Rocking Horse Nursery Saint Nicholas School Old Harlow Essex Saint Nicholas School – Rocking Horse Nursery Practitioner Job Description – Page | 1 ROCKING HORSE NURSERY PRACTITIONER CORE PURPOSE To provide a high level of care and play and educational activities to support the all-round development of the children who attend the nursery. KEY RESPONSIBILITIES Pastoral care To ensure that you are providing a high level of care to each individual child. To be responsible for: • contributing to the recording of all reports and records according to the nursery’s policies and procedures • following the correct procedure to ensure that the children are collected by person/s authorised to do so by the parents • helping prepare and facilitate a wide range of activities and experiences to promote the interests and development of the children • helping to ensure the setting meets the needs of children and families from all cultures and religious backgrounds Educational activities and play To ensure that you are providing a high level of play and educational activities in line with the EYFS to help promote the individual development of each child. To be responsible for: • contributing to the daily planning to provide a programme of activities and experiences to promote interest and support development of the children, in line with the EYFS • helping to ensure the curriculum is inclusive and caters for the varying needs and developmental stages of each child • supporting the team with the practitioner system by carrying out observations with the children you are working alongside Working with the team To work under the guidance of senior staff and with other colleagues to promote good team relationships and to help implement the daily routine. To be responsible for: • fulfilling the role of the practitioner, preparing developmental records and updating information on the child, and with the family as required • working under the guidance of senior staff, both in your room and in other areas of the nursery • working as part of a team with your colleagues supporting other staff and sharing information as appropriate • using your initiative and working in a flexible manner offering assistance where it is needed to help all areas of the nursery to run safely and smoothly • undertaking other tasks including domestic duties • respecting senior staff and management decisions at all times, voicing your opinions in an appropriate fashion • ensuring that all visitors are welcomed and supported Parental involvement: managing relationships and sharing information To build strong parent/carer relationships through day to day liaison with parents. To be responsible for: • actively encouraging the involvement of parent/carers at all levels in the nursery, including regular Saint Nicholas School – Rocking Horse Nursery Practitioner Job Description – Page | 1 reviews and reports of children’s progress • delivering childcare in a way that meets the parent’s/carer’s needs and working in partnership with them providing high levels of customer care at all times • building sound relationships with families and encouraging partnership working • attending parents’ evenings, workshops, fun days, open mornings and staff meetings Child welfare To ensure that the nursery and your practice complies with the Early Years Foundation Stage, the welfare requirements and Development Matters Outcomes. To be responsible for: • ensuring that the children’s welfare is maintained at all times with providing and assisting their health and hygiene needs • helping to provide for the dietary needs of the children ensuring that specific and appropriate diets are available as necessary • maintaining high levels of health and safety standards at all times. Ensuring that all relevant paperwork such as health and safety checklists and garden headcount checklists are completed as directed • gaining an understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage, Welfare requirements and Development Matters outcomes helping to ensure that all statutory regulations are upheld • ensure that confidentiality is maintained at all times and that all information on the child and family is dealt with and stored in a confidential manner, always seeking direction as appropriate • ensuring that all child protection procedures are followed at all times and concerns are reported to your senior immediately • ensuring that all health and safety concerns are reported to the member of staff responsible for health and safety Professional duties To undertake any other duties deemed necessary that could impact on the working environment and the care of the children. To be responsible for: • ensuring that you act as a role model for other staff • leading by example and supporting less experienced staff as required. Mentor less experienced staff by providing peer observations and constructive criticism • undertaking other duties as deemed necessary by the management team and working across the whole nursery as required • attending out of working hours activities as necessary in order to support you, the children, other staff and the school as a whole • attending relevant training as necessary and striving to develop your role • striving to maintain the high profile of the nursery at all times and ensuring that our mission of “Providing children with the very best start to help build young lives” is achieved Professional development and appraisal To be responsible for: • • taking responsibility for your own professional development identifying areas for own CPD and working alongside nursery management to target areas for own development • undertaking professional duties that may be reasonably assigned by nursery management e.g. training courses taking part in regular appraisals, observations and supervisions. • Please note that the list of duties in the job description should not be regarded as exclusive or exhaustive. There will be other duties and requirements associated with your job and as a term of your employment you may be required to undertake various other duties as reasonably required. Saint Nicholas School – Rocking Horse Nursery Practitioner Job Description – Page | 2 PERSONAL SPECIFICATION Essential Criteria Qualifications • A relevant level 3 qualification in early years How Assessed • Certification • Application Form • Interview • References Desirable Criteria • First Aid • Basic Food Hygiene • Safeguarding minimum level 1 • Basic health and safety • Evidence of commitment to ongoing personal and professional development Experience • Minimum of 2 years working within a childcare setting • Providing care and education to children with a wide range of needs and abilities • Experience of working in the independent sector. • Application Form • Interview • References • Application Form • Interview • References • Application Form • Interview • References Knowledge • Excellent understanding of the needs of young children • Thorough knowledge of the Early Years Foundation Stage, including the Welfare Requirements • Safeguarding children issues and procedures Skills & Abilities • Ability to observe and assess children’s • Record keeping and development reporting • Have a warm and positive approach to children • Ability to develop good working relationships with parents and other service providers • Ability to co -operate and adhere to health and safety policy, practices and instructions • Flexibility including the ability to cope with changing needs and demands • Able to work on own initiative and manage own workload Saint Nicholas School – Rocking Horse Nursery Practitioner Job Description – Page | 3