NURSERY PRACTITIONER (THE MULBERRY BUSH, CASTERTON)
JOB DESCRIPTION

Job Title:

NURSERY PRACTITIONER

Responsible to:

Deputy Manager

Main Purpose:

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.

Roles and Responsibilities:

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.

Health and Safety:

All staff should be aware of the school’s health and safety policy and implement it as appropriate.

Safeguarding:

All staff employed by Sedbergh School are expected to take responsibility for promoting and safeguarding
the welfare of children and young persons for whom they are responsible or with whom they come into
contact.

These roles and responsibilities provide a framework for the role and should not be regarded as a
definitive list.  Other reasonable duties may be required consistent with the level of this post.

Sedbergh 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