Join Our Nursery Family - Early Years SENCO Lead Role available now!
(5 days a week role) Flexible hours available on application
Main Purpose:
- To supervise a team and sustain a high standard of care and education for all children and families placed within the setting.
- To provide support to the room supervisors and the running of the nursery rooms and day-to-day tasks that this entails.
- To support all team members within the rooms with the running of the day and high levels of care, education and overall support required.
- To support the management team with carrying out tasks supporting the room and setting as and when required.
- To supervise and support all the staff, students and volunteers to achieve high standards of practise.
- To support and supervise the nursery room teams and supervisors with the children’s educational development, assessment and observation monitoring of this educationally enhanced provision.
- Work with the manager of the setting to regularly review the SEND policy and practice within the setting and how we action this.
- Be responsible for the day-to-day operation of the setting’s SEND policy, and assess how we provide this provision.
- Implement SEND support and the graduated approach of: assess, plan, do, review to meet the outcomes identified for the child
- Support practitioners in implementing the approach for individual children focusing on the child’s individual needs.
- Ensure record-keeping and logs from meeting are maintained and actioned to support plans moving forward.
- Ensure a wide range of evidence is used to draw upon conclusions and approaches to support the child’s individual learning and development.
SENCO Lead and Supervisor Context:
- Working with children
- Working with staff
- Liaising with parents/carers
- Liaising with other agencies and services.
Responsible to:
- Owner
- Manager
- Management Support Team
Key Senior Practitioner Responsibilities:
- Keeping up to date with legislation, local and national guidance and communicating this proactively to the team. Assisting with keeping policies and procedures up to date and available for staff and regular visitors to the setting. These are to be reviewed on an annual basis.
- Safeguarding policies followed and adhered to at all times and to implement them into the setting.
- To demonstrate adaptability, flexibility and sensitivity with regards to the needs of the children staff and parents within the nursery.
- To maintain an open door culture to enable the team to feel empowered when needing to raise concerns.
- Recruitment, induction, appraisal working in guidance with safer recruitment and safer working practises. To follow the settings policies and procedures policies throughout the process and to act in an appropriate and professional manner.
- DBS checks are to be carried out and references received before a position is offered.
- To provide equal opportunities to all children regardless of race ethnic origin, religious belief, disability or sex.
- Investigations or allegations regarding adults have a procedure in place and are fully understood and in line with the Multi-agency safeguarding hub.
- Staff meetings are arranged, communicated to the staff, minutes arranged, staff training organised, rotas arranged in accordance with ratio figures.
- To undertake courses as they arise to benefit your professional development within the workplace.
- To provide a broad range of stimulating experiences that support development in personal, social, spiritual and cultural understanding language literacy and communication mathematics, knowledge and understanding of the world, creative and physical abilities.
- To demonstrate initiative with routine and non-routine tasks as they arise.
- To be involved in planning and arrange activities within the Nursery.
- To assist in the upkeep of cleanliness and safety of the nursery providing a safe environment for the children parents and staff to work within.
- To record and observe the children through assessments on a regular basis – demonstrating the level of development each individual child is at within the foundation stage.
- To attend any activity or meeting relevant to maintaining the appropriate level of education and care within the Nursery.
- To be happy, constructive and positive, approaching the job with enthusiasm at all times.
- You are employed as a deputy manager but it is expected that if necessary you will be willing to undertake other work of which you are capable and for which you have trained.
- To develop the nursery as a whole.
- Set up promotional activities and marketing strategies to build and enhance the company.
The Early Years SENCO Role to support Staff:
- Support practitioners to assess their skills and competencies, identify any gaps and implement next steps in professional development.
- Ensure all practitioners in the setting understand:
- their responsibilities to children with SEND
- how to work actively and effectively within the Assess Plan Do Review SEND support in Early Years cycle.
- The setting’s approach to identifying and meeting SEND
- How the setting: responds to any cause for concern and identifies and responds to special educational needs.
- How the setting works in partnership with parents to identify a child as having SEND.
- How the practitioner and the SENCO agree, in consultation with the parent and the child, the outcomes they are seeking for the child.
- Identify and use training and other sources of support available to help explain the duties to colleagues.
- Link with others who have a role in supporting the development and delivery of training both for individual settings and on a wider basis.
The SENCO Role to Support Parents/Carers:
- To support Parents/Carers in getting information, advice and support needed to be fully involved in the decision making process for their child.
- To involve Parents/Carers in the discussions surrounding early concerns, in identifying any SEND, and agreeing:
- the outcomes, aims and objectives for the child
- the support and intervention plans to action
- The expected development aims for the individual child.
- Setting dates to review.
The SENCO Role with other Working Professionals:
- Understand the Local Authorities expectations in providing early education for children with SEND.
- Know support available from other working professionals in the area and how this could help families within the cohort.
- Work with other working professionals in the local area to provide the best support possible for children with SEND.
- Work alongside and communicate with professionals or agencies to support the children in our care.
- Understand the need for funding and budgets to support the children and completion of funding documentation to other working professionals and servers.
Administration Duties:
- Clear understanding of the company mission statement and goals and promoting these throughout the local community.
- Monitoring of children’s records, learning journeys and daily diaries within the nursery and having them up to date for families.
- Ensure all daily checks including environmental health checks are carried out and recorded daily.
- Ensure all overview and monitoring tools are keep up to date and used to support the children’s continuous learning and development.
- To ensure all supervisory monitoring tasks are complete for team and children.
Person Specification:
ESSENTIAL:
Qualified to a level 3 or above in Early Years
SENCO Training (can be provided through us)
Introduction to child protection training (can be provided through us)
A good understanding of the EYFS framework
Experience of managing or supervising a team
A good understanding of safeguarding policies and procedures
Ability to manage a budget / finances
Show respect for policies and authority & lead by example
Practice safe working within the setting
Ensure a commitment to equal opportunities
To maintain resilience whilst dealing with difficult situations
To be able to communicate effectively verbally or in writing
To show ability on how to prioritise and organise effectively
Ability to work in a busy and demanding environment
Maintain confidentiality at all times.
DESIRABLE:
Lead Practitioner Safeguarding training
ENCO lead role training
First Aid Training (training will be provided)
Management level 3 training
Minimum of 2 years experience at a supervisory role
Minimum of 2 years experience in SENCO role
Able to use current software such as Word/Excel/Pages
➡ Why Join Us? ➡
At Stepping Stones, we’re more than just a nursery — we’re a community. Our ethos is built on kindness, creativity, and curiosity, with every child’s unique journey celebrated and supported. As part of our team, you’ll not only make a difference in children’s lives, but you’ll also be supported, appreciated, and encouraged to grow in your own career.
To find out more about us, visit: www.steppingstonesdaynursery.org
If this sounds like the perfect fit for you, we’d love to hear from you! Apply today and take the next step in your Early Years journey with us.
- If you do not receive a response within 7 days of your submission of your application, please see this as an unsuccessful application.
Job Types: Full-time, Permanent
Pay: From £13.00 per hour
Benefits:
- Company events
- Company pension
Application question(s):
- Please state the full title of your Early Years qualification as stated on your certificate.
Work Location: In person
