Early years childcare is an extremely responsible profession. It includes feeding, changing, observing behaviour, and assisting with motor, intellectual, and emotional development in nurseries or similar facilities. This role requires a certain range of skills as well as appropriate education.

Not sure where to start? Create your early years practitioner CV using our recruiter-approved templates and CV examples. Here, you’ll find plenty of design and content inspiration covering exactly what information to include and how to present it in the best possible light. You really can’t go wrong when you enlist help from professionals!

Even better, the following sections break down the CV writing process step by step. Find out what skills a professional early years practitioner should be equipped with, learn our practical tips for an early years practitioner CV, and find out the answers to our most frequently asked questions.

Keep reading as we explore:

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    Sample early years practitioner CV

    Early years practitioner CV Sample

    Colleen James

    217C Fairey Street
    Birmingham B45 8GWA
    colleen.james@example.co.uk

    Professional summary

    Compassionate practitioner with extensive experience working with children in early years setting. Develops and maintains strong partnerships with parents and carers to facilitate day-to-day caring of children. Committed to making a positive impact on young people’s lives.

    Work history

    March 2023 – Current
    Sunny – Private Preschool – Birmingham
    Early Years Practitioner

    • Helped children learn numeracy skills using counting games.
    • Communicated daily observations with guardians, maintaining detailed development records.
    • Used phonics to build reading and writing skills.
    • Coordinated age-appropriate activities to enhance learning development, including art, music and physical pursuits.

    January 2019 – February 2023
    Teddy Childcare Facility – Birmingham
    Early Years Assistant

    • Developed constructive relationships with children and interacted according to individual needs.
    • Maintained strict compliance with school policies and legislation to ensure pupils’ and staff’s safety and wellbeing.
    • Prepared and tidied playrooms, meal areas and outdoor areas, ensuring clean, safe environments.
    • Promoted and followed school guidelines to support children in managing own feelings and behaviours.

    Skills

    Inclusive learning techniques
    Childhood development reporting
    Lesson and activity planning
    Behaviour management
    Positive reinforcement
    Diligent supervision
    Special needs assistance
    Hygiene control
    Progress monitoring
    Parent communication

    Education

    2020
    University of Birmingham
    Bachelor of Arts Early Childhood Education

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    Early years practitioner CV template

    Early years childcare is all about having fun – and this should show in your CV. However, many candidates become overwhelmed by the process, which is where premade CV templates can help. Simply choose a design, complete the sections, and you’ll be ready to land your dream job!

    Choosing the right format for your early years practitioner CV

    There’s nothing more powerful than an excellent first impression. Employers always prioritise candidates who show extra attention to detail, and applicant tracking system (ATS) software finds it easier to read CVs with clear headings, sections, and bullet point lists. Thankfully, you don’t have to stress over structure. Instead, choose between popular CV formats that do all the hard work for you.

    While there are many different designs to pursue, we prefer two for their ease of use – the reverse-chronological CV and the skills-based CV. The former outlines your employment background, starting from your current or most recent role. The latter focuses on relevant transferable skills, such as “teamwork”, “creativity”, and “active listening”.

    So, which is best for an early years practitioner? We suggest using a reverse-chronological format. Firstly, this is the most commonly used CV format in the UK, which means that recruiters are used to it and are expecting this kind of CV format. Secondly, it allows you to highlight your career development path and present your professional profile in the best possible way to increase your chances of getting hired.

    However, you could use a skills-based CV if you’re a school leaver or a recent graduate. Many nurseries hire unqualified early years practitioners, so you don’t necessarily need much experience. The most important thing is demonstrating enthusiasm and a willingness to learn.

    What else do you need to know?

    • Your CV should be one to two pages long maximum
    • Use a professional font like Times New Roman, Calibri, or Arial
    • Tailor all information to the job advertisement – you might have separate CVs for different jobs
    • Keep the overall tone friendly and formal
    • Send your CV as a Word or PDF file unless asked otherwise

    Choose your format now

    How to write a CV for an early years practitioner

    Now you’ve chosen a format, it’s time to tackle the details. The following sections explain how to write a CV from start to finish, offering valuable tips along the way. We’ll also answer some of the most common questions about early years practitioners.

    Let’s take a closer look at:

    How to add contact details to your early years practitioner CV

    You’d be surprised how many candidates miss out on interview invites because they forget to add their most up-to-date contact details at the top of the page – you might have the best CV in the world, but it doesn’t matter if the employer can’t reach you. We suggest highlighting information in a slightly larger or bolder font for maximum readability. Remember to include:

    • Full name – first name and surname
    • Location – mention if you’re willing to relocate
    • Phone number – the best one to reach you on
    • Email address – keep it work-appropriate

    Example of contact section for an early years practitioner CV

    Mandy Rice, 219 Heatherington Close, Edinburgh, EH3 HA, 07912345678, mandy.rice@example-example.co.uk

    How to write a personal statement for your early years practitioner CV

    Use the personal statement section of your CV to show a bit of personality and share your passion for childcare. This short, usually three to four sentence paragraph is one of the first things recruiters look at. As such, spotlight your most valuable skills, experience, and qualifications to encourage the employer to read more.

