Our preschool
Kingdom Preschool in Whitfield, near Dover, is a full-day care nursery school providing fantastic, affordable childcare between the ages of 3 months and 5 years. Established in 2016, the setting is unrivalled locally, boasting bright, individual rooms that are not only beautifully – and functionally – designed, but also equipped with all the age-appropriate resources a baby or toddler could ever need for play, development and learning.
Alongside our safe and spacious outdoor areas, which are perfect for exploration, physical activities or quiet recreation, we also offer children the all-year-round use of our fully accredited forest school, which is nestled in our very own woods directly behind the main building. And the icing on the cake (literally) are our fantastic in-house chefs, who prepare us all delicious and freshly cooked meals in the on-site professional kitchen.
The opportunity
As a result of the preschool’s continued expansion, we are recruiting for an exciting (full time) leadership position. Kingdom Preschool is a large setting (140 places a day), and the successful applicant will be key to supporting the setting’s management team in achieving our vision and values. As we are a large setting, we have several rooms to ensure a smaller more intimate feel among our cohorts. We place a lot of importance on our room leader roles, and liken them to a deputy position in a small nursery setting. We are therefore looking for an individual with at least two years’ experience in a leadership role within an Early Years setting who is keen to develop their career.
Our room leaders are responsible for leading, guiding, and supporting teams of between 4 and 8 staff. The role involves overseeing the planning, delivery, and assessment of high-quality Early Years education to foster a nurturing and engaging environment that promotes the development of children. Our room leaders work closely with staff, senior leadership, parents, and external professionals to ensure that their needs are met and that every child receives the best start in their educational journey. This would suit an individual who is already excelling as a room leader at a smaller setting and looking to progress their career. We are looking to hire as soon as possible to support our team going into a very busy summer term. The role will see you working within your team's ratios at busy periods but with enough room and time to direct your team on the day to day running of your staff team and room. You will work with our senior team to co-ordinate trips , events and extra curricular activities, leading practice within your room and working hard to develop your staff team into senior practitioners and potential leaders. We expect all applicants to have a desire to develop a team that fosters psychologically safe working environments and a strong working team culture.
Key responsibilities:
Leadership and management
- Leading a team of Early Years practitioners, support staff and apprentices, providing guidance and mentorship to ensure the highest standards of care and education.
- Developing and coaching each staff member through a personalised development plan and carrying out their supervision meetings.
- Developing, implementing, and monitoring personalised learning plans for children within the setting.
- Embedding the delivery of a developmentally appropriate and engaging curriculum aligned with government legislative Early Years frameworks and other pedagogies such as Forest School, Froebelian Principles and Reggio Emilia.
- Planning and delivering a variety of activities that promote cognitive, social, emotional, and physical development in children, across the cohort.
- Adapting and differentiating teaching approaches based on individual learning needs, ensuring all children are challenged and supported.
- Working lates and locking up on a rota system with other leaders.
Assessment and progress monitoring
- Monitoring and assessing all children's progress using observations, assessments, and feedback from parents across the cohort.
- Ensuring the team’s effective use of tracking tools to record and evaluate children's development, planning next steps in collaboration with other educators.
- Leading and contributing to weekly reviews and management meetings to discuss children's progress, staff team's progress, share observations, Safeguarding and welfare
- Taking on the role of Designated Safeguarding Lead, ensuring that the safety and well-being of all children is a top priority.
- Implementing safeguarding policies and procedures to protect children, reporting concerns to designated safeguarding leads as required.
- Promoting an inclusive environment. Parental engagement and communication
- Establishing and maintaining positive relationships with parents and carers, fostering collaboration and open communication about children's progress.
- Organising and leading regular meetings with parents to discuss their child’s development, concerns, and achievements.
Professional development
- Staying informed of the latest Early Years research, trends, and best practices, incorporating these into the curriculum and teaching strategies.
- Participating in relevant training opportunities and professional development to enhance leadership skills and knowledge in early years education.
- Supporting the professional development of the team, providing coaching, feedback, and opportunities for further training.
Key requirements
- A Level 3 qualification in Early Years Education (or equivalent) is essential; a Level 5 or higher qualification (e.g., BA in Early Childhood Education or equivalent) is desirable.
- Additional certifications in safeguarding, first aid, or SENCO (Special Educational Needs Coordinator) training are beneficial.
- Proven experience in Early Years education, with a strong understanding of child development.
- At least 2 years’ experience in a leadership or senior practitioner role within an Early Years setting.
- Experience in working with children who have additional learning needs is advantageous.
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills and ability to build strong, supportive relationships with children, parents, and colleagues.
- Strong organisational skills, with the ability to prioritise tasks and manage time efficiently.
- Ability to lead a team, providing motivation, guidance, and feedback.
- Strong problem-solving skills, with the ability to adapt to changing circumstances.
- Knowledge of relevant Early Years frameworks and safeguarding practices.
- A nurturing, compassionate, and patient attitude, with a passion for working with young children.
- Occasional evenings or weekends for parent meetings or professional development opportunities may be required.
The successful candidate will receive:
- Salary of £31200 rising to £33280 per annum after a successful probation period
- 28 days holiday per annum (inc bank holidays) up to 5 extra days per year, accrued with service.
- Loyalty bonus
- Opportunities for training and career advancement for those keen to embrace responsibility
- Valued support, training and mentoring from a great management team
- A team of supportive and dedicated colleagues, providing a safe and friendly working environment that feels like a family
- Uniform provided by us
- Paid paperwork time, away from ratio
- Regular (paid for) staff social events
- Free on-site parking
- Free home cooked meals
- Competitive company benefits including company pension and health & well being programme which includes access to BUPA mental health support scheme
Company ethos
Our not-for-profit company promotes a loving and caring faith ethos for all. It has been established on Biblical foundations; praying with staff and children each day, singing worship songs, and reading bible stories is part of who we are. Whilst the position would therefore be perfect for a committed Christian, this is by no means mandatory, and we would like to hear from any applicant willing to uphold our values and demonstrate our beliefs, in line with our company's constitution.
How to apply
In the first instance, please email your CV to Laura Rigden at [email protected] stating in the email why you would be ideal for this position and what full and relevant qualifications you hold. Please note that successful candidates will be contacted for an initial interview and viewing of the setting, so please also let us know of your availability for this when you apply.
We are committed to safeguarding so all positions within our company are subject to our safer recruitment policy and will require references, DBS checks and proven, relevant qualifications. You will also be required to sign up to the DBS update service.
Job Type: Full-time
Pay: £30,160.00-£33,280.00 per year
Benefits:
- Additional leave
- Company events
- Company pension
- Discounted or free food
- Free flu jabs
- Free parking
- Health & wellbeing programme
- On-site parking
Experience:
- Leadership: 2 years (required)
Licence/Certification:
- Level 3 Early Years Qualification or above (preferred)
- Driving Licence (required)
Work Location: In person
