Early Years Assistant - Barking Riverside Nursery and Pre-School - Full Time
London Early Years Foundation
£25.4k per year
Barking, IG11 0FU
Full time, part time
The Breakroom Take
- People enjoy this job
- Respectful managers
- Proper training
- Proper breaks
About London Early Years Foundation
London Early Years Foundation is a childcare provider.
Job description from London Early Years Foundation
If you love children, this could be the job for you
"When I come back from holiday, the children's faces light up." - Bobbi-Jo, former Apprentice
We're the London Early Years Foundation, or LEYF Nurseries for short; a family of 40 nurseries. Our people love working for us because we focus on the child and their family and give them the best start in life.
LEYF is known for quality teachers - we give you strong in-house training and access to promotion. Our nurseries feel independent and community focused, and teams take care of each other.
What's in it for you?
"LEYF has helped my career through ongoing training and support." - Caroline, Early Years Educator
Lots of training, promotions and a good salary for the sector
Generous pension at 7% from us (1% from you)
70% discount on childcare fees
Up to 35 days off a year, including 8 bank holidays, 3 days off between Christmas and New Year, and your birthday (pro-rated for part-time hours)
Sector-leading parental leave
Many other benefits that take care of you, including access to the wellbeing app, shopping discounts, annual conference and money for team celebrations
A bit about the role
"I like the teamwork here. They've given me a lot of skills to help develop my career." - Estefania, Early Years Assistant
If you're a natural with children and want to find out if childcare is for you, this could be a great next step.
You'll support the nursery team in supervising fun activities, caring for the children and keeping them safe and happy.
As part of the team, you might take the children on a train to the Science Museum, hop on a bus to make friends at a nearby LEYF nursery, or join in baking sessions with the children and your nursery chef.
While entry qualifications aren't necessary, if you want to learn more, we can help you get the training you need. Whether this is your first step into work or you're looking for a career change, age is no barrier.
You will need:
The right to work in the UK
To be able to work all year round
A strong work ethic
An ability to safeguard and protect children
To be positive, reliable and friendly
About the nursery
Barking Riverside Nursery and Pre-School provides Early Years education and care to children from birth to 5 years old.
We're a spacious, modern setting situated in a new development in Barking, close to the River Thames and Barking underground and railway station.
Our children enjoy getting active with Nation Sports, storytelling sessions, science experiments, cooking with our chef and much more! They also love to get out and explore locally, visiting interesting places, including a nature reserve and ecology centre.
Apply now
Contact us today, our friendly recruiters are waiting to hear from you.
Job insights from Breakroom
Nursery nurses and assistants
Nursery nurses and assistants help babies and children up to 5 years old to develop and learn preschool skills
What you’ll do as a teaching assistant:
- Support in the nursery or preschool
- Support children with their educational needs
- Be responsible for the health and safety of children
- Listen, support and care for children
Is it right for you?
This job may involve:
- Standing
- Sitting
- Physical activities
- Using a computer
- Emotionally demanding duties
What employees say
Pay
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Needs improving
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Most people aren’t paid a living wage
Do London Early Years Foundation pay nursery practitioners enough to live on?
Most people are not paid a living wage.
How we know this
82% of people say they are paid below the Real Living Wage for where they live.Based on data from 11 people who took the Breakroom Quiz between October 2023 and April 2025.
Why this matters
Everyone should be paid enough to live on.
The Real Living Wage is a voluntary rate employers can sign up to that is based on the real cost of living.
The current rates are £12.60 per hour, and £13.85 per hour in London.
Find out more in our explainer about the Real Living Wage.
Okay
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Only some people are paid market rates
Do London Early Years Foundation pay nursery practitioners market rates?
Only some people are paid above average for their job.
How we know this
46% of people are paid below average for the type of work they do.Based on data from 13 people who took the Breakroom Quiz between October 2023 and April 2025.
Why this matters
Pay can vary a lot between types of job. Employers should be ensuring that the rates their staff are paid are in line with similar roles elsewhere.
Needs improving
-
Most people don’t get paid breaks
Do nursery practitioners at London Early Years Foundation get paid breaks?
No. Most people don’t get paid breaks.
How we know this
100% of people say they don’t get paid breaks.Based on data from 13 people who took the Breakroom Quiz between October 2023 and April 2025.
Why this matters
A good job should have paid breaks.
You should be paid for all your time at work, whether you’re on a break or not.
Needs improving
-
Most people don’t get sick pay
Do London Early Years Foundation pay nursery practitioners sick pay?
No. Most people don’t get proper sick pay.
How we know this
85% of people say they wouldn’t get paid if they were sick but scheduled to work.Based on data from 13 people who took the Breakroom Quiz between October 2023 and April 2025.
Why this matters
Everyone gets sick sometimes. You should be able to take time off without worrying.
At a good job you should still get paid if you’re scheduled to work but can’t due to sickness. Your contract should say how many sick days you can take each year.
This is more than the legal minimum, which says you should only get paid if you are unwell for 4 full days. See Citizens Advice for more details.
Okay
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Some people do unpaid extra work
Do nursery practitioners at London Early Years Foundation do extra work that they don't get paid for?
Sometimes. Some people do unpaid extra work.
How we know this
50% of people report that they do extra work that they don’t get paid for.Based on data from 10 people who took the Breakroom Quiz between October 2023 and April 2025.
Why this matters
Everyone should get paid for any extra work they do, even if it is outside your contracted hours. At a good job, you should be paid for all the time you spend at work.
Hours and flexibility
-
Okay
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Only some people get a choice of shifts
Do nursery practitioners at London Early Years Foundation get to choose the shifts they work?
Some people don’t get enough choice over which shifts they work.
