JOB DESCRIPTION NURSERY PRACTITIONER Safeguarding the welfare of children is of the highest priority to Sedbergh School. Every employee of the school has a responsibility to: • Protect Children from abuse • Be aware of the School’s safeguarding procedures • Know how to access and implement the required procedures • Keep a sufficient record of any significant complaint, conversation or event • Report any matters of concern to the Designated Safeguarding Lead • Attend annual in-service training provided by the School About Sedbergh School Sedbergh School, founded in 1525 by Roger Lupton, Provost of Eton, is an Independent Co-educational Boarding School. The Headmistress is a member of the Headmasters’ and Headmistresses’ Conference. Set in the spectacular Yorkshire Dales National Park, the School also benefits from fast motorway and rail access to the rest of the UK. The School is a vibrant, demanding and supportive community which encourages pupils and staff to be involved in as broad a range of activities and interests as possible. Art, Drama and Music are especially strong, and the School has a national reputation for Sport. Sedbergh has its own Prep School located approximately five miles away at Casterton. The Headmaster, Mr D J Harrison MA (Cantab), has overall responsibility for both Schools and is supported by a number of senior managers. Mrs Kate Martin is the Headmistress of Casterton, Sedbergh Prep school and The Mulberry Bush Nursery, which is located on the Prep School site. The Mulberry Bush is managed by Mrs Claire Robinson. The Chief Operating Officer (COO), Mr Baz Bennett, is responsible to the Headmaster and Governors for the management of all the administration and support staff. The COO has responsibility not only for the finances of the School, but also for the extensive land and buildings, maintenance department, grounds & gardens, catering, housekeeping and domestic staff and all other support staff, as well as running the commercial training arm of the School, Sedbergh School Developments Limited. Key Duties and Responsibilities As a Nursery Practitioner, you will be responsible for the care, learning and development of children ages 0-3 years, ensuring they receive the highest standard of early years education. You will work as part of a dedicated team, building strong relationships with children, parents and colleagues to create a nurturing and engaging environment. They will achieve this through: • Including play and learning opportunities for children to enjoy and develop their skills in the seven Areas of Learning and Development; • Developing within children the characteristics of effective learners; • Treating each child as an individual and working to ensure their needs are met; • Regularly communicating and working in partnership with Parents/Guardians; • Working to all the Nursery Policies, including Keeping Children Safe in Education, Equal Opportunities, Data Protection and Confidentiality. The Nursery Practitioner will also ensure that Every Child Matters and the themes of the Early Years Foundation Stage are embedded within their own practice, and ensure that their own practice promotes the following characteristics of effective learning: Playing and Exploring - Engagement – Hands: • Finding out and exploring; • Playing with what they know; • Being willing to ‘have a go’. Active Learning - Motivation – Heart: • Being involve and concentrating; • Keeping trying; • Enjoying achieving what they set out to do. Creating and Thinking Critically – Thinking – Head: • Having their own ideas; • Making links; • Choosing ways to do things. Key Accountabilities Childcare To fully support the Nursery Management team in the day to day running of the Nursery by promoting a safe, healthy, stimulating, child-centred environment both indoor and outdoor. • To be allocated named children for you to act as their Key Person. Overseeing for each child their care records, which will include daily record sheets, learning journeys, observations, key assessments, and reporting and communicating this information to parents; • To ensure your Key Children are being provided a range of learning opportunities at the appropriate level, to enable them to achieve within the Early Years Foundation Stage. To undertake quality observations and assessments on your Key Children or children within your care, as allocated by your Group/Room Leader. To report back these finding to your Group/Room Leader with ideas of ‘Next Steps’ for future planning, and to be involved in planning these activities for your group of children; • To provide a happy, secure and stimulating environment which ensures that every child has the opportunity to flourish and celebrate achievements. The Nursery Practitioner will achieve this by giving praise, showcasing and displaying children’s work in an attractive way; • To report any concerns about any children to the Group/Room Leader and SENCO; • To promote the inclusion of children with special educational and additional needs; • To ensure that children are given the opportunity to talk about and share their own family customs and traditions and develop an awareness of other cultural beliefs and differences; • To offer all children