Apprentice Early Years Practitioner at CHRISTCHURCH PLAYGROUP

You must be caring, enthusiastic, eager to learn new things, not afraid to get messy, and willing to sing with the children (even if you can’t sing – we can’t!). A passion for working in early years is essential. We offer a supportive team and encourage further professional development. We welcome informal visits.

Responsibilities

• Helping set up and tidy up
• Play and interact with the children
• Help prepare snack
• Plan activities for the children 1–2 times a week
• Support babies and young children through a range of transitions and significant events, such as moving onto school, moving house or the birth of a sibling
• Recognise when a child is in danger, at risk of serious harm or abuse and explain the procedures to be followed to protect them (domestic, neglect, physical, emotional and sexual abuse)
• Identify risks and hazards in the provision and during off‑site visits, and follow reporting procedures
• Use prevention and control of infection techniques for hand washing and food preparation and hygiene, deal with spillages safely, and safely dispose of waste, using correct personal protective equipment
• Use equipment, furniture and materials safely and securely, following the manufacturers’ instructions and provision’s requirements
• Encourage children to be aware of personal safety and develop personal hygiene practices (including oral hygiene)
• Promote health and wellbeing by encouraging healthy, balanced and nutritious meals, snacks and drinks and physical activity, both indoors and outdoors
• Carry out respectful care routines appropriate to the child's development, stage and needs (eating, feeding, nappy changing, toilet training, care of skin, teeth and hair, and rest and sleep provision)
• Communicate with all children, including those with English as an additional language and those with additional needs, using verbal and non‑verbal methods
• Extend children’s development and learning through verbal and non‑verbal communication, encouraging a range of communication methods
• Use a range of appropriate communication methods to share information with children, parents or carers and other professionals
• Work with colleagues to identify and plan educational programmes that support children’s holistic development through play, creativity, social development and learning
• Implement and review activities that support children’s play, creativity, social development and learning and clear up after activities
• Observe children, assess, plan and record outcomes, and share results accurately and confidentially in line with statutory and provision requirements
• Use learning activities to support early language development, writing, reading and mathematical learning including numbers, patterns, counting and matching
• Support the graduated approach for assessment, planning, implementation and reviewing each baby’s and young child’s individual plan for care and participation
• Use feedback and mentoring or supervision to identify and support areas for development, goals and career opportunities
• Work cooperatively with colleagues, other professionals and agencies to meet the needs of babies and children and enable them to progress
• Work alongside parents or carers and recognise their role in a child’s health, well‑being, learning and development, encouraging them to take an active role in care, play and learning
• Demonstrate how to share information with parents or carers about healthy, balanced and nutritious diets, teeth care and physical activity

Requirements

• GCSE (grade 1) in Maths
• Creative Initiative

About the Employer

We are a term time only, pack‑away setting providing early years care and education for children aged 2–4 years old. We provide T‑Shirts and a fleece or coat with logo. We have a pension scheme. As a term time only setting we do not have holiday, but you receive holiday pay within your annual salary. After this Apprenticeship Early Years Practitioner if the numbers of children allow, initially a fixed‑term contract for 2 years, with the potential of extension depending on the needs of the setting.

Location

CHRISTCHURCH HALL MALVERN ROAD CHELTENHAM GL50 2JH

Contact

GLOUCESTERSHIRE COLLEGE 0345 155 2020

The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC2000030876.