Room Lead (Hillside Children’s Centre)

ABOUT HACKNEY EDUCATION

Hackney Education provides a range of services to support the education of children, young people and adults in our inner London borough. Hackney is one of the UK’s highest performing local authorities, serving one of London’s best places to live and work. Within our diverse borough we serve a wide range of children and young people. We have a particular focus on supporting less advantaged families: Hackney figures in the 10% most deprived boroughs in England on a number of measures.

Hackney Education’s key priority is to improve the life chances of every child, young person and learner: making Hackney the most forward looking education system in the UK, where schools, settings and partners provide an exciting environment which ensures inclusion and success for everyone. We see our borough as being one of the best places in the country for young people to grow, learn, develop and achieve –and one of the best places for colleagues to work and thrive in our education system.

PURPOSE OF THE POST

• To support the Senior CC Officer and Qualified Teacher in all aspects of the delivery of the daycare element of the Children’s Centre and provide managerial cover in their absence.
• To assist the Senior in ensuring the provision of high quality integrated care and education for children.
• To collaborate as part of the overall staff team in providing an integrated play, care and education for children aged 0- 5 years (including Forest School Education).
• To take responsibility for work of staff in your base room and with an assigned age group of children.

MAIN DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Deliver outstanding service

• To assist in the planning for the effective management and operation of the day-care element of the Children’s Centre, based upon a clearly communicated philosophy.
• To ensure the service provides high quality integrated care & education.
• To plan and provide an inclusive programme of activities that will meet the educational and development needs of all the children attending the setting.
• To assist the Head of Centre, the Senior and other colleagues in the planning for and the effective management and operation of a high quality daycare service of the Children’s Centre.
• To plan and provide leadership for an inclusive programme of activities and daily routines that will meet the individual educational and developmental needs of the children in the assigned age group.
• To provide a planned, safe and stimulating environment at all times and to ensure adequate staffing ratios are maintained in lead room environment.
• To represent the nursery at external meetings as required.
• Support, line manage, complete supervisions and PDRs and identify training and development opportunities for staff in group room.
• Provide positive challenge and address the under performance of staff in group rooms.
• Work with all managers, to ensure that the Centre meets all required Ofsted standards to ensure a satisfactory or better outcome.
• Ensure the delivery of the Early Years Foundation Stage, working with QTS staff.
• Ensure that all team members take responsibility for the organisation and preparation of a range of appropriate activities that reflect the nursery’s curriculum.
• Ensure all room staff observe and record the developmental progress of individual children and prepare reports as directed by the Head of Centre and the Senior CC Officer.
• Work as a team with colleagues in mapping the overall programmes of activities and experiences for children.
• To modify or extend the activities to ensure individual needs are fully met.
• Oversee the introduction and settling process for children and families into the centre, including initial home visit (accompanied by a colleague) with parents and giving initial information on centre policies.

Increase service quality and performance

• To assist in ensuring that the Centre’s aims, objectives and policies are implemented, monitored and evaluated.
• Help to promote understanding of the aims of the nursery among the children, their families and the wider community.
• To be responsible for managing staff as directed by the Senior CC Officer, including supervision and appraisal.
• To motive, inspire and provide vision and expectations for team in group room.

Identify opportunities for personal and professional development

• To participate in one to one supervisions and appraisal with line managers and to promote and sustain their own personal and professional development.
• Jointly organise and participate in small group workshops, staff meetings, and staff training sessions as appropriate.

Identify opportunities for innovation/new business development

• To support the development of the nursery as a community resource.
• To undertake additional or other duties as may be appropriate to achieve the objectives of the post and as directed and deemed appropriate by the Line Manager.
• To contribute new ideas, better ways of working and identify areas for improvement and bring solutions.

Make best use of resources

• Prepare the learning environment, assisting in the organisation of the room arrangement and resources. Valuing and displaying children’s work.
• To promote staff development and help to ensure the needs of staff are met through the provision of opportunities for continuous professional development and training or through modelling good practice.

Develop strong relationships across teams and with partners

• To work in collaboration with managers and other relevant staff to ensure the provision of a range of services to families.
• To foster and develop good relationships with parents and carers and ensure that planning for their children is in partnership with them and to be responsible for ensuring that parents are welcome in the centre.
• To foster and develop good relationships with parents and carers and share information regarding welfare and routines for children, including face to face communications and maintaining well-kept display boards.

Reflect best practice and ensure compliance

• To ensure the service provides high quality integrated care & education and successfully meets the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage and the Welfare requirements.
• To ensure a high standard of health and safety is maintained.
• To work within the centre policies and procedures and Children’s Centre and the Hackney Education.
• To undertake additional or other duties as may be appropriate to achieve the objectives of the post and as directed and deemed appropriate by the Line Manager.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

Qualifications:

• Minimum QCA recognised Early Years / Childcare Level 3 qualification or equivalent.
• First Aid or Health and Safety qualifications (desirable).
• EYP Status (desirable).

Experience:

• Significant post qualification experience in managing including some management experience.
• Experience of record keeping, monitoring, programme planning and report writing in a clear and concise manner.
• Experience of the preparation OFSTED inspections, preferably in daycare.
• Experience of providing a broad curriculum.
• Experience of working with children in a culturally diverse environment.
• To be committed to working with children within the setting even when main responsibilities are concerned with a target age group.

Knowledge/Skills:

• Good knowledge of child development.
• Knowledge of good practice in many elements of a daycare service.
• Sound working knowledge of current legislation and procedures relating to the Children Act 1989, registration, OFSTED inspections and Child Protection.
• Knowledge of requirements of H&S, food hygiene practices & procedures.
• Knowledge and understanding of effective team work, including staff and working positively with parents/carers.
• Ability to jointly, with the staff team, work within the framework of the EYFS to achieve a good quality curriculum for the nursery.
• Ability to prepare clear information for staff, parents/carers both written (including use of ICT) and oral.
• Ability to liaise with parents and other professionals in respect of children with special educational needs.
• Ability to work as part of a team and actively participate as a team member.
• Ability to provide management cover for daycare/ nursery.
• Ability to foster good relationships with staff, children and parents/carers.

To view the full job description, please click here –>Hackney Education – Room Lead – Hillside Children’s Centre