Your role is to nurture the physical, emotional, social, and intellectual development of each child. You will work with the Kindergarten Manager and Lead Practitioners to create an enabling environment where children can develop and learn through play in the outdoors. You will use your existing skills, experience, and passion for outdoor education to deliver a high-quality early learning experience for our children using our child-centered, play-based and inquiry-led approach. You will promote the mission and values of Stomping Grounds making our Forest Kindergartens an outstanding experience for both children and their families.
This is a full-time Early Years Practitioner role: Monday- Friday between the hours of 8.30am - 4.00am. Competitive salary above the national average for this role. This will be dependant on experience and is to be discussed at interview.
Main Responsibilities (for all Early Years Practitioners and Lead Practitioners)
* Ensure the team works effectively to provide an emotionally secure, warm, stimulating, and safe environment, appropriate to the individual needs of children aged 2-7 years.
* To have excellent knowledge of the Early Years Foundation Stage requirements and implement the delivery of these requirements in your daily work, using a child-led ‘in the moment planning’ approach that enables children to make individual progress.
* To develop and maintain strong partnerships and communication with parents/carers to facilitate day-to-day caring and early learning needs.
* To complete and record progress checks for two-year-olds as required.
* To promote the inclusion of all children and ensure the provision of a high-quality environment to meet the needs of individual children, having an awareness of any SEN, disabilities, family cultures, and medical histories.
* To have a sound knowledge of all the children in your care and excellent knowledge of your key children.
* To track the development of each individual child, keep records of your key children’s development and learning journeys and share next steps with parents, carers and other key adults in the child’s life.
* To work in partnership with the SENCO and other professionals to support the needs of individual children that you work with, implementing and reviewing progress plans as required.
* Represent the core values of Stomping Grounds Forest School and the pedagogy of Kindergarten at all times.
* Develop and maintain relevant resources and materials
* Administer First Aid and keep records of all injuries.
* Ensure records are properly maintained, e.g. daily attendance register, accident and incident records, risk assessments.
* Continuously assess and manage health and safety risks on site
* To help ensure the Kindergarten meets Ofsted requirements at all times.
* To understand and work to Kindergarten policies and procedures, including how to deal with child protection issues appropriately and how to respond to incidents, accidents, complaints and emergencies.
* Assist with the personal care and well‐being of all children including intimate care where necessary.
* Assist in the cleaning and maintenance procedures of the site.
* Attend staff team meetings, team training days, supervisions and appraisals as described within the accompanying directed time document.
* To work in partnership with senior management to update and review the self-evaluation and improvement plan.
* Undertake any other reasonable duties as directed in accordance with Kindergarten aims and objectives.
This role does not directly supervise other employees, however, supervisory responsibility may be given to experienced and competent L3 practitioners for supporting temporarily assigned supply staff or students on work placements.
This role description is not exhaustive and will be subject to amendment.
Essential Requirements:
● Minimum of 2 years’ experience in working in a nursery/private day care setting
● Minimum of Early Years Level 3 qualification
● An ability to lead, coach and support other practitioners and create a strong team
● A great passion for nature play and engaging children with the outdoors
● Able to convey wonder & cheerfulness in all weather
● Warm and caring personality - friendly and approachable to children and families
● Comfortable working with children of different ages and with differing developmental needs
● Committed to outdoor learning with an understanding of nature pedagogy
● The ability to adapt quickly to changes, is flexible and uses their initiative on a daily basis.
● A good listener that actively seeks and considers the views of others (children, parents and colleagues) and can collaborate effectively.
● A reflective practitioner, able to reflect in the moment, alone and with parents and colleagues in order to develop own practice and support children effectively.
● Excellent verbal and written communication skills, able to communicate confidently and sensitively
● Good knowledge and understanding of the safeguarding children obligations
● Familiar with risk assessment and management, using a risk benefit and dynamic risk assessment approaches
● Ability to remain calm and confident in a range of challenging or emergency situations
● Physically fit and mobile; able to traverse our woodland sites and carry a heavy rucksack
● Paediatric first aid (preferably outdoors)
Desirable requirements:
* L6 EY Qualification/EYPS/EYTS/QTS
* Experience within a outdoor education environment, preferably Forest School
* Experience in delivering with a child-led and ‘in-the-moment planning’ approach
* Experience in implementing the EYFS statutory framework
* Forest School Level 1-3 qualification
* Food hygiene qualification
* SEN experience
: Kindergarten Manager as required
Benefits
* Competitive salary above the national average for this role.
* Access to staff training via Stomping Grounds. (completed outside term time)
* Relevant staff training e.g. safeguarding, food safety, outdoor teaching courses (completed outside term time)
* Opt-in pension scheme
* Statutory holiday provision (holidays must be taken outside term time)
* Regular access to nature and associated health benefits
To apply
Please apply through the application form via the link below.
https://forms.gle/y4vvv9Zw8bVTmHii7
CV's will not be accepted.
Deadline: 04/11/2024
Interview Date: 12/11/2024
Job Type: Full-time
Benefits:
* Company pension
Schedule:
* Day shift
* Monday to Friday
Work Location: In person
Application deadline: 04/11/2024
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