Red Bus Nursery & Pre-School is part of Chalk Day Nurseries. As with all the settings within the group, Red Bus embodies the vision of high quality and childcare and education, delivering the very best outcomes for children in the local community.
Together we cultivate a nurturing environment where children, families and colleagues can thrive. We inspire a lifelong love of learning, support each other’s growth and wellbeing, and build trust within our community.
Located on the edge of a Grade II registered parkland, Coombe Dingle sits in North Bristol near Sea Mills, Shirehampton, Lawrence Weston, Westbury-on-Trym and Stoke Bishop. There are multiple bus routes that pass close to the setting, as well as free street parking and bike racks - so however you travel, we’re easy to get to.
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Red Bus Downend was once ‘Wendover House’, a maternity hospital. Now the large rooms and original features provide a backdrop to our fantastic childcare provision!
Set back from Downend Road just over the border into South Gloucestershire, we’re easily accessible from Bristol too - Emersons Green, Fishponds, Frenchay, Mangotsfield – and the Ring Road is a short drive away.
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Located on a quiet, leafy street minutes from a main road, Red Bus Flax Bourton embraces nature inside and out! The unique semi-rural location in North Somerset allows us to welcome those from Long Ashton, Failand, Nailsea and Backwell as well as being a short drive from Congresbury, Yatton, Chew Valley, Clevedon, Portishead and South Bristol! As well as plenty of free on street parking, multiple bus routes on the nearby main roads and the Festival Way cycle track passes the nursery. So we’re accessible, no matter how you travel!
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Working in our Nursery room involves caring for children and babies under two years old. This is the perfect place for a nurturing, committed person ready to introduce new experiences to young minds! Nursery is the scene for building bonds and nurturing children through those early stages, from first steps to first words to weaning. Each of our nursery rooms has a play gym, ‘secret’ rooftop garden just for babies, and areas carefully designed with our youngest passengers in mind.
Kindergarten is where you’ll find our two and three year olds, a fantastic age where children’s independence blossoms! You’ll support children on their adventures, and the bonds you build mean you’re a safe place for them to return to for comfort and reassurance. You also get to support them through some great transitions, as they grow from babies into unique little people. Your days will be filled with fun, creativity and messy play!
Preparing for school is the end goal with the three to five year olds in Pre-School. Here the routine is slightly more structured, with plenty of learning through play, building resilience and confidence, and conversations that inspire awe and wonder. As a Pre-School practitioner you get to really know your key children, following their interests, likes and dislikes. From sipping cups of imaginary tea in the role play kitchen to creating amazing art at the Woodwork station – the Pre-School environment inspires and supports children as they learn to create their own play opportunities.
What roles are currently available, and what qualifications do I need?
You can find all of our vacancies right here, on our Careers page! You can also apply for them through the website, alternatively you can send your cover letter and CV to [email protected]
To be an Early Years Practitioner, you need a full and relevant Early Years qualification, at Level 2 or higher. If you’re not sure if your qualification is considered ‘full and relevant’ – don’t worry, we’ll help you with this!
If you don’t have any formal qualifications in childcare or early years, that’s not a problem. If you’ve got the passion, energy and attitude – there’s still a space for you at Red Bus! Assistant Practitioners bring a wealth of experience and ideas to the team – and if you’re up for it, you can then choose to work towards your qualification later!
Do you offer apprenticeships or support for gaining childcare qualifications?
If you’re a young person looking to start their Early Years career, our Inspire Apprenticeship Programme provides on-the-job training as well as training and mentoring sessions.
Whilst the Inspire programme supports young people entering the Early Years sector, there is always room to grow at Red Bus no matter your age or experience. We’ll support anyone who wants to learn - from Level 2 or 3 Early Years qualifications to branching out into different specialisms such as SEND.
Whether you’re on the Inspire pathway or an Assistant Practitioner, you’ll get time with our Training Coordinator and time out of ratio where possible to achieve your goals.
What opportunities are there for career progression?
We want the best, so we can keep the best. Red Bus has an enviable track record of developing from within, and every person has the opportunity to achieve their individual goals. If you’re looking to progress to management, we’ve got you! Some of the highest positions at Red Bus are filled by people who started as practitioners, and we can help you hone and develop the skills you’ll need for a management role.
What training do you offer?
We want all our staff to feel comfortable, safe and prepared in their roles. That’s why we offer free Paediatric First Aid, Manual Handling, and Safeguarding training courses as standard.
All Red Bus staff have an individual training plan catered to them, with regular courses to help you be the best you can be! We’ll work with you and your input - if there’s a particular skill you want to develop, we’ll help you get there.
What are your staff-to-child ratios?
We have three different rooms at Red Bus -
Nursery – 3 months to 2/2.5 years old
For children under 2, we maintain a 1:3 ratio of staff to children.
Kindergarten – 2 to 3/3.5 years old
For two year olds, we maintain a 1:4 ratio of staff to children.
Pre-School – 3 to 5 years old
For children over three, we maintain a 1:8 ratio of staff to children.
What is the typical shift pattern or working hours?
Full time staff work a 40 hour week, this usually means four 8am to 6pm shifts and one shorter ‘half’ day shift. Our rotas are created at least one month in advance, so you’ll know your rota with plenty time to spare – and we try our best to never change them short notice. Half day shifts can be requested for certain days, and we’ll always try to accommodate them.
We also have a great group of practitioners who work ‘lunch cover’ shifts. This is usually 11am to 3pm, Monday to Friday – great for anyone who has to work within school hours! Red Bus is open ‘All Year Round’ – we only close for bank holidays, and between Christmas and New Year. With that in mind, we do not offer Term Time working contracts around school holidays.
What benefits do you offer?
People are the hub of our nurseries and we do everything we can to make their working lives as easy as possible. Our benefits have been created from feedback via staff surveys – listening to what our teams really want, and covering a variety of different goals and priorities. You can find our full benefits package here.
What is your approach to staff wellbeing?
This job can be tough but rewarding! It is testimony to the emphasis we put on creating a lovely place to work that our staff retention and satisfaction are still great, despite the challenges the sector is navigating. We put a lot of care, time and effort into our teams – supporting staff in so many ways!
Time together - Days (or nights) out with your team, throughout the year, on us!
Seasonal treats – an ice cream on a hot day or a festive hot-chocolate at Christmas, sometimes it’s the little things that can make a day go from good to great!
Valuing your time – Compensation for any extra hours worked, and extra time off at Christmas to make sure you can rest properly
Flexible shifts – Whether it’s finishing early for your child’s sports day or a dentists appointment, if the rota allows us we’ll always help out!
Open Door Policy - From your Line Manager to the Early Years & Practice Managers to the Leadership Team - there is always someone around to talk to.
Valuing Your Voice - Surveys and focus groups create real change based on your feedback.
Peer & Joint Observations - A chance to reflect on your practice to help you develop.
Symbio - Confidential support, there when you need it - from GP appointments to mental health help.