    If you’re not sure how to get started, our CV maker has a collection of sample personal statements for early years practitioners for you to be inspired by. Essentially, it’s good to refer here to what experience you bring with you and what your key achievements or goals are for the position. Otherwise, use our handy formula below to cover the most important points.

    Sentence one introduces who you are, including years of experience and career focus, e.g. Montessori nurseries. Sentence two explains what you can achieve using showstopping statistics. For example, you might have “introduced a new child-led system of play that helped 87% of children meet their milestones”. Finally, sentences three and four underline your unique skills and specialisms, such as “paediatric first aid” and ” knowledge of the EYFS”.

    Still confused? Here are some extra tips for a punchy personal statement:

    • Stick to the word count – between 50 and 00 words is ideal
    • Use the third person to sound more professional
    • Avoid clichés – think about what makes YOU special
    • Reveal more of your personality through positive descriptors
    • Evidence your experience with facts and figures

    Example of personal statement for an early years practitioner CV

    Enthusiastic early years practitioner with three years of experience working with babies from birth to six months. Managed a team of 10 employees and provided safeguarding training to over 30 new starters. Experience in Montessori settings. Possess an NVQ Level 3 in childcare.

    OR

    Accomplished early years practitioner with ten years of experience building positive, productive, and educational settings. Dedicated to achieving pupil growth through targeted learning activities – 91% of key children met all their milestones by one year. Committed to elevating social, emotional, and academic development through personalised, attentive care.

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    How to present your work history on an early years practitioner CV

    The work experience section is arguably the most important part of any CV, offering employers an insight into your professional capabilities. It’s a fantastic opportunity to showcase what you can achieve, the personality traits that make you the best candidate, and any promotions or awards.

    As you complete this section, think “recent” and “relevant” – all information must meet these criteria to earn a spot on the page. For example, there’s no point discussing an early years practitioner role from thirty years ago because safeguarding practices are always updating. Similarly, only mention recent positions if they have something to do with the job you’re applying for – look for transferable skills such as “communication” and “leadership”.

    How should you structure this section? Start from your current or most recent role and list three to six duties for each. Include:

    • Job title
    • Company name
    • Company location
    • Employment start and end dates
    • List of responsibilities
    • Achievements, awards, and promotions

    Like the personal statement, sprinkle in plenty of facts and figures. Tangible results supercharge your application and reassure employers you have the tools to succeed. Let’s say you “acted as a superb role model” – can you elaborate? You might have achieved this by “delivering a training course to 20 employees”. Or, you could talk about the impact you had on company culture. Whatever the achievement, be as specific as possible to remove any doubt in the reader’s mind.

    Lastly, convey confidence through positive adjectives and action verbs. The former emphasise your most desirable character traits – you might be “patient”, “kind”, and “helpful”. Action verbs preface your accomplishments and responsibilities. Some of our favourites for early years practitioners include “guided”, “shaped”, and “taught”.

    Example of work experience for an early years practitioner CV

    Early years practitioner | Mickey Mouse Nursery, Edinburgh | April 2022 – Present

    • Monitoring interactions within group settings, encouraging sharing and cooperation to facilitate positive socialisation.
    • Communicating daily observations with guardians.
    • Maintaining detailed developmental records.
    • Managing and administering medications and minor first aid treatments, prioritising child safety and wellbeing.

    Early years assistant | ABC Nursery, Edinburgh | January 2019 – March 2022

    • Utilised skills in behaviour management to aid positive, productive classroom environments for optimal learning conditions.
    • Acted as a superb role model, consistently promoting values and behaviours important to the school.
    • Offered students personalised support during in-class activities and projects.

    Top skills for your early years practitioner CV

    When hiring managers are short on time, they often flock straight to the CV skills section to assess whether you meet the job requirements. Here, they’ll find a collection of technical hard skills and personality-based soft skills, such as “assertiveness” and “analytical thinking.” We suggest including around 12 in total, split equally between the two.

    So, what’s the difference between hard skills and soft skills? The former are learnt on the job or through education and tend to be more specialised. Examples include “knowledge of the early years foundation stage”, “understanding of safeguarding and child protection practices”, and “planning engaging activities”. In contrast, soft skills reveal more of your character – think “organised”, “motivated”, and “trustworthy”.

    Our best advice? You need both to succeed. All the technical skills in the world mean nothing without warmth and compassion. Similarly, even the nicest people don’t get far without real-world, practical tools.

