Rainbow Nursery
Job Description
Job Title Nursery Play Buddy
Hours 9.15- 4.15 Mon- Fri. 32.5 hrs per week.
Basis Permanent and throughout the year – this is not a term time only position.
Salary National Living wage / Voluntary Living wage age dependant
Line Manager Nursery lead
Responsible to Childcare Services Manager
Accountable to Daisy and Rainbow Childcare Board of Trustees
Location Rainbow Nursery, The Mansion, Fore St, Totnes TQ9 5RP
Training / experience / Qualifications
Rationale for the Post
This could become an opportunity to acquire new qualifications and to train with us, may be your way back into a profession you left to have children of your own, or a dip into something entirely new and exciting.
This post is designed to offer a permanent post to someone who wants to engage in play ALL Day long with young children – Fun!
Background to the post
Rainbow Nursery is based in the centre of Totnes, opens each weekday from 8am-5pm and provides care for children from 3 months to 4 years old.
Daisy pre-school, our sister setting, is a term-tine only provision based at the Daisy Play Centre in Bridgetown, Totnes, opens from 9am-3pm each weekday, and provides care for children aged 2-4 years old.
The two settings in partnership, form Daisy and Rainbow Childcare which has a strong ethos towards allowing a child to explore, play and learn through open ended play, creative adventure with a core intent to support each child to develop a positive self-image. We know that a child’s family and the environment they live in will shape the child, hence we are keen to get to know the family and work with them as closely as possible.
Brief Description of the Job
This is an exciting opportunity to dip your toes into the world of Early Years. The day will be spent at play with the children at their level. You will bring enthusiasm, a sense of fun and playfulness and energy with you. You will enjoy the company of children under the age of 5 years including babies and toddlers. You will be working under the direction of the Team Lead to support play experiences for our children. You will enjoy singing, building blocks, getting messy, sharing stories, spending time outside at play and you will be happy to have a phone conversation with a child with a banana pressed up to your ear! We will ask you to sit alongside the children as they have meals with us, to enjoy the conversation with them and to support their time eating and learning about the food they are eating. In short, you will have an amazing day at play with your ears and eyes open to how your skilled colleagues are working with the children. A Chance to learn, develop your own skills and perhaps to forge an exciting pathway into Early Years Education.
Key Tasks
Play and Learning
Under the supervision and mentorship of the Team Lead….
Care Needs
Under the supervision and mentorship of the Team Lead….
Care for the Nursery Environment
Under the supervision and mentorship of the Team Lead….
General
The above is an outline of the range of duties expected of a Play Buddy for the time being to indicate the level of responsibility. It is not a comprehensive or exclusive list and duties may be varied from time to time which do not change the general character of the job or the level of responsibility.
Person Specification
E Warm, welcoming personality with a ready smile and laugh
E A playful spirit
E Ability to work with children in a warm sensitive manner.
E Ability to communicate well at all levels
E Ability to work in a team.
E Ability to recognise and respond appropriately to children’s care needs
E Ability to develop a strong and appropriate relationship with children in the care of the nursery
E Ability to respond well and learn from direction
E A commitment to equal opportunities
D Any training related to child development
D Current first aid qualification
E = essential D = desirable
To apply please complete our APPLICATION FORM
NOTE
There is no specific closing date however we recommend Early application as we look to fill this post as soon as possible as the right candidate steps forward and applies
Initial Nursery Assessment Visits and interviews to follow
Start Date - ASAP
Job Description
Job Title Nursery Play Buddy
Hours 9.15- 4.15 Mon- Fri. 32.5 hrs per week.
Basis Permanent and throughout the year – this is not a term time only position.
Salary National Living wage / Voluntary Living wage age dependant
Line Manager Nursery lead
Responsible to Childcare Services Manager
Accountable to Daisy and Rainbow Childcare Board of Trustees
Location Rainbow Nursery, The Mansion, Fore St, Totnes TQ9 5RP
Training / experience / Qualifications
- GCSEs
- Possible Level 2 or Level 3 in Early Years – not essential
Rationale for the Post
This could become an opportunity to acquire new qualifications and to train with us, may be your way back into a profession you left to have children of your own, or a dip into something entirely new and exciting.
This post is designed to offer a permanent post to someone who wants to engage in play ALL Day long with young children – Fun!
Background to the post
Rainbow Nursery is based in the centre of Totnes, opens each weekday from 8am-5pm and provides care for children from 3 months to 4 years old.
Daisy pre-school, our sister setting, is a term-tine only provision based at the Daisy Play Centre in Bridgetown, Totnes, opens from 9am-3pm each weekday, and provides care for children aged 2-4 years old.
