Our Playgroup is situated on the edge of Newmills in rural Co. Tyrone and has been providing to the immediate and surrounding communities for over 40 years. With convenient staff parking to the front of the building, many modern and thoughtfully refreshed resources, and our well-proportioned playground to the rear overlooking the river which the village was built around, it is a pleasant and idyllic environment for shaping the next generation through play and social interactions.
We are committed to delivering excellent outcomes for our children and their families. We pride ourselves on running a setting where the children are happy, safe and able to fulfil their potential. Our staff team are the most important resource we have to ensure this happens. We want staff who are child centred and passionate to help the children grow and develop to their full potential before heading into formal primary education.
The successful candidate will be responsible for the day to day running of the Preschool to ensure the necessary organisation to maintain and develop the setting to facilitate stimulating play in a safe, caring and welcoming environment for children and their families in line with DHSSPS Minimum standards for children under age 12, the Children (Northern Ireland) Order 1995 and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.
In recent times we have welcomed up to 24 children into the setting per year – sometimes with Pre-school only but also with a mix of Pre-pre too. This role will involve planning, preparing and delivering play-based activities appropriate for children aged 2-4 years:
- To lead short, medium and long-term planning for the group
- The assessment, monitoring and recording of individual children’s development
- Responsible for the management and development of the Preschool staff including the allocation and monitoring of work, appraisal and training
- To develop the Preschool in terms of reputation and growth
RESPONSIBILITIES
The following list of responsibilities is not exhaustive, and the Leader may be expected to take on other reasonable duties as assigned by the Preschool Playgroup Management Committee.
❖ Educational Leadership:
o Promote inclusion and acceptance of all children within the Preschool. Provide and maintain equality of opportunity for all children and their families
o Select and prepare resources to take account of the children’s interests, language and cultural background
❖ Child Development:
o Provide safe, stimulating group play to meet the social, linguistic, creative, physical, imaginative, emotional needs of each child
o Establish productive working relationships with children, acting as a role model and setting high expectations
o Monitor, evaluate and adjust individual plans as appropriate as the children reach their next stage in their development
❖ Parent Engagement:
o Establish constructive relationships with parents/carers, exchanging information, facilitating their support for their child’s attendance
o Ensure wider communication of the Preschool activities by producing monthly newsletters and updating social media to engage with Parents/Carers
❖ Safety and Compliance:
o Responsible for overall safety and wellbeing of the children
o Oversee completion of risk assessments throughout the setting (in and outdoors)
o Comply with and develop policies and procedures relating to child protection, health and safety, security, confidentiality and data protection, reporting concerns to an appropriate person
o Participate in training and other learning activities as appropriate
❖ Programme Administration:
o Organise and manage appropriate learning environment and resources
o Manage record keeping systems and processes, recording progress/achievements in activities systematically and providing evidence of range and level of progress and attainment
❖ Staff Management:
o Manage all staff and students appointed to the Preschool including ensuring a supervision and appraisal process is implemented
o Responsible for calling regular staff and planning meetings in order that staff will be fully aware of their roles and the progression of the Preschool curriculum throughout the year. If necessary, partake in recruitment and induction of new staff in conjunction with Committee
❖ Management responsibilities:
o Manage liaison with all relevant bodies to gather the necessary information, for Health Visitors, Social services and auditors to ensure that the Preschool is satisfying all the necessary legal and statutory requirements
o Work closely with the management committee including attending committee meetings as and when invited and producing reports as requested
o Take part in and organise fundraising activities, special events, outings and visits
THIS JOB DESCRIPTION IS NOT MEANT TO BE DEFINITIVE AND IS OPEN TO MODIFICATION TO
MEET CHANGING NEEDS
PERSONAL SPECIFICATION
ESSENTIAL
➢ Qualified at QCF Level 5 Diploma in Child Care, Learning and Development or Playwork; or a relevant occupational qualification in early years’ education, social work, nursing, teaching or health visiting
➢ Minimum of 2 years paid experience working with children 0-4
➢ Good knowledge and understanding of NI Preschool curriculum guidelines
➢ Excellent communication skills and interpersonal skills with children and adults
➢ Knowledge of child development including age-appropriate areas of learning
➢ Experience of developing long, medium and short-term planning for early years setting
➢ Demonstrate an understanding of developing policies and procedures
➢ Good understanding of child protection and minimum standards
➢ Current safeguarding and paediatric First Aid certificates or willing to complete this training prior to starting
➢ Experience of observations and planning
➢ Ability to lead and work in a team
➢ Experience of managing staff and students, including staff appraisals
➢ IT Skills with the ability to use Microsoft office packages
DESIRABLE
➢ BA Hons Degree in Early Childhood Studies, or Degree level qualification in Early Years’
➢ 2 years’ previous experience leading and supervising members of staff in an early year setting with children
➢ Experience of ETI inspections and quality assurance processes
➢ Experience of PSEEP funding
Applicants should apply by email with clear evidence of how they meet the Essential and Desirable criteria, and attach a current CV. Please submit to [email protected] by 09:00 on Monday 7th September 2026.
Shortlisted candidates will be contacted via email to arrange an interview date in September; with a view to the successful candidate starting in November.
Pay: From £14.59 per hour
Work Location: In person
