Childcare CV: Examples, Templates, and Samples for 2025
Building a rewarding career in childcare starts with a standout CV. Our step-by-step guide, sample childcare CVs, and our intuitive builder will help you create a CV that impresses employers and sets you apart.
Childcare is a people-focused field that requires communication, adaptability, creativity, physical stamina, and patience – all essential for planning activities, promoting life skills and acting as a role model. Given these demands, your childcare CV needs to demonstrate professionalism, competence, and a passion for working with children, highlighting qualities such as empathy and compassion. This guide provides step-by-step advice, CV writing tips and example CVs to help you stand out and secure your ideal role.
Creating a standout childcare CV is the first step to landing your dream job. To make the process easier, we’ve created CV examples to help you create a job application that highlights your skills and showcases your qualifications.
Remember that the content and structure of your CV will largely depend on your level of experience in the field. To illustrate how this varies, we’ve created CV templates for three levels of experience: little to no experience, mid-career, and senior level. By studying and comparing these examples, you’ll gain valuable insight into how to write and structure your own childcare CV to make a strong impression on potential employers.
Applying for childcare jobs with little or no experience doesn’t have to be a struggle. Instead, focus your CV on highlighting the transferable skills you have gained through volunteering, extracurricular activities, or character-building experiences. Skills such as communication, interpersonal skills, and creativity are highly valued in childcare, and chances are you’ve developed them in different areas of your life.
Even hobbies and interests can strengthen your application if they’re relevant to the job. For example, activities such as playing an instrument or drawing demonstrate creativity and can be appealing to children, so it’s worth mentioning them on your CV. By highlighting these transferable skills and experiences, you can position yourself as a strong candidate for entry-level childcare jobs.
With some relevant experience under your belt, writing your childcare CV should be relatively straightforward. The most important thing now is to describe this experience in a compelling way that leaves no doubt about your effectiveness as a childcare professional and the value of your work in general.
List your experience in reverse chronological order (most recent or current job first). Detail your responsibilities in concise statements using powerful words in your CV, such as strong action verbs. Try to use industry-specific keywords and those mentioned in the job description to convince employers of your suitability for the role. Whenever possible, try to quantify your achievements and responsibilities, i.e. use numbers and percentages, e.g. “Provided daily care for a group of 15 children aged two to four, ensuring their safety, welfare and development”.
As a childcare manager, your CV should highlight more than just years of experience. Focus on highlighting leadership roles, significant contributions, and specialist skills, starting with a strong personal statement that summarises your expertise. Use detailed yet concise descriptions of past responsibilities, including metrics and industry-specific terms, such as “reduced staff turnover by 20% through improved training programmes”.
Include technical skills such as paediatric first aid, emergency procedures, and curriculum planning, as well as certifications, conferences, and professional memberships, e.g. Professional Association for Childcare and Early Years (PACEY), to demonstrate ongoing professional development. This approach will underline your impact and readiness to excel in advanced childcare roles.
Take a look at our extensive library of CV templates to find inspiration for your own job application.
How to write a childcare CV
Like any other CV, your childcare CV should be logically divided into a number of sections. Each section provides a unique opportunity to showcase your strengths and demonstrate to employers that you have what it takes to excel in the role you’re applying for.
Your CV starts with your full name, address, phone number and email at the very top of the document – something you no doubt know after browsing through our childcare CV examples.
STEP 1
Start with a strong personal statement
Your personal statement is a two-to-four-sentence description of your skills, achievements, and experience. Given that it’s featured at the top of your CV, it’s also one of the first things hiring managers see. That’s why you probably want to spend some time getting this part of your CV perfect.
Example 1:
Mature, responsible professional with excellent childcare and interpersonal skills and extensive experience as both live-in and day nanny. Deeply adores children and desires a long-term position as a nanny.
OR
Example 2:
Dedicated early years teaching professional shaping children’s growth through positive, personalised care. Committed to maximising student potential in learning and development. Compassionate and trustworthy for reliable child and family support.
STEP 2
Describe your childcare work experience
Ultimately, for roles as hands-on and practical as childcare, past experience is particularly important. That’s why it’s best to spend some extra time shaping an effective work experience section when you sit down to write your childcare CV.
Focus on roles that are relevant to the job you’re applying for, and list your past positions in reverse chronological order (most recent or current job first). As well as details of each position, make sure you include some key responsibilities you’ve had or any notable achievements. Again, try to include numbers where possible, and always tailor this to the job description.
