Job Description: Nursery Assistants & Apprentices

JOB DESCRIPTION


Key Information

Post Title

Nursery Assistant

Direct Report

Room Leader, 

Indirect reports

Deputy Room Leader / Part Qualified Practitioner / Qualified Practitioner/Nursery Assistant

Subordinates

N/A

KPIs

  1. Approval rating from Room Leader in Performance evaluation and Manager  Monthly / (Room Leader) 
  2. Approval  rating from team - 80%<
  3. Policy  knowledge tests
  4. Completion  of Educare and Citation programmed
  5. 95% punctual attendance throughout year

Probation

6 Months

Holiday

20 days + Bank Holiday 

Working Hours

As per contract of Employment

Type

Permanent

Progression

Qualified Teacher

Required Qualifications

N/A - will be applied to ongoing training to qualify in childcare. Those with certificates in safeguarding / childcare / food hygiene will be at an advantage

Skills:

  • Good communication skills, with children, colleagues, advisors and parents/carers
  • Understanding the EYFS
  • Good verbal skills with colleagues, management, external bodies
  • A positive approach to learning and gaining new skills through teamwork and training opportunities
  • Able manage own workload and support the team

Experience

  • Experience of caring for children aged aged 6 months to 5.
  • Experience of working in a small group.
  • Helpful and flexible in approach to work.
  • Sound knowledge of nursery rhymes or child stories would be advantageous.
  • Able to keep children entertained.

Person Specification

  • Punctuality
  • Patience
  • Reliability and trustworthiness
  • A positive approach to inclusive practice with children, parents and colleagues
  • Enthusiasm for working with young children
  • Flexibility – occasionally working hours might be changed, e.g. if the the setting host marketing events

Safeguarding

Hatching Dragons is committed to employing the most rigorous vetting procedures to ensure that its staff are the most qualified to care for its children. For full guidance, see our application form online


Purpose to Role

  1. Provide support to the  part qualified and qualified staff team so that they can focus on activities and educational practice
  2. To clean, sweep and maintain good order within the setting at all times and do as instructed by those superior to you (see hierarchy)
  3. To ensure  children’s needs are met under instruction from the Room Leader 
  4. To assist the permanent staff team deliver all policies within the setting

The nursery assistant will not be given key children and will be supervised at all times by a qualified member of staff, during outings and / or within the setting to ensure children’s welfare are always met. In particular, key persons with responsibility for overseeing the work of the apprentice must monitor the apprentice / assistants supervision of children with risk management in mind


Organisational Culture: Personality / Attitude and Approach

It is critical that we get the right mix of people with the right skills and expertise to deliver the quality we need but it all hinges on the team, culture and attitude we take to work and to each other to make it happen. As such, every staff member is invited to evaluate their Manager, Management Team, Themselves and at least two of their peers against the following principles, which we, as a company, believe reflect the values of the company - values that we are trying to teach our children so should be able to demonstrate ourselves

Respect & Courtesy - for the Company, colleagues and yourself in how you communicate / behave

Compassion & Understanding - of your needs and those of others in how you communicate / behave

Team Work, Support & Collaboration - helping others do what needs to get done

Proactive Positivity - being solutions oriented, not problems focussed 

Praise & Encouragement - congratulating peers on work and providing positive constructive feedback on where they can improve

Pragmatic Professionalism - Maintaining confidentiality, ensuring policy and applying restraint in how your communicate


Areas of Responsibility (for Evaluation)

Compliance 0.2%

    • Risk Assessments: To understand the importance of risk assessments which are followed HD policies and procedures. 
    • Safeguarding: To understand HD safeguarding policies & procedures, ensure you have the updated knowledge and apply on floor practice.
Regulatory / Legislative Adherence: Aware of regulatory and legislative changes to the early years environment.Inspections: Support the team with best practice and cooperate positively with Ofsted and Internal inspections.

Marketing 0.2%

  • Events: Support activities by following nursery event schedule, show-case the setting by presenting the best practice on floor.

.

Education & Practice 

90%

    • Our Approach: Understand Hatching Dragons bilingual approach, and you follow the relevant instruction, policy and procedure.
    • Weekly Planning: Assist staff with implementing planned activities.
EYFS in Practise: To support activities in line with the Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage. 
  •  Floor practice and support: Supervising children during play time; Engaging children in learning and play activities; Intimate caring and updating records, e.g. nappy changing, sleep chart, and meal quantity; Cleaning and organising the resources before and after activities on daily basis.

Teamwork & Self progress

6.3% 

Teamwork 

  • Work as a team to maintain a high-quality, stimulating learning environment.
  • To assist nursery team in providing a friendly, caring and relaxing environment in order to encourage and develop children in our care.
  •  Support staff level by covering other room when needed.
  •  To attend 1:1 supervision, Staff Development and Performance Reviews.
  • To carry out any ad hoc projects or duties as requested by your Line Manager.
  • You will be supervised by your line manager on supporting floor practice.
  • To take reasonable care of yourself and others and to comply with Hatching Dragons’ Health and Safety rules.

Training

  • To attend training as necessary and complete courses on EDUCARE and Citiation.
  • To ensure your specific duties regarding Health and Safety and safeguarding procedures are understood and actioned.

Parents Relationship 3%

Parents Relationships: To communicate with parents and other visitors in a calm, friendly and efficient manner.
    •  Information Sharing:  Professionally handle information sharing with parents, we do not share hypothesis, unnecessary, unrealistic, false, confidential, or personal information. E.g. practitioners should not give private contact details to parents or share other children’s information.
Complaints / Compliments: Cooperate with management in Investigations on parent concerns/complaints and ensure suitable outcomes to protect the children and business.  Report any complaints/ compliments to the line manager.Parents feedback – Any valuable feedbacks from parents need to report to the line manager.

External Comms - 0.1%

Regulators & Authorities - Being supportive and positive in Ofsted / Local Authority visits. Be prepared for the visits. .

Other -0.2%

  • Facilities Protection - Responsible for protecting company properties.
  • Company Business Relationship- To always protect Hatching Dragons company image.