Head of Early Years Practice and Deputy Manager

Reports to

Nursery Manager

Line management

SENDCO Lead/SENDCO

Role purpose

You are a key member of the nurseries leadership and management team working alongside the nursery manager to deliver high quality care and learning opportunities across your setting. To lead and inspire your team by role modelling outstanding quality of teaching and practice.

Our mission

To provide exceptional early years care in a safe, nurturing and fulfilling environment whilst inspiring children to unlock their full potential through key skills and values which will establish them as gifted citizens of the world.

Our vision

To be a nursery where teaching is fun, and learning is easy.

Our values

We are caring

We are kind, gentle, calm, and welcoming. We respect the children, each other and our environment. We teach the children and are ready to listen and learn from them. We build trusting, supportive, and non-discriminatory relationships in the best interests of the child. We have sensitive, responsive, and expressive interactions between practitioner and children. We celebrate each child’s unique perspective and take children seriously as active and competent members of society.

We are energetic

We play, learn, and laugh together, spending time outdoors and encouraging children to be active, confident, and joyful participants. We provide experiences which inspire creativity and nurture curiosity, enabling children to be independent, resilient, and successful. We grow, cook, and eat together, building skills for a healthy future.

We are innovative

We uphold traditional theories and pedagogies, but constantly review, research, and reflect. We listen to ideas and are ready to embrace them. We are proud to be leaders in progressive childcare.

Your duties

Marketing

  • Maintain positive links and effectively promote the facility within the local community
  • Liaise with the marketing department to ensure coverage of nursery events
  • Effectively communicate information to prospective customers and to provide guidance, support and reassurance to new customers.
  • Effectively communicate information to prospective customers and to provide guidance , support and reassurance to new customers.
  • Show prospective parents/carers around the facility and explain Snapdragons Nursery ethos

Care and Education

  • Ensure the Snapdragons Curriculum 'Teaching Toolkit' is promoted and followed within all age groups
  • Lead the planning, monitoring and evaluation for the nursery
  • Ensure parents/carers can participate in regular events, e.g. festivals and celebrations, stay and plays
  • Ensure effective planning, observation and assessment. Maintaining effective monitoring and record keeping
  • Ensure parents/carers are included in record keeping, monitoring and reviewing the progress of their child and obtain relevant transition documents
  • Ensure the nursery meets the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage and OFSTED registrations and inspection criteria
  • Maintain close liaison with other Snapdragons locations and engage actively with local schools and Early Years Settings
  • Promote and facilitate multi-agency working with the area SENCO, health professionals and advisory bodies
  • Promote equality of opportunity and positive behaviour management strategies
  • Be an inspirational leader of practice to staff, children and families
  • Set a visible leadership example to staff, children and their families, and the wider community

Personnel

  • Motivate and lead a team of early year’s practitioners in the delivery of best possible practice to meet the needs of parents, children and families
  • Work in partnerships with the Nursery Manager in the recruitment and selection of staff alongside the HR Manager
  • Complete appraisals, supervisions and development reviews in partnership with the Nursery Manager
  • Provide initial induction, support and 8 week monitoring for new employees

Administration and Finance

  • Manage the purchase of resources and equipment within a given budget
  • Support the Nursery Manager in deploying people and resources efficiently and effectively

Training

  • To identify training needs within the team and then plan and facilitate their professional developemnt in order to further develop service.
  • Identity key skills for practitioners and signpost them to further their CPD. E.g. Forest School, Makaton etc
  • Provide regular training and refresher training regarding the Early Years Foundation Stage to all nursery practitioners.
  • To provide induction and on-going training by way of mentoring, presentations and staff meetings in conjunction with the Nursery Manager and Quality and Training Manager

Facilities

  • Ensure efficient and effective use of available resources reflecting diversity.
  • Ensure premises, garden and equipment are well maintained and meet Health and Safety/EYFS requirements.
  • Ensure catering facilities meet children's individual dietary needs and comply with Food Safety Regulations.

Health and Safety

  • Ensuring the children's needs are met with regards to allergies and nutritional needs.
  • Ensuring the premises and the environment are safe, clean, tidy and well-maintained
  • Completion of risk assessments

Quality Assurance

  • Together with the Manager, operate a self-evaluation programme of internal audits e.g. continuous provision to identify and create a nursery development plan agreed with the senior management team
  • Lead and support Room Heads to identify current areas of development. Complete relevant audits.
  • In conjunction with the Early Years Advisors, monitor and evaluate quality of care and education and set targets for improvement.
  • In partnership with Nursery Manager, successfully manage external inspection.
  • To lead and inspire your team by role modelling outstanding quality of teaching and practice.
  • To be actively involved and present across the nursery, ensuring practice expectations, policies and procedures are embedded.

What you need

Essential

  • Enhanced DBS
  • Aged 16 / 18 or over
  • Experience of working with children 0 – 5 years
  • Ability to engage with colleagues and parents
  • A willingness to undertake relevant further training as and when required
  • Good communication skills both written and verbal
  • Ability to engage and interact positively with children
  • Able to follow instructions and work using own initiative as necessary
  • Reliable, responsible, trustworthy and motivated
  • Commitment to safeguarding children at all times
  • Managing/Leading a team of 5+ people
  • Minimum of a Level 3 qualification specific to Early Years as defined by the Department for Education
  • A good role model, able to lead and inspire a team
  • Good ICT skills – particularly Microsoft Outlook, Word and Excel
  • Demonstrate reliability and have a good attendance record
  • A confident and sensitive communicator with both adults and children
  • Be able to both work within a team and lead a team
  • Excellent organisational and time management skills
  • Be able to work under pressure without supervision
  • Be self-disciplined and patient
  • Be honest and flexible
  • Enthusiastic and energetic
  • The ability to ensure the delivery of superb care and education
  • Display a professional attitude and manner
  • The ability to implement and manage change
  • The ability to liaise with outside bodies in a professional manner
  • Self-motivated

Desirable

  • Subscription to the DBS update service
  • GCSE 4+ in English and Maths (A – C)
  • Food Hygiene Certificate
  • Paediatric First Aid Training (12 hours)
  • Emergency First Aid at Work (1 day)
  • Foundation Safeguarding Awareness Training
  • Level 3 / 5 in Leadership and Management
  • Level 5 or above Qualification specific to Early Years as defined by the Department for Eduction