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Working in childcare

Build a brighter future by giving children the best start. Work in early learning and childcare - a job where no two days are the same.

Find out about early learning and childcare as a career. Learn about different childcare roles, what training is required, places you can work and where to find a job in Nottinghamshire.

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Early learning and childcare as a career

Are you interested in early learning and childcare as a career? Do you have a passion for nurturing young children, supporting their early learning and providing play activities that enable them to explore and develop? If you do, then working in an early years role could be the career for you.

Reasons to consider a career in early learning and childcare:

  • It’s a job with joy, where laughter happens continuously.
  • As a practitioner, you will laugh, smile, and your day might be just as much fun for you as it is for the children.
  • You can really make a difference to young children’s lives.
  • You’ll teach children skills they’ll use for life.
  • There is so much variety – you’re never stuck behind a desk all day!
  • The little moments of joy that come with working with children makes Early Learning and Childcare careers extremely rewarding.
  • This is a flexible career – train on the job whilst being paid.
  • There are great opportunities for career progression.

Nottinghamshire County Council has produced a leaflet that gives an overview of a career in early learning and childcare.

Download the leaflet A Job with Joy and Laughter: Work in Early Learning and Childcare [PDF]

Learn how rewarding a career in early years can be in this 2-minute YouTube video from PACEY:

Do Something Big campaign

The Department of Education (DfE) has a recruitment campaign website for early years and the childcare sector.

The Do Something Big website has information to help people take steps to start their own early years and childcare career. It has job application advice, information on training and qualifications. There are real life stories of those already in early years and childcare so you can find out how unique and rewarding early years careers can be.

Visit the Do Something Big - Early Years Careers website

Learn about the Do Something Big campaign in this 1-minute video from the DfE:

Men in early learning and childcare

Changing to a career in early years teaching (Get into Teaching)

Learn about making a career change to early years teaching in this 2-minute video by the Department of Education:

For more information, visit the Get Into Teaching website (Department for Education)

Men in childcare

Learn about the great contribution men can make working in childcare careers in this 9-minute video from Leicestershire County Council:

Different types of early learning and childcare provision

There are many different settings and roles which fit under the umbrella of ‘early years’. It’s a career path that could see you become self-employed, go into education, or secure a role that makes a difference in your local community.

Childminding

Childminders are self-employed childcare professionals that look after children at home or in a non-domestic premises. Childminding is a varied job with flexible hours. It could involve looking after under-fives in the day and caring for older children when they are not at school. Some childminders may also employ and assistant to work with them.

Childminders looking after children in their own home can usually care for a maximum of six children under the age of 8 years and are inspected and regulated by Ofsted.

Each childminder may offer different opening times, and many can be flexible to cater for individual families' requirements by sometimes offering childcare into the evening or even overnight care. Many childminders can offer funded childcare places for 2, 3, and 4 year old’s.

Learn about the advantages of being a childminder and home-based childcare in this 2 minutes YouTube video from PACEY:

To become a childminder you can either apply to register with Ofsted or join a Childminder Agency. Childminders also need to complete pre-registration training before applying to become a childminder.

Learn more about these requirements on our Childminder training information page.

Nursery schools or class

Often attached to schools. They usually cater for older children (3+) and have a more educational focus to help prepare the children for school. The nursery sessions vary dependent on the setting.

Learn about nursery worker Carrie in this 1-minute video from Skills Development Scotland:

Day nurseries

Day nurseries can be run by councils, privately, or in schools, colleges or businesses. Many private settings open from 8am to 6pm (or even longer) all year round to accommodate the needs of working parents. Some maintained childcare settings operate in the same way; however, some may open term time only or open for shorter hours during the day.

The National Day Nurseries Association has lots of information about the types of roles available and routes to qualifications on their website.

Visit the NVDA'S Early years qualifications and childcare careers page

The NVDA has also produced a career map to see where you could end up with a career in early education.

Download the Career Opportunities in Early Years - England career map (NDNA) [PDF]

Follow a typical day in the life of a nursery worker in this 5-minute YouTube video from the National Day Nursery Association (NDNA):

Playgroups or pre-schools

May be organised by community or voluntary groups and run from community centres, church halls or even out of a school. Opening times for childcare will vary dependant on the setting.

Nannies (or home childcarers)

Nannies (or home childcarers) take care of children in their own home, keep them safe and clean, plan meals for them and organise creative and educational activities based on their age. The duties may include taking the children to and from school or other extracurricular activities.

Wraparound childcare

Holiday clubs

Holiday clubs cater for school age children during the school holidays and provide a safe, stimulating and fun environment for children to be. Many holiday clubs are school run within the school site, or run by external organisations either on, or away from the school premises.

After school clubs

After school clubs provide a safe environment for children when school closes at the end of the day. Most afterschool clubs are open until 6.00pm. The clubs are often run by schools, but can also be run by external organisations on, or away from the school premises.