    The duties and responsibilities of an early years practitioner include many administrative and organisational tasks, but above all, caring for babies, toddlers, and preschoolers. And this, as you know, can be the most unpredictable job. For this reason, a good early years practitioner should have the following qualities:

    Essential skills for an early years practitioner

    • Creative thinking
    • First aid
    • Behaviour management techniques
    • Adaptability
    • Lesson and activity planning

    Desirable aptitudes to set you apart

    • Compassion and empathy
    • Patience
    • Diligence and attentiveness
    • Positive attitude
    • Excellent communication

    How to add education to your practitioner CV

    When employers are stuck between two equally experienced and skilled candidates, they use qualifications to determine who has the competitive edge. Consequently, you should never skip over the education section – despite coming towards the end of a CV, it holds a lot of sway. What can you talk about? School, college, and university courses, extracurricular training, special licences, and memberships to governing bodies.

    While pretty self-explanatory, there are a few simple rules to keep in mind. Like work experience, you only need to mention your most recent and relevant credentials. Hiring managers won’t care about your GCSEs if you’ve completed an undergraduate degree. Plus, omit poor grades and incomplete courses – or, at the very least, have a good reason for them!

    What does it take to become an early years practitioner? Most organisations prefer candidates with a relevant qualification, such as a Level 2 Certificate in Childcare or a Level 3 Diploma in Early Years Education and Care. However, some settings hire unqualified staff and offer to train them on the job. It’s always worth checking if this is an option beforehand because it’s a fantastic opportunity to enhance your knowledge while getting paid.

    Run through the below details:

    • Name of school, college, university, or other awarding body
    • Study start and end dates
    • Subject title
    • Qualification level – e.g. GCSE or Level 3 Diploma
    • Qualification results – not essential but desirable

    Example of education for an early years practitioner CV

    University of Edinburgh | September 2021 – June 2023
    NVQ Level 3, Child Development

    Edinburgh College | September 2019 – June 2021
    3 A levels: Childcare (A), English (B), IT (C)

    Edinburgh High School | September 2014 – June 2019
    10 GCSEs at grades A – C

    Tops dos and don’ts for early years practitioner CV writing

    Do

    • DO highlight your experience

      The job of an early years practitioner is demanding and responsible. Highlight your experience by adding three to four tasks or duties you have performed to each position. This will not only allow you to better demonstrate your expertise but will also increase your chances of matching the employer’s requirements.

    • DO focus on the presentation

      A CV is like a business card. You want it to represent you the way you are: professional but approachable. So make sure your CV is easy to read and fits on one page. A good trick is to use a CV template with a column. This will still highlight both skills and experience without detracting from either section.

    Don't

    • DON'T forget to nurse your keywords

      When you send your CV to a potential employer, in most cases, before it reaches the recruiter, it is scanned by special software that determines your fit with the job offer. For this reason, make sure to include the specific vocabulary from the job post to describe your skills and abilities.

    • DON'T hit send without showing off your competencies

      If you have completed additional courses, hold relevant certificates, or attended training that is significant to the role of early years practitioner, include these in your CV example. You can do this by expanding the education section or adding a training and certificates section below.

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    Your early years practitioner CV questions answered

    What is an early years practitioner role?

    Early years practitioners work in nurseries and other similar facilities caring for young children, usually between the ages of a few months to six years. Therefore, their work includes, but is not limited to:

    • Childcare
    • Feeding
    • Washing and dressing children
    • Changing or helping with using a toilet
    • Feeding
    • Child development techniques
    • Play and games
    • Communication with parents or carers

    How do I become an early years practitioner (UK)?

    In most nurseries, to become an early years practitioner, you must complete a Level 3 course, such as a Level 3 Diploma for the Early Years Practitioner or Level 3 Diploma in Children’s Learning and Development. However, if you gained your qualification before September 2014, a Level 2 qualification is also valid. Many settings also hire unqualified practitioners, with some offering to fund the above courses.

    What makes a good early years practitioner?

    A good early years practitioner should have the relevant qualifications as well as a passion and patience for childcare and essential skills such as:

    • Knowledge of first aid
    • Excellent communication skills with children and their parents/carers
    • Empathy and understanding
    • Kindness and the ability to help children develop through play
    • Attentiveness and responsiveness

    How much do early years practitioners earn?

    Depending on the form of billing, early years practitioners in the UK earn an average of £22,443 per year or £11.51 per hour. If you are just starting your career as an early years practitioner, you can expect earnings starting at £20,953 per year. In contrast, experienced professionals can earn up to £28,366 per year.

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    Create your early years practitioner CV today!

    Now, you’ve seen the early years practitioner CV examples, useful tips, and answers to the most frequently asked questions. There’s nothing left to do but take your career into your own hands and create a winning CV.

    You can also use our CV maker to access dozens of CV templates, personal statements, and role-specific skill lists to create and download your CV in just minutes.

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