Level 3 Nursery practitioner (all year round) in London

As a Level 3 Nursery Practitioner, you will be assisting the nursery management on the day-to-day running of the nursery. You will be supporting the room leader and the team to plan and deliver the highest standard of care throughout the nurseries as detailed in the childcare audit and OFSTED inspections. You will be flexible and will adapt to any of the rooms and setting as and when needed. You will maintain regular learning journals of all the children to measure their development and to be able to efficiently and effectively hand over key person's responsibility. You will proactively work with the nursery manager, the deputy manager and the room leader to promote a positive and healthy working culture whilst inspiring the team to excel in their endeavours.

You will be a key person for a group of children to ensure each child's redevelopment is monitored and identify the next stage of progression or if further learning support is required. You will support fellow key persons in your team to ensure high quality of childcare. You will have an overall knowledge of all the children and their development in your room to be able to effectively communicate with parents/guardians and to be able to support the members of your team. You will support the management on planning, monitoring, review, budget, administration, and marketing. You will need to actively support the management with staff shortfall by going to other settings and drop-in centres upon request.

KEY DUTIES

• Ensuring that all children attending the nursery are kept safe and receive rich and stimulating play experiences appropriate to their age and stage of development.
• To undertake the overall day-to-day operation of the nursery environment including rooms, after school club, breakfast club, holiday club, drop-in services and any other supplementary services.
• To assist the manager in ensuring that all legislation in relation to registration with regulatory bodies, special needs, child protection and Health and Safety is complied with and that company policies and procedures are adhered to.
• To work as an effective member of the team to deliver a high quality, education and care centred service that meets the needs of children and their families.
• Support the management to ensure that practice and provision in the nursery meets the outstanding requirements of OFSTED and the Early Years Foundation Stage.
• Develop strong parent partnerships to ensure high quality of care and children and parent satisfaction.
• Prepare to support the team across all our settings at short notice to attend to activities, services, after-school club, breakfast club, drop-in centres, holiday club, fundraising events, parents evening and other activities.
• To actively promote and implement the nursery's vision, with a clear focus on children's achievement.
• To redevelop regular activity plans to encourage children's learning through play, by providing a stimulating and enabling environment, which enables all children to develop to their full potential.
• To provide a welcoming and aesthetically pleasing environment which fully reflects, values and respects the ethnic, cultural, linguistic and religious backgrounds of the children and families attending the setting or living within the local community.
• To support the planning and preparation of all the rooms and the outside areas, using observation of children and evaluation of the provision to ensure all play areas fully enhance children's learning and interests and are effectively risk assessed.
• To be a key worker for a group of children, as agreed by the nursery manager and deputy manager, ensuring that each child has access to a broad, balanced, relevant and differentiated curriculum.
• To implement a high quality planned curriculum, in accordance with the Early Years Foundation Stage, to encourage learning and understanding through play activities and to ensure a well-planned, safe and learning environment.
• To carry out high quality written and photographic observations, planning and assessments using the EYFS development matters bandings, identifying next steps for children's learning.
• Ensure children's learning journals are kept up to date and regular reports are written to ensure effective communication with colleagues and parents.
• To work in partnership with internal and external professionals and agencies to ensure key information is shared to support the needs of the children and families within the setting.
• To work in partnership with local schools and settings to share good quality information and ensure children experience smooth transitions.
• To undertake risk assessments on a daily basis and ensure relevant action is taken to minimise, reduce or remove risks to children.
• To clear and tidy the inside and outside play areas at the end of activities or the end of the day.
• To maintain high professional standards to ensure children's individual needs, dietary needs, and personal care is met at all times and information is shared fully.
• To share responsibility for preparing and serving snacks and light meals/breakfasts for children, adhering to hygiene regulations.
• To ensure telephone enquiries, correspondence and visitors are dealt with appropriately.

Room Leadership

• Ensure that all children attending the nursery receive rich and stimulating experiences appropriate to their age and stage of development.
• To work with the team to implement the Early Years Learning Goals.
• Ensure full and concise record is kept and all achievements are recorded for all the children and all necessary targets are pinpointed; demonstrating how to profile children to encourage further development records.
• Document all observations on each child's progress, identify achievements, opportunities for progression and development.
• Adhere to staff rota and have set lunch breaks for fairness and to ensure the nursery is not understaffed at any time.
• Ensure you have set time allocated to update learning journals on a weekly basis.
• To actively promote all children's services and support with marketing and outreach in the local community.

Finance

• Engage in the collection of parents' fees and monitor debts in accordance with our terms and conditions and financial procedure.
• Support the management by ensuring all relevant data such as: administrative, finance and information relevant to parents are collated on a daily basis.
• Identify efficiencies to ensure expenses are kept to a minimal.
• Support the management to reduce wastages.

Policies and Procedures

• Support the manager to implement all nursery policies.
• Supervise the administration of all medication within the nursery ensuring the medicine policy is followed at all times.
• Ensure all medical forms are fully completed and signed by parents.
• Ensure QCCA's procedure manuals are followed, specifically Childcare, Employee Handbook, HR Guide, Health and Safety, Training and Finance.

Health & Safety

• Responsible for Health, Safety and Cleanliness throughout nursery.
• To undertake regular risk assessments.
• To monitor all child protection issues and keep a log of any accident or incident.
• To arrange for effective and regular waste removal.
• To ensure that all front-line staff maintain the personal hygiene of children.
• Operate the highest standards of hygiene and cleanliness in the bedding, nappy changing and food services areas.
• To ensure that the preparation and cleanliness of nursery playrooms, bedding, nappy-changing room, food-serving areas and equipment is carried out in accordance with set policies and procedures.
• To maintain proper emergency and security procedures including the registration and collection of children.
• Adhere and promote the emergency and security procedures, e.g. fire procedures, routines for dropping off and collecting children and marking the register.
• To be responsible for recording accidents in the accident book.

Security & Equipment

• Support the management to maintain an inventory of all resources available.
• Ensure care, maintenance and security of all equipment and toys.

General

• Action and monitor all child protection issues, parent issues, complaints and accidents to ensure that remedial action is taken immediately, liaising with the nursery management.
• Ensure that following any OFSTED visits, any recommendations made by the inspectors are implemented.
• Ensure nursery menus are followed and the fresh food is readily available, ensure the highest standards of food hygiene at all times.
• Ensure snack and lunch are not ordered in excess and that full costs are recovered from parents.
• To ensure that the nursery is adequately equipped and ensure that orders are generated on time.
• To offer an equal opportunities service with regard to race, gender, culture, faith and/or disability.
• To undertake any additional tasks related to the effective delivery of the Children's Services from the senior managers.