equal opportunities with regard to their gender, disabilities, religious persuasion, racial origins, cultural or linguistic background; in particular, to challenge situations where racism or discrimination is displayed; • To ensure that appropriate paperwork is completed in a timely manner; • To ensure that care routines are in accordance with Parents’/Guardians’ wishes, and are adhered to for their child; • To ensure that you offer a good and regular opportunity for Parents/Guardians to communicate with you; • To ensure the correct procedures are followed to identify every adult entering the premises; • To ensure that every child is collected by someone known to the nursery and, if not, to follow the correct procedure to ensure the safety of the children. Professional and Organisational • To adopt a professional approach in all aspects of this role, including adhering to and actively using and promoting Nursery Policies and Procedures; • To promote positive attitudes towards the Nursery, promoting teamwork and a high morale amongst staff; • To report any safeguarding concerns (children or staff) to the Designated Safeguarding Lead; • To ensure that all forms of confidentiality are maintained, both inside and outside of the Nursery; • To support the Group/Room Leader in ensuring that the staff/child ratios are correct at all times; • To ensure appropriate cover is in place before you to leave your group of children; • To ensure that the developmental checks and tracking for the children’s progress are carried out at the required time; • To ensure that development records are prepared and made available to Parents/Guardians, and to be available to answer any queries or concerns; • To attend and contribute to regular staff meetings, including whole Nursery meetings and team meetings, during and outside of your normal working hours; • To assist the Nursery Management Team in organising and supporting Nursery events held outside of your normal working hours; • To attend Parents’ Evenings and Nursery events, outside of nursery working hours; • To be punctual and ready to start work at the allocated time; • To adhere to the dress code of the Nursery; • To maintain a high level of day-to-day hygiene within the Nursery rooms, including domestic and laundry duties; • To ensure the manners and behaviour of all children and staff, including yourself, do not have an unwanted effect on the general health, safety, and welfare of people attending the Nursery; • To work as part of a team and promote a healthy team spirit and provide a good role model for Nursery Assistants and Students, in addition to helping new staff to fit into the Nursery; • To be involved in recording accidents and incidents, to be aware of the risk assessments for the building and to ensure these are used when accessing the indoor and outdoor environments, as well as for any trips and visits. To support the Management Team in monitoring these assessments and the impact on your environment; • To supervise meals and mealtimes and where appropriate, prepare babies’ feeds. You may be required on occasion to prepare the children’s meals and snacks; • To undertake regular CPD (continuing professional development) training appropriate to furthering your own potential, or to develop and undergo training required by the Management team which will meet the needs and requirements of the Nursery; • To ensure that the observations, assessments and paperwork have been carried out and completed for your new starting Key Children; • To ensure that all resources within your responsibility are replenished, clean and tidy at the end of every day and ready for the following day; • To proactive in assessing where in the Nursery your help can be most utilised, remaining constantly aware of the needs of the children; • Any other duties appropriate to the post as directed by the Management team. Safeguarding Responsibilities Sedbergh School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and expects all staff to share this commitment. The role holder will be expected to support this approach in the context of their role and to adhere to and ensure compliance with the School’s Safeguarding policies and procedures at all times. If in the course of carrying out their duties, they become aware of any actual or potential risk to the safety or welfare of children in the School the role holder must report any concerns to the School’s Designated Safeguarding Lead or to the Headmistress. All staff within Sedbergh School must demonstrate the willingness to participate in safeguarding training appropriate to the level of responsibilities of their role. School Ethos & Values All members of staff in Sedbergh School must ensure that their work, communication and approach conform to the ethos, values and style of the School. Everyone must keep up to date, and comply with the Sedbergh School’s Rules, Policies and procedures at all times. Casterton Sedbergh Prep School is committed to safeguarding & protecting the welfare of children. Applicants must be willing to undergo child protection screening appropriate to the post, including checks with past employers and The Disclosure and Barring Service. Registered Charity No 1080672