Careers
We are always looking for people passionate about working with children to join our team. Find out more about working at Ark Start here.
Why work in Early Years
Working in a nursery can be challenging but it is one of the most rewarding jobs there is. As an early years educator, you will have a genuinely life-changing impact not only on the children but on their families as well and be free to use your creativity and passion to inspire children about the world around them.
At Ark Start, we invest in our staff’s learning and professional development and work hard to make sure that wellbeing is prioritised. Because we are part of a larger organisation, we have the infrastructure to provide broader opportunities and career progression. There are multiple career paths that you can choose to pursue, whether training up to being a manger or deepening your expertise working with children, we want to help guide and support you to achieve your dreams.
Current Vacancies
Explore opportunities at Ark Start
Why join Ark Start?
Interested in a position at one of our nurseries? Here are some of the many benefits and perks of working at Ark Start.
Ongoing learning and support
We are committed to providing the best development for all our staff. We close the nurseries for five days each year to focus on staff training and ensure there is protected time for training and supervision each week for every adult. We work hard to ensure there are clear career progression routes.
Part of a large charity
Ark Start is part of Ark, a charity that aims to transform children’s lives through education. That means we don’t operate for profit and any surplus is used to improve our nurseries for staff and children. Being part of a network means our staff get access to the opportunities, infrastructure and support of a large organisation.
Staff
wellbeing
We know that while incredibly rewarding, working in a nursery can be challenging so we work hard to ensure all staff have the support and infrastructure they need. Staff can accesssavings and discounts and the Employee Assistance Programme is available offering everything from counselling to pension advice.
Diversity and inclusion
We aim to build a diverse and inclusive organisation where everyone can do their best work and achieve their full potential. We are committed to ensuring our nurseries are happy environments where wellbeing is prioritised and where everyone is treated with respect.
Holiday entitlement
We are proud of our staff and want everyone to feel valued for playing their part. That’s why staff receive 25 days holiday each year, excluding bank holidays.
Competitive staff salaries
We believe early years staff should be better remunerated and we pay above market rates. We are a Real Living Wage employer so have a minimum salary of £11.95 per hour for all permanent roles. We also pay 11% pension contributions.
Flexible working opportunities
Our standard contract is 36.5 hours per week, all year round. But we know that that doesn’t work for everyone so also offer term time only and part time contracts to match people’s individual requirements.
A Growing community
Ark Start is at an exciting time in its evolution. We opened two nurseries in South London last year and aim to expand our reach over the coming years.
What we are looking for
We are looking for people with a genuine passion for working with very young children. We want to hear about you and why you want to work with us, as well as what you think you can bring to the organisation and what you would like to learn more about. We always want to hear more about your ambitions and future hopes and dreams.
How to apply
If you want to join us, you will be asked to complete a short application form and include your CV and a short cover letter if you would like. We will then ask you to join us for a short online or phone interview. If you are successful, we will then ask you to come to one of our nurseries where you will have the opportunity to spend some time in the room, get to know the team and meet with one of our senior managers to ask any questions you have about the role or the organisation.
We're a Living Wage employer
Ark Start is a Real Living Wage employer. The real living wage is a rate that is voluntarily paid to ensure that every permanent member of staff gets a wage which meets everyday needs – like the weekly shop, or a surprise trip to the dentist.
The living wage is currently £13.15/hour in Greater London and is calculated annually by the Resolution Foundation and overseen by the Living Wage Commission based on the best available evidence about living standards in London and the UK.
