About the role:

Are you an experienced and excellent Early Years Practitioner looking for a new challenge? Are you passionate about working with babies and young children? Are you a fun and friendly person with a warm and welcoming personality?

If so, come and work in our fantastic and established pre-school that offers a natural approach, high quality teaching and learning opportunities, with great resources and a brilliant outdoor area. 

The role involves taking a shared responsibility for the welfare, learning and development of a designated group of children within the Centre by working with initiative and creativity to foster an environment that encourages the children’s all-round development. Respectful care and interactions keep the child at the centre of practice - we believe a happy child is a successful child. Children’s connections within family, communities, cultures and the natural world, are also at the heart of our ethos.

This role is 36.25 hours per week on a term time only basis, working 38 weeks of the year.  This means that you are not required to work during the vacation periods. Your pay will be spread across the year which means that you will be paid the same salary every month whether it is term time or vacation. 

About you:

You will have experience of planning, assessing, recording and reporting to meet the requirements of the EYFS Statutory Framework. 

Candidates must have a recognised level 3 qualification in Early Years Childcare & Education and will take joint responsibility for the care and development of the children within our setting.  Please ensure your level 3 qualification is recognised by checking the government website, as we cannot shortlist anyone who does not meet this requirement.

Being an effective communicator, you will be expected to deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) statutory framework and Development Matters to ensure high-quality early years education. Knowledge and understanding of any additional roles such as SENCO and an understanding of safeguarding procedures are desirable.

Applicants need to meet all essential criteria on the person specification for this role which includes an enhanced DBS check. 

There are a number of great benefits we offer for working for us, including an Employee Assistance Programme and Online Private GP Service, as well as a staff benefits scheme through Vivup which has great discounts on a number of items; including everyday food shopping, bills, gifts and travel. 

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications for the role. Therefore, if you are interested, please submit your application as early as possible.

What we can offer you:

We have a fantastic package of rewards and lifestyle benefits – from an attractive annual leave entitlement to access to a comprehensive employee benefits platform which includes a 24/7 online GP.

Our people are our most important asset. We’ll encourage you to make the most of your talents and continually develop your skills and knowledge. As well as realising your career ambitions, you’ll be making a positive difference to other people’s lives. 

About us:

We are proud to be a diverse, multicultural university. We are committed to building a truly inclusive culture where diversity is championed. Applications are particularly welcomed from individuals who will support the diversification within the University and support its development of a culture that is inclusive and welcoming to all.

The University is committed to providing a safe environment to study, work and visit, protecting children, young people and adults at risk from harm and abuse. Our safeguarding policy and safer recruitment procedure outlines our approach, alongside other internal policies, procedures and guidance which can be found on our Safeguarding page.

Applicants applying for roles in regulated activity and that are listed as an exception under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 will be required to disclose any spent and unspent convictions and undertake a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) Check at the appropriate level, the University will only ask an applicant to make an application for a DBS check if they are legally entitled to.

Closing Date: 30 Sep 2026

Division: Professional Services

Salary: £24,215 to £26,093 per annum

About the role:

Reporting to the Catering Manager you will be a member of our kitchen team, providing catering to both residential and non-residential students, as well as assisting with catering for activities and events at the University. You will undertake a variety of tasks, including maintaining the service areas and associated cleaning and providing excellent customer service.

This role is based at Summergrove Halls, close to our picturesque Westlakes Campus which is based on the Westlakes Science and Technology Park in West Cumbria, just three miles from Whitehaven. Westlakes is a beautiful place to work. And when you’re not hard at work, you’ll have some of the country’s most beautiful and dramatic landscapes on your doorstep, just waiting to be explored – from the Lake District to the Solway Coast. 

About you:

You will have significant and recent catering experience, a Level 2 Catering qualification (or equivalent) and a Level 2 Food Hygiene qualification. We will provide you with further training including Level 3 Food Hygiene. 

Additional information:

This is a fixed term role for 12 months and is term-time only, which means that you will only be working for 36 weeks of the year (during term time). We will require flexibility across the week during term time (including weekends) but it means that you are not required to work during the vacation periods. Your pay will be spread across the year which means that you will be paid the same salary every month whether it is term time or vacation.

Applicants need to meet all essential criteria on the person specification to be considered for interview.

If you have any questions or queries; including access to the online application portal, please contact Chris Mackman.

What we can offer you:

Our people are our most important asset. We’ll encourage you to make the most of your talents and continually develop your skills and knowledge. As well as realising your career ambitions, you’ll be making a positive difference to other people’s lives. We also offer a fantastic package of rewards and lifestyle benefits – from an attractive annual leave entitlement to access to a comprehensive employee benefits platform.

We are proud to be a diverse, multicultural university. We are committed to building a truly inclusive culture where diversity is championed. Applications are particularly welcomed from individuals who will support the diversification within the University and support its development of a culture that is inclusive and welcoming to all.

The University is committed to providing a safe environment to study, work and visit, protecting children, young people and adults at risk from harm and abuse. Our safeguarding policy and safer recruitment procedure outlines our approach, alongside other internal policies, procedures and guidance which can be found on our Safeguarding page.

Applicants applying for roles in regulated activity and that are listed as an exception under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 will be required to disclose any spent and unspent convictions and undertake a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) Check at the appropriate level, the University will only ask an applicant to make an application for a DBS check if they are legally entitled to.

Closing Date: 20 Sep 2026

Division: Professional Services

Salary: £24,215 to £26,093 per annum pro rata
+ Real Living Wage Adjustment of up to £738 per annum pro-rata