St Michaels Pre School (Woolmer Green) is a thriving, popular village preschool with fantastic community links. We provide early years education to up to 40 pre-school and nursery age children.
We are looking for an enthusiastic and experienced leader, with a passion for childcare to join our friendly preschool team. You will lead and inspire the pre-school team, ensuring the children attending the preschool have the best start in life, by providing a safe and welcoming, high quality, inclusive early education environment, in line with the highest Ofsted and EYFS standards.
38 hours per week with some flexibility for the right candidate. Salary is negotiable, dependent on experience.
St Michael’s Pre-school was established in the village of Woolmer Green more than 30 years ago. We operate in a stand-alone, purpose built setting next to St Michael’s Primary School, and enjoy close links with the school. St Michael’s is a charity run pre-school and a Board of Trustees are nominated annually to support the Manager.
Essential Criteria:
- Proven experience of running a similar setting.
- CACHE Level 3 Diploma in Pre-school Practice, NVQ Level 3 or equivalent.
- Satisfactory enhanced DBS check.
- Sound understanding of the EYFS, child development and children’s needs.
- Ability to plan and implement a school curriculum, taking into account the SEN Code of Practice, child protection procedures and equal opportunity considerations.
- Commitment to and understanding of diversity and equality.
- Ability to communicate effectively with a range of people.
Please find a Job Description below with further details about the role. We look forward to hearing from you.
Main duties:
Planning, curriculum and day to day running of Pre-School
- To take overall responsibility for drawing up long, medium- and short-term plans which ensure that each child is working towards desirable learning outcomes within the EYFS curriculum.
- To monitor the effectiveness of the pre-school curriculum.
- To chair regular staff/planning meetings and to attend half termly Pre-school Management Committee meetings.
- To be responsible for providing high quality teaching, ensuring that staff are properly deployed and offer appropriate stimulation and support to the children.
- To model desired practice to support practitioner’s development.
- To draw up and to supervise the daily programme of pre-school activities and events.
- To lead pre-school sessions as required
- To set up the pre-school environment for the daily programme and to help tidy away and clean the classroom at the end of the session.
- To be responsible for implementing systems of observation and record keeping in the form of learning diaries so that children’s attainment and progress is effectively and regularly assessed.
- To monitor the effectiveness of the assessment procedures.
- To ensure records are properly maintained (e.g. daily attendance register, accident and incidents).
- To ensure that the pre-school is a safe environment for children, that equipment is safe, standards of hygiene are high, safety procedures are implemented at all times and fire drills are regularly practised.
- To contribute to and implement all pre-school policies and procedures.
- To review and update policies as required.
- To keep up to date with current safeguarding practises and to be the Child Protection Officer for the pre-school.
- To attend in-service training and meetings as required.
- To ensure that Pre-School conforms to all the current OFSTED requirements.
- To work with the Chair and Management Committee to make decisions on how best to implement changes.
- To act as a key person to a small group of children, liaising closely with parents/carers and ensuring each child's needs are recognised and met. Informing them about the pre-school and its curriculum, exchanging information about children’s progress and encouraging parent/carers’ involvement.
- To ensure the economic use of resources and materials and maintain and order supplies throughout the year.
- To manage situations in a calm and collective manner and support the staff to team in this.
Liaison:
- To liaise closely with parents/carers, informing them about the pre-school and its curriculum, exchanging information about children’s progress and encouraging parental involvement through a regular newsletter to parents and through weekly overviews of planned activities.
- To liaise with the management committee, social services and other professionals as necessary and ensure that all legal and statutory requirements are implemented and to provide reports as required.
- To ensure effective communication between the Pre-School and St Michael’s School.
- Actively promote the pre-school within the community through social media platforms and fundraising events.
Children:
- To support children to manage their feelings and develop an understanding of emotions and develop a sense of empathy
- To support a small group of key children focusing on their development and supporting them to meet their milestones.
- To support all children within the setting and their key people to develop plans to support children to meet their milestones.
- To develop care plans and unique support plans for children who may require individual support with the child’s key person.
Managing Staff:
- To support staff’s mental health and offer an open door policy for all staff members
- To ensure appropriate staffing levels to OFSTED’s requirements are maintained at all times.
- To supervise staff and to be responsible for monitoring the quality of teaching and learning.
- To be responsible for implementing the keyworker system whereby qualified staff members are responsible for working closely with a particular group or groups of children.
- To perform annual staff appraisals and to write staff development plans that focus on the need for training, stating specific courses that need to be attended. Identify training needs for staff and source training.
- To collect time sheets from staff and pass on to the Treasurer, to deal with any queries or discrepancies that arise. To deal with staff grievance procedures and staff disciplinary procedures.
- To support staff to implement new ideas and theories that will enhance the children understanding and support development.
- To support staff to manage their time and workload affectively.
Parents:
- Work in partnership with families to promote and facilitate positive parenting and the enhancement of the role of parents as ‘first educators. Provide workshops to support parents in supporting their children and home and giving an insight into what practitioners do and why it is important.
- To develop loyalty and commitment of parents and build a relationship of trust with them and ensure their satisfaction with the pre-school service.
- To ensure the Key Person practice is regularly communicated to parents and parents are invited to play an active role in their children’s care and learning.
- To be proactive and seek to resolve parents’ concerns or complaints promptly.
- To involve parents in decision making where appropriate and seek their views.
- To support parents to seek support from other agencies whether is required in the home.
Person Specification
Qualifications & Experience
- Previous experience of working with children
- At least two years’ experience in a management/leader role (deputy position acceptable)
- A minimum of Early Years Level 3 (full and relevant) or equivalent
- Educated to GCSE standard or equivalent (grade A-C in Maths & English).
- Full knowledge and understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage
- Ability to plan and implement a pre-school curriculum
Professional/Technical Skills
- Knowledge of Child Protection
- Competent experience of IT packages, such as Word, Excel and Powerpoint..
- Able to provide resources online to support children, parents and staff
Skills/Abilities/Aptitudes
- Ability to engage with and communicate effectively and sensitively in person and in writing with children and parents.
- Self motivated with a proactive approach, ability to think on their feet with the ability to problem solve.
- The tenacity to achieve results.
- Excellent oral and written communication skills.
- Excellent interpersonal skills and a friendly manner.
- To lead by example and promote the highest standards of care and education.
- Ability to use own initiative
- Ability to work to deadlines
- Strong organisational and administrative skills with the ability to juggle priorities
- Excellent attention to detail
- Ability to work as an active team member
- Ability to lead a team of adults effectively
Job Types: Permanent, Full-time
Pay: £25,000.00-£28,000.00 per year
Work Location: In person
