Early Years Practitioner

EARLY YEARS PRACTITIONER - Full Time | Term Time Plus | From January to June 2025

Fixed Term - From January to June 2025

9am to 6pm, Monday to Friday

Term Time Plus - to include pro-rata of 3 weeks Holiday Club working during school holidays.

Salary - £20,782.90 annually based on Scale Point 18 (£24,000.56) of St George’s Support Staff Scale. Salary is pro-rata to reflect the fixed term period of work (£11,973.91 for Spring and Summer terms)

Closing date - 5th January 2025

Interviews - W/C 13th January 2025

Job Purpose

• To be responsible to the Head of Junior School and Nursery in contributing to the delivery of the designated curriculum and to provide a service compatible with good practice in the education and care of children within the policies and systems laid down by the School, HMiE and the Care Inspectorate;
• To be responsible to the Head of Junior School and Nursery in contributing to the pastoral care of Nursery children and for monitoring and recording their overall development progress and to report regarding routines, planning and supervision of the children attending After School Care;
• To promote a stimulating environment which balances education and care for children, meeting their individual needs and those of their families, enabling each individual to achieve his or her potential.
• To share responsibility with team members for ensuring that resources and registers for After School Care are in place each day, allowing for the smooth running of this section of the school day.

Accountable to

Head of Junior School and Nursery

Package Description

• Reduced school fees and wraparound care at St George’s School
• Pension Contribution
• Staff lunches
• Access to school buses on school bus routes for all staff (small charge payable)
• Professional learning and development opportunities
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Generous annual leave entitlement
• Cycle-to-work scheme
• Opportunity to benefit from the use of the many school facilities; libraries; sports facilities etc
• Death in service benefits all staff
• Opportunity to join our community and contribute to social, music, drama and other events and activities.

Main Responsibilities

Key Responsibilities

To the Children:

• To work with the other members of the After School Care team to ensure the children in their care are happily engaged in the different activities and programs offered each day, indoors and outdoors.
• To create a supportive and caring ethos in all aspects of the Nursery environment in which individual children are encouraged and supported to develop self-esteem, self-confidence and respect for others;
• To provide an appropriately challenging and stimulating educational environment with the child at the centre, where individual children are encouraged to reach their full potential;
• To be actively involved in a programme of development with the children in relation to their self-help skills, toilet training, toileting, dressing skills, personal care and eating skills and, where children have not yet developed these skills, to provide care and support for them;
• To encourage children’s language and communication development and be aware of ways to stimulate language and communication through play, books, stories, alternative communication systems and by personal interaction;
• Where appropriate, to act as a key person for a group of children by taking the lead responsibility for them, ensuring they are comfortable and secure in their surroundings and are afforded every opportunity to acquire and develop skills appropriate to their age and ability;
• To support the development of individual skills, utilising interests and expertise in music, drama, movement, arts and crafts, literature and environmental studies, or other skills and interests, as appropriate, and to use these to assist in the delivery of the curriculum;
• To encourage children’s development in other curricular areas where relevant and! work in ! a support capacity with specialist teachers from other areas of the school;
• To encourage children to participate in the preparation of snacks and simple meals and, when involved in supervising mealtimes, to be aware of the emotional, personal and social developmental opportunities this process presents;
• To support children in using ICT as part of their learning. To use ICT where relevant in preparing resources, providing formal and informal reporting on children’s progress using our electronic and online systems, supporting children’s skill development and other work-related activity.

To the Junior School and Nursery Department:

