Lead Practitioner

If you are offered a EYP role, you will receive a £500 recruitment bonus after successfully completing your 3 month probation period.

We are looking for an experienced Lead Practitioner to join our nursery in Westcroft.

This is a full time position 40 hours per week between the hours of 07:00
-18:15.

Acorn at Westcroft is situated in the Westcroft District Centre, and is adjacent to our training centre where we host training for our staff and other early years professionals. The nursery has three outdoor play areas, giving children the opportunity to free-flow indoors and outdoors to access a full range of activities. Acorn places a strong emphasis on outdoor play and learning, and the children will be outdoors at some point every day, whatever the weather.

Included in our fees are regular Forest School sessions. These exciting educational experiences are suitable for pre-schoolers and are delivered by fully trained forest school leaders and offer an innovative approach to outdoor play. We are very fortunate to have Howe Park Wood on our doorstep, which we visit regularly.

The Early Years Lead Practitioner role is a steppingstone into more senior positions and will allow for leadership skills to be developed through direct and ongoing support from senior staff. Excellent leaderships skills are crucial for senior positions and the Early Years Lead Practitioner role will help develop these essential competencies.

The Early Years Lead Practitioner is a role suited to those with a good amount of practical experience within an early years setting, who is beginning to demonstrate ability to lead, support and nurture others within a team and is an excellent role model to others, including apprentices, volunteers and students. The candidate should have at least a level 3 qualification in early years and taken on at least one additional role, such as an Acorn Mentor, Health and Safety Rep, Employee Forum Rep etc.

The ideal candidate should have an eagerness to learn and develop their leadership skills with the support of senior staff and be keen to progress and develop their career with Acorn.

• To support a holistic approach to the curriculum
• To ensure basic care needs of individual children are met
• To ensure a high level of emotional well‑being among children
• To have a good understanding of Acorn’s ethos, values, policies and procedures and that they are reflected in daily practice
• To demonstrate Acorn’s ethos, values policies and procedures in your practice and be a good role model.
• A good working knowledge and practice of the EYFS, including the statutory guidance
• To have a sound knowledge of safeguarding procedures withing Acorn and for external agencies
• To carry out tasks requested
• To lead the room in the absence of the Senior or Deputy manager within the room
• To work in partnership with the Senior or Deputy within the room to ensure smooth day to day running of your group.

• To support and nurture staff in your group, in particular apprentices, students and volunteers.

• To ensure the interactions with children are high quality and based on individual interests, need and/or stage of development
• To demonstrate a positive approach to children’s behaviour working in‑line with our policy and procedure
• To ensure there are professional, positive relationships demonstrated with parents/carers
• To safeguard all children in our care following procedures outlined in Acorns policy and external procedures
• To ensure the environment offers rich, first‑hand learning opportunities for all children which accommodates a holistic approach to the curriculum, providing awe, wonder and opportunities for children to think critically and independently
• To support in making sure resources and equipment are readily available, accessible and replenished both inside and outside
• To ensure children’s interests are being met and appropriate teaching methods are being used to extend children’s thinking and learning.
• To support all staff, working as part of a team, adapting your role as necessary, and taking on specific responsibilities as required, including supporting inexperienced staff.
• To begin to take lead on aspects of the role with the support of…