How we know this
60% report that their manager doesn’t give them enough choice over which shifts they work.Based on data from 10 people who took the Breakroom Quiz between October 2023 and April 2025.
Why this matters
A good job is flexible around your personal life. This means you get a say in when you prefer to work.
Needs improving
-
Hard to book holiday
How easy is it for nursery practitioners to book a holiday at London Early Years Foundation?
Most people find it hard to book holiday.
How we know this
69% of people report it’s hard to book holidays.Based on data from 13 people who took the Breakroom Quiz between October 2023 and April 2025.
Why this matters
A good job should let you take time off when you need it, and it shouldn’t be a nightmare to arrange.
Good
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Shifts don’t get changed at short notice
Do London Early Years Foundation managers change nursery practitioners shifts at short notice?
Most managers don’t change people’s shifts at short notice.
How we know this
73% of people say their manager doesn’t changes their shifts at the last minute.Based on data from 11 people who took the Breakroom Quiz between October 2023 and April 2025.
Why this matters
If your manager is often changing your shifts at short notice that’s a sign of poor planning. At a good job you won’t be messed around at the last minute.
Needs improving
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Most people find it hard to take sick leave
How easy is it for nursery practitioners to take sick leave at London Early Years Foundation?
Most people find it hard to take sick leave.
How we know this
75% of people report that it’s hard to take time off if they are sick.Based on data from 12 people who took the Breakroom Quiz between October 2023 and April 2025.
Why this matters
Everyone gets sick sometimes. You should be able to take time off when you need to.
A good job should support you when you’re unwell and have systems in place that will allow you to take time off to recover when you need it.
Workplace
-
Good
-
Most people get proper breaks
Do nursery practitioners at London Early Years Foundation get proper breaks?
Most people get proper breaks.
How we know this
92% of people report that they get to take proper breaks.Based on data from 13 people who took the Breakroom Quiz between October 2023 and April 2025.
Why this matters
When you take a break it should be a proper rest. It should last the full duration and you shouldn’t get pulled off it.
Needs improving
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Most people are stressed
Is it stressful for nursery practitioners to work at London Early Years Foundation?
Most people feel stressed here.
How we know this
91% of people say they often feel stressed at work.Based on data from 11 people who took the Breakroom Quiz between October 2023 and April 2025.
Why this matters
Work isn’t always easy, but if you’re frequently feel stressed, that’s not good.
Your employer should support you with enough people and resources to get your job done without feeling overwhelmed.
Okay
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Only some people enjoy their job
Do nursery practitioners at London Early Years Foundation enjoy their jobs?
Only some people enjoy their job.
How we know this
36% of people report they don’t enjoy their job.Based on data from 11 people who took the Breakroom Quiz between December 2023 and April 2025.
Needs improving
-
Most people don’t recommend their team
Do nursery practitioners at London Early Years Foundation recommend working with their team?
Not many people recommend working with their team.
How we know this
69% of people report that they wouldn’t recommend working with their immediate team to a friend.Based on data from 13 people who took the Breakroom Quiz between October 2023 and April 2025.
Why this matters
A good job means enjoying the place where you work.
The people you work with every day really matter. They can be the difference between a terrible day and a great one.
If you’d recommend your team to a friend, this shows that something’s going right.
Good
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Most people get enough training
Do nursery practitioners get enough training when they start at London Early Years Foundation?
Most people got enough training when they started.
How we know this
80% of people report they got enough training when they started working here.Based on data from 10 people who took the Breakroom Quiz between October 2023 and April 2025.
Why this matters
A good job should give you good training when you start, not just drop you in at the deep end.
This means that you’ll be happier and more productive from day one and shows that your employer values you.
It’s also very important if your job involves anything that could be dangerous. Good training from the outset keeps you and your team safe.
Okay
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Only some people get support to progress
Are nursery practitioners given support to progress at London Early Years Foundation?
Only some people are given support to progress here.
How we know this
In the last year, 50% of people report not being given an opportunity to get better at their job, learn a new skill, learn to manage a team or get more responsibility in their role.Based on data from 10 people who took the Breakroom Quiz between October 2023 and April 2025.
Why this matters
A good job should help you progress at work, if you want to. That might be supporting you to get better at the job you currently have, learn something new, manage a team or take on more responsibilities.
This means you’ll be able to build on your skills and experience, and earn more money.
Needs improving
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Head office doesn’t understand what’s happening
Do nursery practitioners think London Early Years Foundation head office understands what's happening where they work?
Most people think head office doesn’t understand what’s happening where they work.
How we know this
82% of people think that this employer’s head office or owners don’t have a good understanding of what’s really happening where they work.Based on data from 11 people who took the Breakroom Quiz between October 2023 and April 2025.
Why this matters
At a good job, the role of head office should be to support the people on the frontline serving customers.
To do that properly, the company’s owners or head office need to have a good understanding of what’s really happening on the frontline. This is especially important when a company owns multiple locations.
Okay
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Only some people feel well informed by head office
Do nursery practitioners feel well informed about how London Early Years Foundation is doing?
Only some people feel well informed about how the company is doing.
How we know this
36% of people feel that they aren’t kept well informed about how the company is doing as a whole.Based on data from 11 people who took the Breakroom Quiz between October 2023 and April 2025.
Why this matters
At a good job, there should be a supportive relationship between the people working on the frontline serving customers and the people who own the company or work in head office.
You should be kept informed about how the company is doing as a whole, both in good times and when things get tough for the business.
What London Early Years Foundation employees say about their job
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Best thing
Being able to what is best for me and children and set our own terms
Worst thing
Long shifts, under paid
Early years educator at London Early Years Foundation, March 2025
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