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 less temporarily proved to be a good solution. I was given every opportunity to do so. And so also in finding my new challenge: that turned out to be a side role as a pedagogical coach, for which I have since done an abridged training course. Last April, I obtained my diploma!”, Lotte tells 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.
Britt took her first steps at Paddington as a baby - now she works there herself
“From a very young age, I have a connection with little children. This is how I quickly realized that childcare was the right thing for me! As a baby, I took my first steps at Paddington, to later return as an intern and grow into a pedagogical professional in the baby group, where it all began for me.”
As a pedagogical professional, she witnesses the babies“ first developments, but she also regularly comes to the toddler or preschool group in the neighborhood. ”It’s incredibly fun to see the children grow in this way and to continue to monitor their development,” Britt says.
The one-on-one moments, such as cuddling for a while, giving a bottle of milk or doing an activity together, are the moments that I get the most pleasure from.
What makes Paddington so special for her? “The small scale and the involvement,” Britt says. She particularly appreciates that personal touch. Every child is looked after and their needs are taken into account. This gives her the time and space to allow each child to grow in their development. “There is close contact during the handover with the parents, but there is also always time for a pleasant chat or a joke.”
The collaboration with her colleagues also plays an important role in this:
“We have a friendly and close-knit team. You can discuss with each other how to best approach a situation; there is a listening ear, and we learn from each other. The atmosphere within the team ensures that I go to work every day with great pleasure!”
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:
