Work for LEYF Nurseries
Introduction to LEYF Nurseries
We’re the London Early Years Foundation, or LEYF Nurseries for short; a family of 40 nurseries. Our people love working for us because we focus on the child and their family, giving all our children the best start in life.
We believe that working in Early Years is not just a job; you’re helping to change a child’s life. A child’s experience in early childhood shapes their whole life, and can often be the root cause of many of life’s hardest social challenges. That’s why having a good education in their earliest years is so important.
Our nurseries provide an inclusive place for children from all backgrounds, and 75% of our settings are in areas of deprivation — the highest of any nursery provider in London. We work with families and communities to enable each and every child to be the best they can be through wonderful experiences that enrich and extend their learning.
Wherever you join the LEYF team, you will be helping to make a real difference, and you won’t ever feel alone. We are passionate about creating a thriving workplace where staff feel safe and LEYF is like a second home.
Why we’re working with Rest Less
We’re working with Rest Less because diversity is important to us at LEYF, and that includes age diversity. We see and value who you are and we know that, whatever your age, you have so much to offer the children in our nurseries.
For many years, we have campaigned for more over 50s to join the Early Years. We have always said that age is no barrier to working for us; we have many team members over 50 (some of whom have worked for us for over 30 years!) and our oldest member of staff is 68.
Whether you’re changing career completely, or fancy just doing a few hours a week, we would love to have you join the LEYF family. We will give you all the support you need.
Rest Less are all about inspiring today’s generation of over 50s to get the most from life — well, you can’t get more out of life than the joy of working in the Early Years!
Why work for LEYF Nurseries
We asked our people why they love working for us. This is what they said:
- LEYF’s social purpose is inspiring and motivating. You can get up each day knowing that you’re genuinely making a difference to children’s lives, and it’s so rewarding to see the children developing and having fun each day. You are guaranteed lots of laughter!
- Each nursery has a local, family feel but you’re also part of a larger organisation. Everyone is really supportive and it’s a great place to retrain and progress if you’ve never worked in Early Years before — for example, you get 8 days of paid training a year and one-to-one support from our learning and development coaches.
- Flexibility is valued and there are a variety of flexible work options so you can find the hours that suit you best. You can work full-time or part-time (3 days, AM or PM shifts).
- LEYF Nurseries offers great benefits:
- Lots of training, promotions and a good salary for the sector
- Generous pension at 7% from us (1% from you)
- 70% discount on childcare fees if you’re a grandparent
- Up to 35 days off a year (including bank holidays, 3 days off between Christmas and New Year, and your birthday)
- Many other benefits that take care of you, including access to the Headspace app, shopping discounts, annual conference and money for team celebrations
How nurseries tackle the injustice of poverty
To mitigate the impact of poverty on children’s life chances, we need the highest quality childcare. In this TED Talk, our CEO, June O’Sullivan MBE, explains why our childcare system must give every child the best start in life.
Find your perfect opportunity at LEYF Nurseries
Real-life stories
Changing your career track or transferring to a new company needn’t be daunting. We asked some of our valued team to tell us about their experiences of working at LEYF Nurseries. We hope they inspire you too.
Yvonne's story
Meet Nursery Manager Yvonne, who leads the team at our Katherine Bruce Nursery & Pre-School.
Yvonne has worked in education for over 25 years and is passionate about working in the Early Years.
For Yvonne, the most rewarding part of this job is not just the difference you make to a child’s life, but the difference you make to the whole family.
In this video, she shares the story of a child who really struggled when he came to her nursery, but through supporting him and his mother, she saw his life turn around.
Annie's story
Annie was looking for a part-time job and her son, Bill — who works in our Compliance team — recommended her for a lunchtime assistant role at our Weir Link Nursery & Pre-School.
Because Bill works at LEYF, he was able to take advantage of our Refer a Friend scheme, where you and the person you refer both receive a referral bonus.
Annie loves her role at Weir Link and enjoys interacting with the children each lunchtime, working the hours that suit her.
Ali's story
Ali retrained to work in Early Years several years ago, and now works at our Gumboots Nursery & Pre-School. She’s over 60 and takes advantage of our flexible contracts, working 3 days a week so she can spend the other 4 days enjoying the things she wants to do.
Example roles at LEYF Nurseries
Early Years Assistant
If you’re a natural with children and want to find out if childcare is for you, this could be a great next step.
You’ll support the nursery team in supervising fun activities, caring for the children and keeping them safe and happy.
As part of the team, you’ll have the chance to enjoy a range of experiences with the children. You might take them on a train to the Science Museum, hop on a bus to make friends at a nearby LEYF nursery, or join in baking sessions with the children and your nursery chef.
While entry qualifications aren’t necessary for this role, we can help you get the training you need if you want to develop.
Early Years Practitioner
We know you work in Early Years because you love helping children develop and learn. You are warm and keen to give children the best education to succeed in life.
Every nursery shares LEYF’s unique teaching model. But you will have the freedom to be creative to suit how the children learn best. Whether you hop on a train to the Science Museum, take a bus to make friends at a nearby LEYF nursery, or bake with your nursery chef, it’s always about the children in our nurseries.
Early Years Practitioners will need to have a relevant childcare qualification at Level 2 or Level 3 and experience of working in an Early Years setting. You will also need a good knowledge of safeguarding and child protection.
Bank Staff
If you like being around children and want a job that fits around your commitments, this could be a great role for you. You can enjoy flexible working whilst gaining valuable knowledge and experience of Early Years teaching.
As part of the team, you might take the children on a train to the Science Museum, hop on a bus to make friends at a nearby LEYF nursery, or join in baking sessions with the children and your nursery chef.
While entry qualifications aren’t necessary, if you want to learn more we can help you get the training you need.
LEYF Nurseries brand values
Our four core values: brave, inspiring, nurturing and fun, are at the heart of everything we do.
Brave ‒ We push boundaries and test new ideas, always standing up for the rights of children.
Inspiring ‒ We encourage continuous development for children and staff.
Nurturing ‒ We create safe and homely environments for each child.
Fun ‒ We are imaginative and creative, and learn through play.
LEYF Nurseries diversity statement
LEYF champions diversity across our staff team. We firmly believe that children need role models from all walks of life, which influences their decisions and choices in life. We are proud that 7.6% of our nursery teachers are men (compared to the national average of 3%) and 58% of our people are from an ethnically diverse background.
Stronger together
We are strong on teamwork at LEYF and live our values, which are brave, inspiring, nurturing and fun. We rely on each other and are united by our mission to change the world one child at a time.
Diversity and inclusion
At LEYF, diversity and inclusion are at the heart of who we are. We strive to foster belonging and empowerment at work. We know that having different perspectives makes us stronger and value every individual for what they bring to our community.
Celebrating differences
LEYF is an organisation which champions tolerance and understanding of the differences between people so that no one is either advantaged or disadvantaged on account of their beliefs. We don’t organise our nurseries around religious identities or promote religious worldviews. We welcome all staff, children and parents regardless of their religious or non-religious backgrounds.
LEYF Nurseries awards and partnerships
