YMCA Fairthorne Manor Nursery | Curbridge, near Botley
Full time | 40 hours per week | Usually worked across 4 days
Part-time opportunities may also be available depending on the vacancy and working pattern.
A place where children thrive. A career where you can too.
There aren’t many careers where the moments you create today can shape a child’s future.
You could be there for a child’s first friendship, their growing confidence, or the discovery that sparks a lifelong love of learning. You might help a child solve a problem, ask their hundredth question, or achieve something they’ve spent weeks trying to master.
That’s the impact of Early Years education.
At YMCA Fairthorne Manor Nursery, we’re looking for warm, patient, curious and caring people who want to help children learn, grow and thrive through play-based learning.
Whether you’re an experienced Early Years Practitioner, hold a Level 2 or Level 3 Childcare qualification, are working towards one, or are considering a career change, we’d love to hear from you. Because while qualifications matter, the person behind them matters even more.
A working week with more room for life – our full-time Early Years Practitioners work 40 hours across four days, giving you:
- 4 working days
- 3 days off every week
More time for family, friends, hobbies and life outside work.
Part-time and job-share opportunities may also be available.
Welcome to Fairthorne Manor Nursery
Fairthorne Nursery is a place where children have space to move, to explore, and to grow at their own pace.
Set within a 90 acre natural site, our nursery is surrounded by woodland, fields, rivers, streams, and open space. Being outdoors is not an occasional activity here, it is part of everyday learning, in every season. Children are encouraged to explore freely, follow their curiosity, and learn through real experiences in nature.
When families walk into Fairthorne, they often notice how fun, open, and expansive it feels. There is room for adventure and room for calm, with a rhythm to the day that allows children to settle into their own way of being.
Children learn best when they’re actively engaged, curious and having fun. At Fairthorne Manor Nursery, learning might look like:
- Exploring nature outdoors
- Building, creating and problem-solving
- Investigating how things work
- Storytelling, role play and imaginative play
- Learning independence, resilience and social skills
Sometimes the best learning starts with a carefully planned activity. Sometimes it starts with a cardboard box. Both can be equally valuable.
As an Early Years Practitioner, you’ll:
- Build warm and secure relationships with children
- Help every child feel that they belong
- Support children’s confidence, independence and emotional development
- Create engaging opportunities to learn through play
- Follow children’s interests and turn everyday experiences into opportunities for discovery
- Support communication, language and social development
- Encourage creativity, curiosity and problem-solving
- Provide exciting indoor and outdoor experiences
- Observe children’s development and use what you learn to support what comes next
- Build positive relationships with parents and carers
- Support children with different needs, experiences and starting points
- Work closely with colleagues and share ideas and good practice
- Maintain a safe, welcoming and inclusive nursery environment
- Keep children safe through excellent safeguarding and Early Years practice.
While you’ll work within the EYFS framework and complete observations and records, your focus will always be the children.
We welcome applications from:
- Qualified Level 2 or Level 3 Early Years Practitioners
- Those studying towards an Early Years qualification
- People with experience in education, SEND, youth work, healthcare, coaching, community services or care
Most importantly, we’re looking for people who are caring, dependable, curious and passionate about supporting children to reach their potential.
If you have the right values, we can support your development through training and apprenticeship pathways.
Benefits that make a difference
- 100% childcare discount – Free childcare for YMCA employees at our nurseries.
- Extra support during school holidays – One free week of YMCA Day Camps per child each year, plus 50% off a second week.
- Generous annual leave
- 25 days annual leave plus Bank Holidays, increasing with length of service up to a maximum of 30 days.
- Option to buy up to 10 additional days
- Celebration Leave for a day that matters to you
- Health and wellbeing support
- Health Cash Plan
- Employee Assistance Programme
- Enhanced family leave
- Blue Light Card eligibility
- Gym discounts
- Cycle to Work scheme
- Career development – Access to professional learning, specialist Early Years training and progression opportunities across YMCA Fairthorne Group.
Joining YMCA Fairthorne Manor Nursery is more than finding your next childcare job. It’s an opportunity to shape children’s earliest experiences, develop your career in Early Years education, and be part of an organisation dedicated to helping children, young people and families belong, contribute and thrive.
If you’re looking for an Early Years Practitioner job in Curbridge, near Botley, a Nursery Practitioner role, or your first opportunity in childcare and Early Years education, we’d love to hear from you.
Apply now
Please apply now for this rewarding position and be part of an amazing charity that continues to support and achieve wonderful things within the community.
The successful applicant must undertake an Enhanced Disclosure via Disclosure and Barring Service.
We are an equal opportunities charity with a commitment to diversity, equality and inclusion in the workplace. A copy of this policy will be made available on request.
