Job Title: Early Years Practitioner

Reports to:  Head Teacher, Duchal Nursery School

Hours:

Working hours approx 20 - 30 hours per week term time: (plus in-service days).

Term dates and further information about the nursery can be found on our website www.duchal.com 

Key Tasks: 

Use professional experience and knowledge to complement planning and implementing the Curriculum for Excellence and, where appropriate, Pre-Birth to Three.

• Set up challenging and stimulating learning situations indoors and outdoors to help children develop skills of sharing, co-operating, organising and problem solving.

• Implement and adhere to nursery policies and procedures at all times.

• Promote and safeguard the welfare of the children at all times.

Observe and interact with children in order to support their learning and contribute to record keeping of children’s progress via e-learning journals.

• Listen, talk and respond to children in a range of learning contexts.

• Provide encouragement, give help when needed and show appreciation of children’s efforts.

• Record relevant observations of individual children’s progress and achievements to share with parents, staff and others.

Collaborate with others involved in children’s learning and development (parents, carers, teaching staff, health visitors, etc.) whilst at all times maintaining confidentiality.

Use arrival and departure times to build a rapport with parents/carers and share information.

Keep up to date with early years initiatives and developments (e.g GIRFEC, Realising the Ambition, Setting the Table etc) and participate in continual professional development by attending workshops and external courses.

Participate in all aspects of team work within the Nursery including preparation and care of resources, maintenance of cleanliness and hygiene, and contributing to staff discussions.

Share own areas of expertise or specialist knowledge, such as music, drama, sports, nutrition, environmental studies.

Prepare materials/resources in such a way as to enable children to make clear and thoughtful choices.

Display collections of items (children’s work, books, growing thing) to encourage and extend children’s questions and investigations.

Carry out risk assessments of play equipment before and after use.

Undertake such domestic chores as are necessary for the efficient running of the nursery e.g. preparing snack.

Undertake procedures relating to the personal care and hygiene of individual children where necessary.

Contribute to staff discussions on a range of issues at staff meetings to ensure the smooth running and continual development of the nursery.

The above is intended to provide a description of the key tasks and activities of the job.  Duties and responsibilities attached to jobs may change from time to time without changing the general character of the duties or the level of responsibility entailed.