Lead Practitioner

If you are offered a EYP role, you will receive a £500 recruitment bonus after successfully completing your 3 month probation period.

We are looking for an experienced Lead Practitioner to join our nursery in Westcroft.

This is a full time position 40 hours per week.

Acorn at Westcroft is situated in the Westcroft District Centre, and is adjacent to our training centre where we host training for our staff and other early years professionals. The nursery has three outdoor play areas, giving children the opportunity to free-flow indoors and outdoors to access a full range of activities. Acorn places a strong emphasis on outdoor play and learning, and the children will be outdoors at some point every day, whatever the weather. Included in our fees are regular Forest School sessions. These exciting educational experiences are suitable for pre-schoolers and are delivered by fully trained forest school leaders and offer an innovative approach to outdoor play. We are very fortunate to have Howe Park Wood on our doorstep, which we visit regularly.

The Early Years Lead Practitioner role is a steppingstone into more senior positions and will allow for leadership skills to be developed through direct and ongoing support from senior staff. Excellent leaderships skills are crucial for senior positions and the Early Years Lead Practitioner role will help develop these essential competencies.

The Early Years Lead Practitioner is a role suited to those with a good amount of practical experience within an early years setting, who is beginning to demonstrate ability to lead, support and nurture others within a team and is an excellent role model to others, including apprentices, volunteers and students. The candidate should have at least a level 3 qualification in early years and taken on at least one additional role, such as an Acorn Mentor, Health and Safety Rep, Employee Forum Rep etc. The ideal candidate should have an eagerness to learn and develop their leadership skills with the support of senior staff and be keen to progress and develop their career with Acorn.

• To support a holistic approach to the curriculum
• To ensure basic care needs of individual children are met
• To ensure a high level of emotional well-being among children
• To have a good understanding of Acorn's ethos, values, policies and procedures and that they are reflected in daily practice
• To demonstrate Acorn's ethos, values policies and procedures in your practice and be a good role model.
• A good working knowledge and practice of the EYFS, including the statutory guidance
• To have a sound knowledge of safeguarding procedures withing Acorn and for external agencies
• To carry out tasks requested
• To lead the room in the absence of the Senior or Deputy manager within the room

• To work in partnership with the Senior or Deputy within the room to ensure smooth day to day running of your group.

• To support and nurture staff in your group, in particular apprentices, students and volunteers.

• To ensure the interactions with children are high quality and based on individual interests, need and/or stage of development

• To demonstrate a positive approach to children's behaviour working in-line with our policy and procedure
• To ensure there are professional, positive relationships demonstrated with parents/carers
• To safeguard all children in our care following procedures outlined in Acorns policy and external procedures
• To ensure the environment offers rich, first-hand learning opportunities for all children which accommodates a holistic approach to the curriculum, providing awe, wonder and opportunities for children to think critically and independently
• To support in making sure resources and equipment are readily available, accessible and replenished both inside and outside
• To ensure children's interests are being met and appropriate teaching methods are being used to extend children's thinking and learning.
• To support all staff, working as part of a team, adapting your role as necessary, and taking on specific responsibilities as required, including supporting inexperienced staff.
• To begin to take lead on aspects of the role with the support of the Senior or Deputy within the room (e.g. mentoring, health and safety, etc)
• To continue to develop your leadership skills through direct support from the Senior of Deputy within the room.
• To be responsive and aware of the individual needs of children whilst maintaining a safe and stimulating environment and keeping high levels of supervision of the whole group.
• To ensure all children are making progress to their full potential
• To understand and implement planning in the moment
• To carry out observations regularly and ensure they are of high quality and in-line with Acorn's recommendations for planning in the moment
• To ensure all children are given the opportunity to be independent, physically challenged and able to take informed risks and are making progress to their full potential.
• To complete paperwork in relation to the child, for example care plans, all about me forms, medicine forms, accident forms, transition forms and two-year progress check (where appropriate) etc
• To understand and implement the key person approach and be an effective key person
• To cascade any information or updates to the management and your staff team
• To keep abreast and adhere with changes in accordance to Acorn's policies and procedures
• To keep abreast of changes to early years guidance and legislation
• Work in partnership with the senior/deputy of your room to understand the overall analysis of the assessment and understand how you are going to support progress moving forward

• To work in partnership with the senior/deputy of your room to understand the skills and progression needs of the staff in your team and the room.

• To have a good understanding of Acorn's core values, ethos and policies and ensure these are reflected in practice

• A high-quality provision to support children's learning across the curriculum
• To value parents as partners
• For all children to be happy, confident, self-assured and independent
• Effective communication with management, staff, children and parents/carers
• To role model outstanding practice and positive behaviour strategies to support individual children
• To be confident to talk to external agencies, including Ofsted
• To oversee the smooth running of the room in the absence of the Senior/Deputy
• To support and nurture the staff within your team.
• To continually strive to develop your leadership skills

At Acorn, we're committed to creating an inclusive and welcoming environment where everyone feels they belong and can thrive. We value diverse perspectives and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds. As an inclusive employer, we're happy to consider any reasonable adjustments needed during the recruitment process. You must have the right to work in the UK, be able to provide two satisfactory references, and, due to the nature of our sector, all roles are subject to an Enhanced DBS check.

Benefits

• Payscales that are competitive, transparent and reviewed annually
• 65% Childcare discount - Pro rata according to contracted hours
• Generous family leave
• Christmas closure
• 25 days of annual leave, plus bank holidays (and the option to buy more)
• 4 dedicated training days and individual development plans
• Enhanced pension scheme
• Cyclescheme
• Techscheme
• Length of Service awards
• Pay advances for when times are tough
• Employee assistance wellbeing programme

Posted via: eyrecruit