Five Questions Every Early Years Practitioner Should Ask Before Accepting a New Nursery Role
- A Navidski
- Jun 29
- 2 min read
Job adverts in Early Years can look remarkably similar on paper. Similar pay. Similar hours. Similar bullet points about "a fun, friendly team."
The lived experience of two nurseries offering near-identical roles can be worlds apart.
For practitioners considering a move — whether from Level 3 into Room Leader, or Deputy into Manager — looking past the advert matters just as much as the salary on it.
Understanding the Setting Beyond the Job Advert
Before you apply, it's worth finding out:
- How consistently ratios are maintained, not just what they're advertised as
- How long the current team has been in place
- Who you would report to day-to-day, and how that person is supported themselves
- The setting's most recent Ofsted outcome, and how leadership responded to it
A nursery's website will tell you its values. These details tell you whether it lives by them.
Questions Worth Asking at Interview
- How long has the management team been in place?
- What has staff turnover looked like over the last 12 months?
- How is CPD and further qualification genuinely supported, beyond a line in the handbook?
- What does a typical day in this room actually look like?
- How are staffing shortages covered — agency, internal cover, or management stepping in?
None of these questions are confrontational. A confident, well-run setting will welcome them.
What Good Leadership Sounds Like
Honest answers, even when the honest answer is "this term has been hard."
Clarity about what the role actually involves, rather than a vague description that could mean anything.
Specifics about support — named people, named processes — not just reassurance.
Conclusion
A new nursery role is a significant decision, for you and for the children you'll be working with. Asking the right questions before accepting protects both.
At Key Persons Recruitment, we only put candidates forward for roles we've genuinely assessed — matched to leadership style, team culture and where you want your career to go next, not just job title and salary.
If you're Level 3 qualified or above and open to the right move, we'd love to hear from you.
The right questions, asked early, save months of the wrong fit.
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