• To take part in departmental meetings and in-service days as required by the Head through the Head of Junior School and Nursery;
• To attend open mornings/afternoons/play mornings as required b y the Head through the Head of Junior School and Nursery in order to provide support to colleagues, families and children with regards to transitions and the positive promotion of the Nursery in general;
• In addition to term times, to work an agreed pro-rata period in Holiday Club which runs out with term time, and to contribute to the smooth operation of Holiday Club. Any additional hours worked during Holiday Club above contractual hours will be reimbursed monetarily;
• To be committed to working in an environment which promotes social and cultural inclusion and be aware of the particular requirements of children with additional needs;
• On an individual or team basis to be aware of and act on any additional support needs (for example, learning, dietary, medical, emotional and/or behavioural) and provide appropriate care and support through implementation of individual care and learning plans, with the guidance of the Head and Head of Junior School and Nursery, within the policy guidelines of the School (e.g. Behaviour Management);
• To promote equality and be aware of diversity issues ensuring that every child experiences a supportive and caring ethos;
• To work in a collegiate manner, respectfully communicating and showing support to other members of the Nursery and After School teams. To be prepared to participate in agreed rotational duties as required by the Head of Junior School and Nursery to ensure the smooth operation of the Nursery and After School Care;
• To communicate responsibly and promptly with the Junior School Leadership Team through the Head of Junior School and Nursery if matters arise concerning a child’s welfare or development;
• To be responsible as an individual or as part of a team for setting up equipment and working with children in both indoor and outdoor play areas, to lay out and clear playrooms and outdoor play areas. To contribute to the care and maintenance of equipment and apparatus including visual and aural aids;
• To participate in duties and activities the majority of which will be undertaken in the Nursery and After School Care settings (for example playrooms, Junior School and outdoor areas). Some planned activities may be undertaken elsewhere in the community;
• To contribute to the planning and be responsible for groups of children on organised outings and to escort children on bus runs in accordance with the Health and Safety Guidelines of the School including the completion of any necessary documentation;
• To adhere to the advice outlined by the Care Inspectorate and followed by the Nursery with regards to ratios of children and staff, both when in the Nursery environment and on external trips/outings;
• To assist in securing a safe, secure and hygienic environment for children;
• To attend to the immediate/basic need for comfort and care of children when injured/ill, completing appropriate record keeping in accordance with Nursery and School policy;
• Where appropriate, to provide basic good practice advice and support to volunteers, learning assistants and students;
• To provide visiting specialists with information for their records;
• To prepare and plan in advance for a weekly allocation of non-contact time, which is in addition to non-contact times before and after the main Nursery day. To understand that this additional non-contact time will only be afforded when the nursery is operating within its ratios;
• To be involved in the purchasing, utilising, maintaining and cataloguing of appropriate resources associated with the delivery of the curriculum through, for example, making recommendations on required purchases based on judgements of children’s needs.

To the Whole School:

• To work with colleagues to promote and maintain high standards of behaviour throughout the School;
• To contribute to the planning and implementation of a curricular programme which meets the needs of the individual and is in line with guidelines and standards, through attendance at planning meetings, the delivery of agreed programmes of activity and the production of appropriate records, reports and evaluations;
• To contribute to the development of an outdoor curriculum, which takes into account risk and play opportunities for the development of children. To show willingness to work in an outdoor environment as part of daily routines and activities;
• To observe, record and report on individual children’s progress in line with the School’s policies and procedures. To use observations, in consultation with the Head where appropriate, for the development! of ! individual care and learning plans where necessary;
• To contribute to the building of developmental profiles of children in an educational setting through the use of observations and other appropriate methods of assessment, recording results, being jointly responsible for maintaining records pertaining to each individual’s care and development, recognising that such profiles are available to parents and appropriate colleagues and other professionals with parental approval;
• To contribute to the delivery of an effective education and care service in line with the pre-determined policies and procedures of the School. To work as a team member and establish good and effective relationships with the children, staff and parents;
• To contribute towards the completion of transitional records;
• To participate in appropriate staff meetings and training sessions in order to ensure the smooth and effective operation of the Nursery and After School Care;
• To participate in staff development and review;
• To keep professional knowledge up-to-date;
• To undertake a programme of continuing professional development activity, in line with School policy and procedures, based on an agreed plan which will support and improve individual and group skills, knowledge and ability in furtherance of the provision of an effective service;
• To maintain high personal standards of punctuality and appearance;
• To seek the Head’s authorisation for any anticipated absence from School; to give as much notice as possible of unavoidable absence through illness.

To the Parents:

• To seek to build relationships with parents to promote partnership;
• To liaise and work with parents, other members of the School team, other establishment! s and agencies in relation to the delivery of the curriculum and the welfare and development of the children;
• In doing so, to be sensitive to circumstances at home and in the family by working in partnership with parents and carers towards the care and education of their children;
• To be prepared, on occasion, to communicate in a lead role with parents and include them in the development of their child.

About our Nursery

• Link to ‘About our Nursery’ and Introduction to Nursery Video - https://www.stge.org.uk/nursery
• Tour of Nursery, Learning through Play, Parent Testimonial Videos - https://vimeo.com/showcase/8315804

About the school/organisation >

As Edinburgh’s only all-through independent school for girls aged 3-18, St George's is a place of possibilities: where everyone is clearly heard; pupils feel empowered to be themselves; and innovation is constantly encouraged.

The courage of our founding mothers, who pioneered women’s education in Victorian Scotland, still echoes defiantly through our corridors. That’s why amplifying the voice of every girl remains part of our DNA today as a loyal school community with a unique spirit of pride. < ;/p>

Over 90% of our girls achieve their first-choice post-school destination: leaving us as robust, empathetic change-makers, ready to take on the world…