Who Works at Your Child’s Nursery? Understanding the People Behind Early Years Care

Choosing a nursery can feel overwhelming for many parents. Beyond the toys, rooms, and daily routines, the people who care for your child are the most important part of any early years setting. In this blog, we’ll explore the different staff members you might find in a nursery, what their qualifications mean, and why every role (from practitioners to chefs) helps create a safe and nurturing environment for your child.

---

Why nursery staff are so important

When your child attends nursery, the staff there become a big part of their daily life. They are the people who comfort your child when they’re upset, support their learning through play, and help them build their first friendships.

In the UK, nursery staff follow the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) framework, which sets standards for the care, learning, and development of children from birth to five years old. This framework guides how staff support your little ones, including their language, social skills, physical development, and early learning.

But nursery staff don’t just “watch” children. Their role includes:

• Planning play activities that will support your baby’s development

• Observing children’s progress and interests

• Ensuring the safety and wellbeing of the children in their care and their own staff members

• Making sure you are kept up to date about your child’s day-to-day life and their ongoing development

Because of this, staff must have training and qualifications that prepare them to work with young children.

Understanding nursery staff qualifications

When looking at a nursery, you might hear staff referred to as being at different levels – e.g., Level 2 or Level 3. These levels indicate the type of training they have completed in early years education and childcare. But what do these mean in practice…?

Level 2 Early Years Practitioner

A Level 2 qualification is often the starting point for many nursery practitioners.

Staff with this qualification are trained to:

• Support children’s learning through play

• Help with daily care routines such as meals and naps

• Maintain safe and stimulating environments

They usually work under the supervision of more experienced staff, such as Level 3 practitioners or room leaders.

Level 3 Early Years Educator

A Level 3 qualification is one of the most common and recognised qualifications for nursery practitioners in the UK.

Staff with this qualification are trained to:

• Take greater responsibility for planning activities

• Observe and track children’s development

• Act as a “key person” for specific children

  • The key person system means one staff member takes a special role in supporting your child’s wellbeing and development, whilst also being a main point of contact for parents.

Higher qualifications (Level 4–6 and beyond)

Some nursery staff may hold higher-level qualifications, such as:

• Level 4 or Level 5 Early Years qualifications

• Foundation degrees in Early Childhood Studies

• Bachelor’s degrees in Early Childhood Education

These staff members may take on roles such as:

• Room leader – managing a specific age group room

• Deputy manager – supporting the overall running of the nursery

• Nursery manager – overseeing the entire nursery setting

In some nurseries, there may also be a graduate early years teacher who specialises in supporting children’s learning and development.

The role of the SENDCo

Many nurseries also have a Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Coordinator (SENDCo). This staff member plays an important role in supporting children who may have additional learning needs, developmental differences, or disabilities.

A SENDCo works to ensure that every child can fully participate in nursery life. Their role may include:

• Identifying children who may need additional support

• Working with practitioners to adapt activities and learning environments

• Supporting children with communication, behavioural, or developmental needs

• Liaising with parents about support strategies

• Working with outside professionals, such as speech and language therapists or educational psychologists

Having a trained SENDCo helps ensure that nurseries are inclusive environments where every child has the opportunity to thrive.

Other important staff in the nursery

When we think about nursery staff, we often picture the practitioners working directly with children. However, many other roles help keep the nursery running smoothly. Here’s a list of some of those equally important staff members:

Nursery chefs/cooks

Food is an important part of a child’s day. Nursery chefs prepare balanced, nutritious meals and snacks, often catering to allergies, dietary needs, and cultural preferences. Good nutrition supports children’s energy, growth, and concentration throughout the day.

Cleaners and maintenance staff

Young children often learn through messy play, which means nurseries need to maintain high hygiene standards.

Cleaners and maintenance staff help ensure:

• Toys and surfaces are sanitised

• Bathrooms and eating areas are clean

• Building issues are addressed, from broken taps to larger maintenance problems

Sometimes these roles are carried out by external cleaning or maintenance companies, rather than staff directly employed by the nursery. Either way, their work plays a big role in keeping children safe and healthy.

Administrative staff

Many nurseries also have administrative staff who handle tasks such as:

• Enrolment and paperwork

• Parent communication

• Scheduling and staffing

While they may not work directly with children every day, they help ensure the nursery operates effectively and efficiently.

What to look for when choosing a nursery

As we’ve discussed throughout this blog, when visiting a nursery, it can help to look beyond the building itself and focus on the people working there.

Here are a few things you might want to consider:

• Qualified staff: ask about staff qualifications and training

• Staff-to-child ratios: lower ratios mean staff can give more individual attention to children

• Warm interactions: do staff seem engaged, friendly, and responsive with the children

• Consistency: stable staff teams help children build secure relationships

• Communication: good nurseries keep parents informed about their child’s development and daily experiences

Remember, strong relationships between children and caregivers are one of the most important parts of early development, and this includes nursery staff!

Take home message… 

Nurseries are much more than buildings filled with toys and activities. They are communities of trained professionals who work together to care for, educate, and support young children during an important stage of development.

From qualified early years practitioners to chefs and cleaners, each member of staff plays a role in creating a safe and nurturing environment for your child.

When choosing a nursery, take the time to learn about who works there, their training, and how they interact with the children. Feeling confident in the people caring for your child can make all the difference – for both you and your little one.

---

About the author: Dr Alice Cousins

Alice is our Marketing Executive and also a developmental psychologist. She has a PhD in developmental psychology form the University of Birmingham. Working with the Birmingham BabyLab, her research explored how babies develop a sense of self-awareness, creating and using a new virtual reality system to do so.