Example 1:
Early Years Practitioner | Wood Green Nursery, London | February 2022 – Current
Built positive relationships with families, enhancing trust in care provisions.
Safeguarded children appropriately, escalating concerns to senior staff.
Served as Key Person for 10+ children.
Communicated daily observations with guardians, maintaining detailed development records.
Nanny | Little Ones, London | April 2020 – January 2022
Helped children with personal hygiene needs and taught young children to independently complete care tasks.
Prepared healthy and nutritious meals to specific dietary requirements.
Changed and bathed babies and supervised baths for older children.
Assisted in light housework and laundry to reduce parents’ workload.
OR
Example 2:
Paediatric Staff Nurse | Northwick Park Hospital, Harrow | April 2020 – Current
Evaluated paediatric patient care needs, prioritised treatment and maintained patient flow.
Maintained up-to-date knowledge of the latest nursing techniques and best practices for high-quality care.
Delivered paediatric acute care, performing effective crisis interventions to reduce hospital admissions.
Dressed surgical wounds, monitored healing and replaced bandages to prevent infections.
STEP 3
List your key childcare skills
A strong set of technical skills is essential for success in childcare roles. From paediatric first aid and curriculum planning to managing children’s health and safety, these are the types of skills that potential employers will prioritise. Knowledge of areas such as safeguarding procedures, dealing with emergencies, and activity planning can also set you apart as a candidate.
Soft skills are also equally important in childcare. Employers are looking for qualities such as empathy, patience, communication, and adaptability – qualities that will enable you to connect with children, work with parents and colleagues, and deal with the unique challenges of the role.
Below, you’ll find a list of technical skills relevant to childcare jobs. Use these as a guide, but always remember to tailor your CV to the specific job description.
Example of technical skills for childcare jobs:
First Aid and CPR Certification
Health and Safety Procedures
Child Development Knowledge
Nutrition and Meal Preparation
Behaviour Management Techniques
Educational Activities
Record Keeping
Sanitation and Cleaning
Technology Use
Communication Skills
Observation and Assessment
Special Needs Care
Cultural Competency
Conflict Resolution
Curriculum Planning
STEP 4
Describe your qualifications and education
While most entry-level childcare positions don’t require a degree, employers may look for qualifications such as a high school diploma and other relevant certifications (such as CPR and first aid). Of course, more specialised or higher-level roles will probably require a bachelor’s degree, but in general, you can expect to have no major problems breaking into the industry.
Depending on the role you’re applying for and your level of experience, the education section of your childcare CV should highlight the qualifications relevant to the job. After all, potential employers are looking for someone who can do the job and also understands what’s expected of them.
Example 1:
Bachelor of Science in Nursing University of Manchester, Manchester September 2018 – June 2021
Registered Nurse Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC), UK Registration date: June 2022
Safeguarding Children Level 3 NHS Trust, Manchester, UK Completed: March 2023
OR
Example 2:
Paediatric First Aid Certification British Red Cross, London, UK Issued: April 2021
Introduction to Childcare Practice Lewisham College, London, UK February 2022
STEP 5
Include any additional information on your childcare CV (optional)
Many people overlook it, but the additional information section of your childcare CV can give you an extra edge when applying for the role you want. It’s an opportunity to highlight your achievements and present a well-rounded picture of yourself – something that, if done well, can leave a lasting impression on recruiters.
This section could include relevant certificates and training (e.g. paediatric first aid, safeguarding), professional memberships (such as PACEY), foreign languages, or even hobbies that relate to childcare, such as music, art, or sport. The key is to ensure that the information reinforces your suitability for the role. See examples of how to structure this section and the types of details that can make an impact.
Example 1:
CERTIFICATIONS
Food Hygiene and Safety Level 2 (City & Guilds), 2015
Safeguarding Children Level 1 (Online course), NSPCC, 2017
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Attended a workshop on effective communication and conflict resolution
Volunteered at a local community centre and assisted with supervising children during playtime
HOBBIES AND INTERESTS
Member of a local book club, enhancing communication and organisational skills
OR
Example 2:
CERTIFICATIONS
Safeguarding Children Level 3, NSPCC, 2019
NCFE Level 3 Certificate in Principles of Special Educational Needs
PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS
Member of the Association for Professional Development in Early Years
HOBBIES AND INTERESTS
Passionate about arts and crafts and creating projects that support fine motor skills and creativity
Passionate about promoting outdoor play and exploration to support physical development.
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