Breakfast clubs

Breakfast clubs are often run by schools, but can also be run by external organisations on, or away from the school premises.

Working in your local Family Hub

Ever thought about a career with your local Family Hubs? Nottinghamshire Family Hubs offer a range of opportunities for early years workers, helping improve social, educational, health and emotional wellbeing for children and families.

  • Family support workers deliver evidence-based parenting programmes and family support, working in family homes, the community and Family Hub buildings
  • Early years practitioners deliver a range of evidence-based interventions with children, ensuring they meet developmental milestones and are ready for school.

Volunteering is also a great way to dip your toe into the world of work. We value our volunteers, who are an integral part of the service offered to families.

For Family Hubs in Nottinghamshire

For Family Hubs in Nottingham City

Training for early years and childcare roles

Early years and childcare can involve working with children of all ages, from birth to five. You might start your career as a nursery assistant without any qualifications, but training and studying for level 2 or 3 qualifications will allow you to progress and become a qualified Early Years Practitioner. From there, you may have the option to progress further into supervisory and managerial roles.

There are different types of training and qualifications you can undertake such as work based training, apprenticeships (a job with training) and college or university courses – your local college or training provider/university will be able to provide further information.

Go to Working in early years and childcare (Early Years Careers - GOV.UK)

The Department of Education has a free online 10-module course designed by experts to provide an overview of child development and gives practical advice for supporting the development of children in early years settings.

Go to Early years child development training (Department for Education)

Nottinghamshire County Council's Early Childhood Services has information about training courses on offer that can support you in your role.

Go to Early years education and childcare training (Nottinghamshire County Council)

Nottingham City's Early Years team provide a range of statutory and Continuing Professional Development (CPD) opportunites.

Go to CPD Training (Nottingham City Council)

Early years and childcare qualification routes: A practical guide

Nottinghamshire County Council's Early Childhood Services has put together a guide to show the many routes into childcare. It explains the different qualifications that can be completed to support the requirements of Ofsted.

Go to the page Early years and childcare qualification routes: A practical guide

Find further guidance on Pathway into early years education (GOV.UK)

Finding a job - Early years careers

Search for jobs in the early years and childcare sector. With around 30,000 nurseries and pre-schools across the UK, or setting up as a childminder, there are plenty of opportunities out there.

Each vacancy will include information about the experiences, skills and qualifications you’ll need for that role.

Finding a job - Early Years Careers (GOV.UK)

Find a Job Service - Department of Work and Pensions (DWP)

The DWP's Find a Job service has a list of

You can also view UK-wide Early Years Jobs

Job Seekers can find some helpful videos on how to use this service at Find a job service - Jobseeker help (DWP) [YouTube]

Information for childcare and early year providers

Advertising your job vacancy

The 'Do Something Big' campaign signposts jobseekers to the Finding a job website. From there they can quickly begin to search through early years job vacancies.

Early year providers who post their job vacancies there will be putting their roles in front of people who are excited to kickstart a career in early years.

Recruitment resources to support early years providers can be downloaded from the Early Years Careers website.

Go to Recruitment resources - Early Years Careers (GOV.UK)

The Department of Works and Pensions (DWP) encourages early years providers to list their job vacancies on their Find a Job website.

List your job vacancy by going to Find a job: Employer - Advertise your jobs (DWP)

Find helpful videos on how to use this service at Find a job service - Employer help (DWP) [YouTube]

Setting up a day nursery, pre-school or out of school club

To setup a day nursery, playgroup or out of school club in Nottinghamshire you need to apply to register with Ofsted.

You will need to have the following details to register your organisation:

  • your name and contact details
  • your organisation’s contact details, including individuals who form part of it
  • the contact details of your organisation’s nominated individual
  • details of any previous registration with Ofsted

Everyone who wants to join your organisation in a governance position, such as a committee member or trustee will need to apply to Ofsted.

To find out more, go to Apply to register your nursery or other daycare organisation with Ofsted (GOV.UK)

For more information about becoming a childcare provider, recruiting staff, inspections, early years curriculum, funding and finance, go to Providing childcare (GOV.UK)

Go to our Jargon Buster – definitions of some frequently used early years terms

You can also download the following guides from Nottinghamshire County Council:

Once you qualify and set up your childcare service, you can list your business in the Families Information Service childcare directory.

Find out how you can list your childcare service in our childcare providers directory.

More childcare and early years resources

Interested in a caring role, but childcare isn't for you?

If you decide working in childcare and early learning isn't right for you then you might like to consider becoming a Personal Assistant.

For more information about becoming a personal assistant, go to Personal assistants (Nottinghamshire County Council)

You can also learn more on our Personal Assistant directory page

Downloads

External Links

Last updated: 30 March 2026