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| When people think about working with children
the obvious jobs which spring to mind are those of nursery nurse and teacher.
The wide range of other jobs which involve daily contact with children is
often overlooked. There are many different types of jobs, from pre-school
care and education to social work, nursing, library work, speech and language
therapy and even children’s entertainment. You could work in hospitals,
schools, libraries or playgroups or on a one to one basis as a nanny or
au pair. The opportunities are endless. |
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Nannies take care of children’s day to day needs, usually in the child’s own home. They usually care for the children in one family, although there is an increasing trend for two families to share one nanny. Nannies feed, change, bath, dress and generally entertain the children in their care. They help the children to develop using books, games, toys and practical activities and many are qualified nursery nurses. |
| Nursery nurses work with children from birth to the age of eight. They are responsible for children’s social, emotional, physical, intellectual and language development. The work they do varies according to where they are employed. In a nursery, infant or special school, they work alongside the classroom teacher to provide the daily programme of activities, which might include creative play with sand and water and imaginative play involving music and movement and outdoor play. | |
| The nursery nurse may have special responsibility for a small group of children or a particular activity such as story or music time. In day nurseries or family centres the work can be a little different as the children may start attending as babies. In this setting, the nursery nurse is involved in practical care, feeding and changing babies when necessary. |  |
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Work with children is an extremely popular choice, particularly amongst young people. In the past, most people working with children were women, but these days it’s a perfectly acceptable career for men, although the number of men training for work with children is still fairly small. |
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The rewards of working with children are endless as they can be delightful,
fun and energetic. But they can also be frustrating and exhausting! Work
with children is extremely demanding. A career with children would require
you to have patience, lots of creative ideas and the maturity required
to cope with the emotional demands of young children and parents. Good
communication skills at all levels are also essential. |
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To be a nursery nurse or a nanny there are a number of qualification
requirements. A good standard of GCSE results, usually a minimum of 4
at grade C and above is needed although an equivalent qualification will
be considered. The BTEC in Childhood Studies is an extensive programme
with a work placement included. On completion of the course students can
progress to Higher Education or to work in a nursery. College Diplomas
in Nursery Nursing usually require two GCSE passes (grade C or above),
including English Language. The programme is modular based and students
are assessed on each individual module throughout. This is also a two-year
course for people who would like to work with children as nannies. For further information on courses, please contact your local college or careers service. This article appears with thanks to Calderdale College and first appeared in the Halifax Evening Courier. |
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| For further information please see: |
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Childminder |
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Nursery Nurse |
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Playworker/Play Scheme Leader |
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Pre-school Group/Playgroup Worker |
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Teacher: Nursery School/Early Years |
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Nanny |
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