Nursery Assistant

If you like spending your day finding the biggest puddles to jump in, searching for mini beasts, getting covered in glitter, making a muddy swamp for dinosaurs, or organising a teddy bears’ picnic in the woods then this is the role for you!

We have an exciting opportunity for a friendly and reliable Nursery Assistant. This position is located at St Andrew’s Prep School in Eastbourne. The role entails working with and supporting the Room Leader in ensuring that children receive the highest possible standards of care and education. To assist in classroom management and with the welfare of all the children in the Nursery to support their learning, and personal, social, and emotional development.

Working within established guidelines to:

• Ensure that the children are safe, secure, and happy inside and outside, whilst they are at Nursery
• Assist in the planning and teaching of the Early Years Foundation Stage framework
• Organise time and effectively use creative and practical skills with a range of material resources
• Maintain and support in the production of a welcoming and enabling indoor and outdoor environment, providing a positive context for learning
• Positively interact and support children in their play, fostering their enthusiasm for learning by offering experiences and activities that are challenging but achievable
• To act as a Key Person to a group of children in your room and observe, assess and record these children’s development, including completion of online learning journeys or similar
• To act as a Key Buddy to other children in the event that their Key Person is absent
• To assist children with personal care, including changing nappies, assisting with toileting and other associated welfare duties.
• Operate the highest standards of hygiene and cleanliness in the bedding, nappy-changing area, and food preparation areas.
• To undertake and coordinate relevant 2-year progress checks for identified children.
• To assess children’s progress, maintain records, and provide written reports to parents/carers in accordance with school policies and schedules.
• To liaise closely with parents/carers, informing them about the Nursery and its curriculum, exchanging information about children’s progress and encouraging parents’ involvement
• To understand the cultural, religious, ethical, or personal preference issues that some parents may have in relation to their child
• To work as part of that team and contribute positively to the staff team. To be a role model of good practice to other members of staff
• To look upon the department as a ‘whole,’ and if your own classroom is quiet, consider where your help could be most utilised within the nursery, e.g., end-of-day jobs in the communal areas.
• To ensure records are properly maintained, e.g., daily attendance register, medication accident and incident book, risk assessment, daily checks, care plans for children, etc.
• Maintain and clean all resources used by the children
• Work as an enthusiastic member of the team in either Pre-Prep or the Nursery, as required
• Play a full part in the life of Nursery and the wider school
• Regularly planning and implementing activities that support developing skills within your cohort
• Implementing ‘in-the-moment’ planning in line with the Early Years Foundation Stage, including the Characteristics of Effective Learning
• Reflecting on your practice, incorporating any new initiatives as appropriate and continually evaluating current Early Years thinking
• Deputising for the Room Leader during short periods of absence
• Assisting with minor incidents or accidents and ensuring that records are updated
• Any other duties appropriate to the post as directed by your Line Manager.

All staff at St Andrew’s Prep and Nursery are required to take responsibility for providing an environment in which children are safe, feel safe and can learn, whether in or outside the setting.

Working closely with the children on a daily basis means that a child may make disclosures or staff may notice indicators of possible abuse or neglect. Staff have a responsibility to be familiar with the procedure of passing on concerns to the DSL or…