The two settings in partnership, form Daisy and Rainbow Childcare which has a strong ethos towards allowing a child to explore, play and learn through open ended play, creative adventure with a core intent to support each child to develop a positive self-image. We know that a child’s family and the environment they live in will shape the child, hence we are keen to get to know the family and work with them as closely as possible.
Brief Description of the Job
This is an exciting opportunity to dip your toes into the world of Early Years. The day will be spent at play with the children at their level. You will bring enthusiasm, a sense of fun and playfulness and energy with you. You will enjoy the company of children under the age of 5 years including babies and toddlers. You will be working under the direction of the Team Lead to support play experiences for our children. You will enjoy singing, building blocks, getting messy, sharing stories, spending time outside at play and you will be happy to have a phone conversation with a child with a banana pressed up to your ear! We will ask you to sit alongside the children as they have meals with us, to enjoy the conversation with them and to support their time eating and learning about the food they are eating. In short, you will have an amazing day at play with your ears and eyes open to how your skilled colleagues are working with the children. A Chance to learn, develop your own skills and perhaps to forge an exciting pathway into Early Years Education.
Key Tasks
Play and Learning
Under the supervision and mentorship of the Team Lead….
- provide and support play experiences with playfulness, care for the children and enthusiasm for their development.
- bring an enthusiasm for play and willingness to co-play with the children, scaffolding and developing their learning through your interactions with them.
- work directly with children aged from 3 months to 4 years old providing learning opportunities through play.
- listen carefully to children’s needs and meet them in an appropriate manner enabling children to develop and grow in a safe and caring environment.
- be able to respond with ease to the needs of all children in the nursery’s care as the nursery encourages all age groups to integrate freely across the full provision.
- work alongside a wider team of colleagues in close communication to ensure the care and play needs of all children are met.
- support, alongside your colleagues, the set up of the play spaces at the start of the day, monitor and make necessary changes to the play environment throughout the day and to ensure that the nursery is left tidy and ready for play the following day.
- take children out on visits, with senior staff, to develop their knowledge of the world around them
- Get involved with singing, messy play, garden play and storytelling sessions with small groups of children.
Care Needs
Under the supervision and mentorship of the Team Lead….
- ensure that all the care needs of the children are met – , hand washing, helping with clothes, nose wiping, and alerting the keyperson to the need to toilet or nappy change
- prepare and provide snacks for the children, sit with children, and supervise and support breakfast, lunch, and tea sessions.
- To progress being able to change a child’s wet clothes and to assist with toileting and nappy changing following a successful 3 month induction period.
Care for the Nursery Environment
Under the supervision and mentorship of the Team Lead….
- actively support the ongoing cleaning and sanitising of play resources and the environment as required
- Ensure all areas of the nursery are maintained at a high level of cleanliness – this to include filling and emptying the dishwasher, wiping down kitchen surfaces, cleaning down highchairs, tables and chairs, sweeping floors and tidying after messy play sessions.
- be responsible, alongside your colleagues, for maintaining the garden to include hosing surfaces, weeding, sweeping, emptying water containers, cleaning sand, making the space safe to play in etc
- Work with colleagues to fill the washing machine, ensure laundry is dried, folded and then ready for use
- be very alert and responsive to any potential play or safety hazards throughout the course of the day.
General
- To demonstrate anti-discriminatory and anti- racist attitudes in all areas of work
- To be able to recognise potential child protection issues and share this with the responsible keyperson
- To work to high health and safety standards
- To participate in supervision with your mentor
- To liaise effectively with other team colleagues
- Support the display of children’s work and visual resources which will aid play and learning.
- To support any fundraising and celebratory events during the working day, being willing to join in, dress up and take a part in full spirit.
- To adhere to all policies
The above is an outline of the range of duties expected of a Play Buddy for the time being to indicate the level of responsibility. It is not a comprehensive or exclusive list and duties may be varied from time to time which do not change the general character of the job or the level of responsibility.
Person Specification
E Warm, welcoming personality with a ready smile and laugh
E A playful spirit
E Ability to work with children in a warm sensitive manner.
E Ability to communicate well at all levels
E Ability to work in a team.
E Ability to recognise and respond appropriately to children’s care needs
E Ability to develop a strong and appropriate relationship with children in the care of the nursery
E Ability to respond well and learn from direction
E A commitment to equal opportunities
D Any training related to child development
D Current first aid qualification
E = essential D = desirable
To apply please complete our APPLICATION FORM
NOTE
There is no specific closing date however we recommend Early application as we look to fill this post as soon as possible as the right candidate steps forward and applies
Initial Nursery Assessment Visits and interviews to follow
Start Date - ASAP