Nursery Assistant (Full time, part time and apprenticeships available)

We currently have the following vacancies for full time, ideally qualified, nursery practitioners to join our outstanding team of professional staff in our caring, supportive setting. Please indicate clearly on your application form which vacancy you are applying for:

• Vacancy 1: Permanent, full time (37.5 hours per week) to start as soon as possible
• Vacancy 2: Permanent, flexible hours between 7hr - 20hr a week to start as soon as possible
• Vacancy 3: Early Years Level 3 apprenticeships full time (37.5 hours per week) to start as soon as possible with the apprenticeship likely to start in September 2026
For an informal discussion about these posts, Apprenticeship opportunities or The Lodge in general, please contact Hayley List, Nursery Manager on or email hello@thelodgedaynursery.co.uk About The Lodge We offer exceptional childcare provision for children aged 3 months to 5 years, in the centre of Ipswich. You will join a team of professional, qualified staff in a caring, supportive setting. About You As an important member of our nursery team, you will help us to deliver the EYFS curriculum, which ensures a high standard of physical, emotional, social and intellectual care for children attending our nursery. You will work closely with other staff to provide a stimulating, safe and caring learning environment appropriate to the needs of the children in our care. Your Working Hours You will work Mondays - Fridays throughout the year on a rota to make sure we maintain our staffing ratios during the nursery opening hours (7.30am to 6.00pm) and can be flexible during the day. Your Salary and Benefits For a full time Nursery Assistant position for the hours listed in vacancy 1, your starting salary will be £24,784.50 per annum and will depend on your skills, qualifications and experience. A part time position will be dependent on the number of hours worked which can be discussed at interview. If you join us to study for your Apprenticeship qualification, your salary will be paid at the National Living Wage for Apprentices during your first year of study, and your qualification will be funded by the Apprenticeship Levy. In your second year of employment, your salary will be within the above range. All our appointments are subject to the satisfactory completion of a 3-month probationary period. You will have 28 days' paid holiday each year (including bank holidays) and a further 5 days as paid time off when the nursery is closed in August (one day) and at Christmas (4 days). Giving a total of 33 days' paid time off each year. We offer an attractive pension scheme with life cover. You will also join Smart Health, a wellbeing scheme for staff offering 24/7 online GP and mental health support. You will be able to use the School's swimming pool and fitness gym free of charge We offer a free freshly prepared lunch each day in School. We have (limited) free parking available for staff. You may be entitled to generous school fee remission (after you have been with us for 3+ years). We would encourage you to visit the nursery's website https://www.lodgedaynursery.co.uk/ and to read the full job description for this role (which you will find on our website:https://www.ipswich.school/vacancies. Please apply using the application form provided - we are unable to accept CVs in place of a fully completed application form for a role in our nursery team. Completed application forms should be sent by noon Friday 17th July 2026 to the Director of HR, Ipswich School, 25 Henley Road, Ipswich, IP1 3SG. You can also email your application to hr@ipswich.school. Interviews are likely to take place on Monday 20th July 2026. Ipswich School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and applicants must be willing to undergo child protection screening appropriate to the job, including checks with past employers and an Enhanced Disclosure via the Disclosure and Barring Service.


• Vacancy 1: Permanent, full time (37.5 hours per week) to start as soon as possible
• Vacancy 2: Permanent, flexible hours between 7hr - 20hr a week to start as soon as possible
• Vacancy 3: Early Years Level 3 apprenticeships full time (37.5 hours per week) to start as soon as possible with the apprenticeship likely to start in September 2026, For a full time Nursery Assistant position for the hours listed in vacancy 1, your starting salary will be £24,784.50 per annum and will depend on your skills, qualifications and experience. A part time position will be dependent on the number of hours worked which can be discussed at interview.
If you join us to study for your Apprenticeship qualification, your salary will be paid at the National Living Wage for Apprentices during your first year of study, and your qualification will be funded by the Apprenticeship Levy. In your second year of employment, your salary will be within the above range. All our appointments are subject to the satisfactory completion of a 3-month probationary period. You will have 28 days' paid holiday each year (including bank holidays) and a further 5 days as paid time off when the nursery is closed in August (one day) and at Christmas (4 days). Giving a total of 33 days' paid time off each year. We offer an attractive pension scheme with life cover. You will also join Smart Health, a wellbeing scheme for staff offering 24/7 online GP and mental health support. You will be able to use the School's swimming pool and fitness gym free of charge We offer a free freshly prepared lunch each day in School. We have (limited) free parking available for staff. You may be entitled to generous school fee remission (after you have been with us for 3+ years).