Job Introduction
An exciting opportunity to be part of a new provision in our federation right from the beginning!!
The pre-school will be operational during term time only and members of staff will be employed on that basis. It will be operational for parents and children for 38 weeks annually, coinciding with term times, as it will close on federation inset days to allow staff to participate in ongoing professional development.
There will be a maximum of 24 children per session all aged from three years old upwards. We will be offering the core pre-school hours which all three years olds are entitled to (15 hours) but will also have breakfast, lunchtime and after school care on offer at an additional cost. We will open from 7.30am each day until 6pm. When we open we plan to have a pre-school manager, a deputy and two assistants who will be employed for 37 hours a week to cover the opening hours (this could be 7.15am until 3.15pm or until 10.15am until 6.15pm).
The Deputy Manager role is to assist with the management and operation of the pre-school providing a high standard of early education and childcare that meets the needs of all local children and their families.
Main Responsibilities
· To work in partnership with the pre-school manager to lead a team of pre-school staff
· To work as part of a multi-agency team in meeting the needs of individual children and their families
· Create an environment which ensures that all children receive a high standard of care and stimulation enabling them to achieve their full potential
· To plan, implement and monitor the curriculum in conjunction with the Pre-school Manager, to ensure that the individual physical, intellectual, emotional and social needs of each child are met
· To support the pre-school manager in all aspects of pre-school management and in line with current legislation
· Assist in the development of policies and procedures and risk assessments to ensure safe, effective management of the pre-school
· Monitor and ensure high quality and safety standards are maintained in the pre-school at all times
· To work as a key worker to a group of children, observing, monitoring, reviewing and recording the development of each child, including the suitability of the curriculum for fostering the child’s development
· To maintain accurate records and produce reports as necessary particularly related to safeguarding
· Work with the early years leader, head of school and pre-school manager to enable provision to be responsive to the needs of the community
· To deputise for the pre-school manager as necessary, taking responsibility for the management of the pre-school if needed, attending internal and external meetings etc.
· Inform regularly and liaise fully with the pre-school manager on all aspects associated with the running of the pre-school and comply with the policies laid down
· To keep up to date with current research and developments related to working with children and families and seek further training and professional development as appropriate
· To attend to the physical needs of the children including nappy changing, toilet training/supervising and feeding.
Key Expectations
- Partnership with Parents
- To maintain good working relationships with parents and to develop an understanding of the diverse needs of individual families and communities
- To carry out home visiting when it is deemed appropriate or necessary to do so
- To foster and maintain relationships with parents as partners in their child’s care, development and learning
- To work with the pre-school manager and school staff to provide a range of relevant opportunities for parental support and involvement
Resources
- To ensure the safety of equipment and premises and to report any defects to the manager and / or site team using the correct procedure
- To ensure all toys, equipment, rooms and play areas are kept safe and hygienic at all times and as clean and tidy as practicable
- Staff Management and Teamwork
- To work co-operatively as part of a team and where necessary provide cover for other pre-school staff
- To attend and participate in staff meetings and training sessions
- To assist in the planning and amending of staff rotas / deployment to ensure the correct ratio is maintained at all times
- To assist in pre-school staff training, motivation and appraisal
- To play an active part in the induction and probationary period of new staff
- To deputise for the pre-school manager as necessary
- Health, Welfare and Safety
- To assist with the development of policies and procedures and risk assessments to ensure safe, effective management of the pre-school.
- To monitor and ensure that high quality and safety standards are maintained in the pre-school at all times.
- To ensure that all accidents are attended to immediately as a trained first aider and accurately recorded reporting to key stakeholders as appropriate to the incident
- Administration and Finance
- To ensure that all necessary records for each child are maintained and to produce reports as necessary including those required for Social Care and Ofsted Teams
- To assist with publicising the pre-school including open visits from prospective users
To perform any other duties as required by the pre-school manager or school leadership team, particularly when related to the further development of an integrated service for children and families
We are looking for
• Good team player who can contribute effectively to a multi-agency approach
• Good communication and interpersonal skills
• Maths and English qualifications to at least GCSE (pass+) or equivalent (e.g. functional skills)
• Ability to work on own initiative and prioritise workload
• Willingness to continue with own professional development
• A sound knowledge of the early years curriculum and assessment
• Experience of working with young children and their families
• Experience of working in a pre-school is desirable but not essential
If you are interested in applying for this position please complete the Hampshire County Council Support Staff Application form. If you have any questions or would like to discuss the role further please contact Keira Manley, Head of Infant school at k.manley@croftonannedale-inf.hants.sch.uk.
Safer Recruitment
We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. We will ensure that all our recruitment and selection practices reflect this commitment. All successful candidates will be subject to Disclosure and Barring Service checks along with other relevant employment checks.
