Deputy Playleader

**Purpose of Post**
- Work with the Playleader to set a high standard of physical, emotional, social and intellectual care for all children in the preschool.
- To promote excellent practice at all times, across all areas, including the implementation of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) learning and development requirements and guiding principles.
- To support and mentor other staff members in the skills and behaviours that safeguard and promote the best outcomes for all children.
- To work with the Playleader and Manager to ensure the quality of every aspect of the service the preschool offers is continually reviewed and improved.

**Key Areas**
- Thorough knowledge and understanding of all aspects of the EYFS
- Detailed knowledge of safeguarding and Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) good practice and procedures
- Developing excellent relationships with children
- Communicating and working in partnership with families and carers
- Staff management to ensure excellent teamwork and collaboration
- Continued professional development of yourself and other staff members

**Responsible To**

Preschool Playleader, Manager and the Management Committee

**Hours of Work**

Monday 8.30am until 4pm, Tuesday and Friday 8.30am until 2pm, Wednesday 8.30am until 1.30pm.

**Duties and Responsibilities**
- To work with the Playleader to continually monitor, review and improve the effectiveness of the pre-school curriculum in line with the learning and development requirements and guiding principles of the EYFS.
- To provide a high quality of teaching and learning, ensuring that all staff have a detailed knowledge of the requirements of the EYFS, have high expectations of each child and offer high quality education and support to all children to ensure they can achieve their full potential.
- Establish and maintain a safe, welcoming, purposeful, stimulating and encouraging environment where children feel confident and secure and can develop and learn.
- To assist the Playleader in the daily programme of pre-school activities and events ensuring they are suitable for children’s ages, interests, and abilities, taking account of diversity and promoting equality and inclusion.
- Actively support the development of children’s language and communication skills.
- Promote positive behaviour, self-control and independence through effective behaviour management strategies and developing children’s social, emotional and behavioural skills.
- Encourage all staff members to talk to children, giving constructive and sensitive feedback to help them understand what they have achieved and think about what they need to do next.
- Encourage a culture of listening to children, paying attention to what they say and valuing and respecting their views.
- To assist in maintaining systems of observation and record keeping so that children's progress and achievements are effectively and regularly assessed and to use this information to inform, plan and improve practice and provision.
- To liaise closely with parents/carers to establish fair, respectful, trusting and constructive relationships. Communicate sensitively and effectively with them informing them about the pre-school and its curriculum, exchanging information about children's progress and encouraging parents' involvement.
- To be responsible for safeguarding in the pre-school and to ensure that any child protection concerns are acted upon immediately and appropriately. Ensure all staff members can recognise when a child is in danger or at risk of harm and know how to act to protect them.
- To help in supervising and supporting all staff in their training, development, supervision, performance management as well as their daily duties.
- Assist in maintaining collaborative and cooperative working between all staff members to ensure the team works as effectively as possible.
- To ensure that the pre-school is a safe environment for children, staff and others; that equipment is safe, standards of hygiene are high, health and safety procedures are implemented at all times and fire drills are regularly practiced.
- To liaise with the pre-school Playleader, Manager, management committee, Ofsted and other professionals as necessary and ensure that all legal and statutory requirements are implemented and to provide reports as required.
- To contribute to and implement all pre-school policies and procedures, especially those on safeguarding, equal opportunities and confidentiality. Promote children’s rights, equality, inclusion and anti-discriminatory practice in all aspects of the setting and ensure a collective responsibility for their implementation amongst all staff.
- To attend training and meetings as required to ensure your continual personal and professional development.

To undertake any other reasonable duties as directed by the pre-school Playleader, Manager or chair of the management committee, in accordance with the pre-school business plan/objectives.

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