Early Years Practitioner

To work within the nursery, supporting the planning and delivery of activities with individual or groups of children to bring about effective learning. To be part of a nursery team that provides a purposeful, stimulating environment rich in learning opportunities, both indoors and outdoors.

Key Areas of Responsibility:

• Knowledge and understanding of the EYFS: To promote high standards of care and education of children in accordance with statutory requirements. To understand the principles and content of the Early Years Foundation Stage and know how to put them into practice. To practice and promote current legal requirements, national policies and guidance on health and safety, safeguarding and the well-being of children.
• Effective Practice: To support planning and assessment to ensure maximum development in children. To actively support the development of children’s language and communication skills. To support organising the environment inside and outside to ensure that resources and equipment are available and appropriate to meet the needs of the individual children in the group. To impart knowledge and develop understanding through effective use of nursery time. To promote a love of learning and children’s intellectual curiosity. To reflect systematically on the effectiveness of sessions and approaches to development. To know when and how to differentiate appropriately, using approaches which enable children to develop effectively. To have a clear understanding of the needs of all children’s mental, physical, social, and intellectual development, and know how to adapt support to meet children’s needs or overcome barriers to learning. To deliver high quality provision within the setting. To demonstrate consistently the positive attitudes, values and behaviour which are expected of children. To have high expectations of all children and have commitment to them achieving their potential. To provide a safe, welcoming, purposeful, stimulating and encouraging environment where children feel confident and secure and are able to develop and learn. To plan and provide safe, appropriate, child-led and adult initiated experiences, activities and play opportunities in indoor, outdoor and in out-of-setting contexts, which enable children to develop and learn. To observe, monitor and evaluate children's learning including using a range of observation, assessment, and monitoring strategies. To promote positive behaviour, self-control, and independence through implementing our behaviour policy. To promote children’s rights, equality, inclusion, and anti-discriminatory practice in all aspects of the setting. To maintain a safe environment and employ practices that promote children’s health, safety and physical, mental and emotional well-being. To recognise when a child is in danger or at risk of harm and know how to act to protect them.
• Relationships with children: To develop fair, respectful, trusting, supportive and constructive relationships with children, communicating sensitively and effectively with them. To listen carefully to children, paying attention to what they say and valuing and respecting their views. To have clear rules and routines for behaviour in nursery and take responsibility for promoting good and courteous behaviour both in and around the nursery, in accordance with the school’s behaviour policies/staff handbook. To have high expectations of behaviour with a range of strategies, using positive praise and rewards consistently and fairly in accordance with the school’s policies. Contribute to a safe and stimulating environment by effectively organising and managing areas, physical space, and resources.
• Communicating and working in partnership with families and carers: To maintain fair, respectful, trusting, and constructive relationships with families and parents/carers and communicate sensitively and effectively with them. To work in partnership with parents/carers and other family members, to share information with them about their child’s well-being, development and learning to improve outcomes.
• Teamwork and collaboration: To work collaboratively and co-operatively with colleagues. To assist in shaping the policies and practices of the setting and share in collective responsibility for their implementation. To join in the work of a multi-professional team and, where appropriate, co-ordinate and implement agreed programmes and interventions on a day-to-day basis.
• Own professional development: To make a positive contribution to the wider life and ethos of the nursery. To develop effective professional relationships with colleagues, knowing how and when to draw on advice and specialist support. To take responsibility for improving practice through appropriate professional development, responding to advice and feedback from colleagues. To consistently follow the nursery’s policies and guidelines, including staff behaviour policy, and actively and positively promote the ethos of the nursery.