. 

York Campus Nursery is part of York Commercial Ltd (YCL), which is a wholly owned subsidiary company of the University of York. The Head Office is situated at the University of York, Heslington, York, YO10 5DD. The successful candidate will be appointed on YCL terms and conditions of employment. YCL is a Real Living Wage Employer that currently has over 300 employees across a range of commercially focused sections.

Condition of employment

This role is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act. Consequently, all applicants will be asked to declare both unspent and spent convictions on their application form.

Appointment of the successful candidate will be conditional on a Disclosure and Barring Service check.

The University strives to be diverse and inclusive  – a place where we can ALL be ourselves.

We particularly encourage applications from people who identify as Black, Asian or from a Minority Ethnic background, who are underrepresented at the University. 

We offer family friendly, flexible working arrangements, with forums and inclusive facilities to support our staff. #EqualityatYork

As a Disability Confident employer, we will ensure that a fair and proportionate number of disabled applicants that meet the minimum (essential) criteria for each position will be offered an interview.  Read more about the University of York’s commitments under the Disability Confident scheme.