Come work at Paddington!
Working at Paddington isn’t just a job that pays the bills. It’s working in a small team where you quickly feel at home. You form real connections with colleagues, children and parents because you’re appreciated for who you are.
Lotte started as an intern and grew into an educational coach at Paddington Laren
Lotte wanted to do her second internship, just like her first, at Paddington Hilversum but her school didn’t allow it. Unless she would work there alongside her studies. “Well then, let’s do that,” she was told. Ten years later, she is still a familiar face as an Childcare professional in the group and for her colleagues, whom she now supports as an educational coach.
Ready for a new challenge
“Toward the end of last year I noticed I was ready for a new challenge something fresh, a new spark. I shared that with Hetty and Shanna, my managers. No formal hassle with a manager of a manager of a manager; I feel comfortable walking into their office about anything. They make that very clear too: ‘You tell us what you need, how can we support you?’ In a small organisation like Paddington, you truly matter. That’s also our goal: we want it to be a pleasant place for both children and team.”
Training to become an educational coach
“In the past, working a little less for a while turned out to be a good solution when I wasn’t feeling my best. I was given all the space for that. And the same when it came to finding my new challenge: it became a side role as an educational coach, for which I’ve now completed an accelerated training course. Last April I got my diploma!” Lotte says proudly.
“My colleagues gave me all the space to step into that role”
Alongside her work as an Childcare professional in the 0–2 age group, Lotte now coaches her colleagues in their pedagogical practice and on policy. “At first that took some getting used to, because you have very different kinds of conversations. But my colleagues gave me all the space to step into that role, which feels very safe. They’re genuinely open to my advice.”
“If I look at who I was when my placement started and who I am now… I’ve grown enormously within this organisation. I feel very confident in my work and I truly stand behind the choices I make.”
Childcare where your attention makes the difference
You are given the space to do what you are good at: helping children develop. For them, you are the trusted anchor that makes them feel at home. With your arms that lift them up when being without mum or dad feels a little scary. With your lap where they can calm down. With your smile that reassures them. You care for, guide, and support the children wherever they need it. And that means everyone goes home in the evening with a good feeling.
Laurian never planned to work in childcare. Now she has been an Childcare professional at Paddington for almost ten years.
“I actually wanted to go into youth care or primary education, but I ended up at Paddington for an internship and enjoyed it so much that I never left,” Laurian says. “Because I had no expectations at all, the work surprised me in the best way.”
She has now been working in the preschool group in Laren for almost ten years. “From the start it felt homely and warm. You can hardly call it a workplace, more like a cosy place you go to, and you even get paid for it. We work in a small team and the atmosphere feels like family.”
Children are truly allowed to be themselves
“The common thread in our policy is that children come first. Children are genuinely allowed to be themselves here and develop at their own pace. And because we work on a small scale, we all know each other. That gives children a safe feeling.”
Laurian also has a close bond with parents. “There is always room for a chat during handover, and it’s definitely not only about their children. Parents trust their most precious thing to us, and that makes the work incredibly rewarding.”
“The best moments are when you see children grow because you give them attention or teach them something. Some children are here four days a week, you naturally become a small part of them growing up. You really build a bond.”
Working in a small team: lots of freedom and responsibility
We are a small-scale childcare organisation with two locations, both based in residential houses. Working in a small team means short lines of communication and a lot of freedom and responsibility. And that definitely does not mean you are left to figure things out on your own. An educational coach, your colleague is there for you, so you can bring out the best in yourself and your work. Just like the children you care for, you probably aren’t fully grown yet either.
At Paddington, we are always looking for people who don’t need convincing of how beautiful our work is.
Are you coming to work with us? These are our current vacancies:
