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How to become a Nursery Teacher

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Nursery Teacher jobs

1,244

Nursery Teacher courses

Career progression and salary expectations for a Nursery Teacher

Junior Nursery Teacher

| Up to £20,000

Nursery Teacher

| Up to £26,000

Senior Nursery Teacher

| Up to £30,000

The role of a Nursery Teacher

What does a Nursery Teacher do?

What do they do? Passionate about kids’ development (and/or cutting and sticking)? You should become a Nursery Teacher…

Nursery Teachers provide a safe and supportive learning environment for children aged 3-5.They use a range of imaginative teaching resources and planned activities (including anything from stories and games to drawing and creative play) to aid and nurture the development of children’s basic skills – like language, literacy, and numeracy.

Nursery Teachers are also responsible for the children’s overall wellbeing. This involves providing pastoral care, as well as promoting good behaviour and cooperation.

Typical tasks and duties for a Nursery Teacher may include:

Preparing engaging learning activities
Creating and collecting learning resources (e.g. visual aids)
Working with assistants and nursery nurses to coordinate plans
Keeping the classroom organised and tidy
Supervising children during play
Observing and reporting on children’s development
Updating parents and caregivers on their child’s progress

Is a career as a Nursery Teacher right for me?

If you’re passionate about pursuing a career with children, nursery teaching could be for you.

Aside from an ability to work with, motivate, and organise young children, you’ll also need to show patience and good humour with everything you do. After all, things might not always run as smoothly as you hoped in this job.

Especially if activities involve paint. Or sand. Or any kind of liquid (cue: all of the mess).

Other key skills and attributes for a Nursery Teacher include:

Excellent communication skills
Time management skills
Creativity
Imagination
Approachability
Resourcefulness
Organisational skills

What's it like to be a Nursery Teacher?

"Nursery teaching is…eventful, to say the least. Luckily, it’s mostly in a good way – which is often because kids never fail to surprise you. One second you could be reading a story to a group of attentive and well-behaved two-year-olds, and the next the whole class could be re-enacting Frozen scene-by-scene. But aside from keeping a hold of short attention spans, my role is primarily based around ensuring the children have everything they need to develop their skills. Activities are often designed to let them play and learn without too much interference – so once my lesson plans are prepared and implemented – observation and supervision is a big part of what I do. However, my favourite part of the job has to be thinking of new and exciting ways to engage the kids. It’s basically like being a kid again. You know, just with slightly more responsibility…"

Get qualified as a Nursery Teacher

To become a Nursery Teacher, you'll typically need to gain an Early Years Diploma (such as the Level 2 or Level 3 Diploma for the Early Years Practitioner or Early Years Educator) or CACHE qualifications. Some nursery settings may prefer or require candidates to have GCSEs (or equivalent) in English and Maths. Experience working with young children, gained through volunteering or placements, can also be beneficial, and a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check is mandatory to work with children.

Recommended Nursery teacher courses

Level 3 Diploma-Early Years Educator

The Learning College Group

Regulated Early Years Educator Qualification | Qualify as a Nursery Practitioner/Teacher
- Compare
- 84 enquiries
- Online
- 18 months · Self-paced
- Regulated qualification
- Exam(s) included
- Tutor support
Great service

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Train to become an Early Years Nursery Practitioner, 1-2-1 Tutor support and practical Assessors provided. Easy to use learner platform to guide you through your study step by step. The Level 3 Childcare and Education Diploma (Early Years Educator) is for anyone looking to work i …
Save 25%

£1,495 £1,995
CACHE Level 2 Certificate Introducing Caring for Children & Young People

Online Learning College
- Compare
- 182 enquiries
- Online
- 12 months · Self-paced
- Regulated qualification
- Tutor support
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This course is designed for new and existing childcare practitioners to gain the necessary skills to launch a career in Early Years. With a Cache Level 2 qualification, learners are much more employable and can go on to work in a rewarding Nursery Nurse role. With units ranging f …
£379