JOB DESCRIPTION

TITLE: / Early Years Educator/ (Specialist Teaching Assistant (4)- Early Years)
SCHOOL:
RESPONSIBLE TO: /

Headteacher/ Foundation Stage Manager

GRADE: / L7

PURPOSE OF POST:Under the overall direction of a teacher, bring to bear a professional knowledge and provide a lead role in training and developing the skills of the School’s Support Team, Teaching Assistants and other staff and stakeholders to address the personal, social and educational needs of pupils in the Foundation Stage/Reception within the framework provided by the six key areas for early years practitioners:

  • Personal, social and emotional
  • Knowledge and understanding of the world
  • Communication, language and literacy
  • Problem solving, reasoning and numeracy
  • Creative development
  • Physical development

ORGANISATION CHART:

Headteacher,/Foundation Stage Manager

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Early Years Educator/Specialist Teaching Assistant (4)(Early Years)

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Teaching Assistants

PRINCIPAL RESPONSIBILITIES: %

1. / Provide training and development activities for other adults, including the provision of parenting classes in the community. Coach, train, induct, monitor and mentor other Teaching Assistants in the Foundation Stage/KS1 and act as their representative in liaising with teaching staff and management. / 20
2. / Work with other staff to develop appropriate and short, medium and long term plans for pupils in the Foundation Stage/KS1, evaluating and adjusting learning activities as appropriate, fully supporting the transition between Foundation/Reception/Y1, and ensuring the provision of enhanced learning opportunities which develop the child to achieve early learning goals. / 20
3. / In the classroom situation, work with and direct whole classes (including cover and PPA), individuals, and small groups of pupils, supporting both the indoor and outdoor curriculum. Respond appropriately to pupils to encourage and motivate as necessary in order to keep pupils on task and ensure that their development is consistent with their personal development plan. / 20
4. / Contribute to the on-going assessment and manage the system of recording of pupil development and achievement. Contribute to the discussions on progress with other staff members, pupils and parents/carers. / 10
5. / Take a lead role in managing and delivering pastoral support and one to one support to pupils, ensuring that their personal needs are recognised and provide advice to assist in their social, health and hygiene development. Manage the supervision of pupils excluded from, or otherwise not working to, a normal timetable.
/ 10
6. / Develop and maintain constructive relationships with external agencies, e.g. social services, which aim to serve the needs of pupils. Take a lead role in managing the effective transfer of pupils across phases/integration into mainstream education/ KS1. Where appropriate act as lead professional in multi agency work for vulnerable children. / 10
7. / Make a professional contribution to the development and implementation of appropriate strategies for the early years and in the development and monitoring of systems relating to child development. Undertake continuous professional development to ensure a full awareness of such strategies and systems. / 5
8. / Ensure that the Teaching Assistants supporting the nursery/Foundation Stage/KS1, and other staff, maintain awareness and comply with policies and procedures relating to child protection, administration of medicines, early years, child development and health and safety, reporting all concerns to an appropriate person. Represent the school at meetings, internal and external, where appropriate. / 5

DIMENSIONS:

Supervisory Management:Teaching Assistants; training, developing and coaching others.

Financial Resources:N/A

Physical Resources:Classroom materials, equipment and resources

Other:Safeguarding children

CONTEXT: All support staff are part of a whole school team. They are required to support the values and ethos of the school and school priorities as defined in the School Development Plan. This will mean focussing on the needs of colleagues, parents and pupils and being flexible in a busy pressurised environment.

Because of the nature of this job, it will be necessary for the appropriate level of criminal record disclosure to be undertaken. Therefore, it is essential in making your application you disclose whether you have any pending charges, convictions, bind-overs or cautions and, if so, for which offences. This post will be exempt from the provisions of Section 4 (2) of the Rehabilitation of Offenders 1974 (Exemptions) (Amendments) Order 1986. Therefore, applicants are not entitled to withhold information about convictions which for other purposes are ‘spent’ under the provision of the Act, and, in the event of the employment being taken up, any failure to disclose such convictions will result in dismissal or disciplinary action by the Authority. The fact that a pending charge, conviction, bind-over or caution has been recorded against you will not necessarily debar you from consideration for this appointment.

Disclosures are handled in accordance with the DBS Code of Practice which can be accessed via

Teaching Assistants (Early Years) might be found in any Infant School, Nursery or Foundation Stage Unit. They will be the specialists on Early Years in that institution. In some settings the specialist Teaching Assistant will be involved in the supervision of other staff. In others their role will not involve supervision, but they will be the resident ‘expert’ and lead on child development in the early years.

This is a Higher Level Teaching Assistant role. A Teaching Assistant at this level will take responsibility for pupils. S/he should be involved in promoting the acceptance and integration of pupils with special educational needs. They might also be involved in the assisting of pupils for whom English is an additional language.

The postholder’s performance will be measured against the Ofsted national standards for early years practitioners. In a specialist role in a nursery, the Foundation Stage or KS1, the postholder will undertake their duties within the framework provided by the six key areas for early years practitioners.

The school is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and expects all staff to share this commitment.

Physical Effort: The job is likely to involve some lifting of children and equipment on a regular basis. Training will be provided. The role will also involve, as necessary, dealing with violence and restraining children.

Working Environment: There could be a frequent requirement to deal with vomit and bodily fluids when children are unwell.

Person Specification

This acts as selection criteria and gives an outline of the types of person and the characteristics required to do the job.

______

Essential (E) :- without which candidate would be rejected

Desirable (D):- useful for choosing between two good candidates.

Please make sure, when completing your application form, you give clear examples
of how you meet the essential and desirable criteria.
Attributes / Essential / How Measured / Desirable / How Measured
Experience / Substantial experience of child development and working with children age 0-5 in a pre-statutory, school, care and/or educational setting.
Demonstrable experience in working with parents to support their child’s development.
Demonstrable experience of safeguarding children procedures and processes.
Experience of working in a school environment is essential for this post. / 1,2
1,2
1,2
1,2 / Some experience of delivering a curriculum for children with SEN.
Some experience of providing counselling/pastoral care. / 1,2
1,2
Skills/Abilities / Able to undertake curriculum planning and implement policies, monitoring outcomes and recording and assessing learning against plans.
Able to contribute constructively to the work of a team.
Able to build and maintain constructive relationships with pupils and parents/carers.
Literacy skills – able to read, understand and differentiate written material within relevant curriculum; able to draft policies and guidance.
Numeracy skills – able to add, subtract, multiply and divide to support pupils in accessing relevant curriculum
Able to co-ordinate, motivate, performance manage, develop and lead a small team.
Able to communicate at a range of levels, eg with children, parents, other professionals etc. and to facilitate training activities/presentations to adults
Able to converse with ease with members of the public and provide effective help or advice in accurate and fluent spoken English / 1,2
1,2
1,2
1,2
1,2
1,2
1,2
1,2 / Basic IT skills, eg word processing, database, spreadsheets. / 1,2
Competencies / Able to demonstrate appropriate motivation to work with young people.
Able to form appropriate relationships with young people.
Emotional resilience in working with challenging behaviours.
Appropriate attitudes to use of
authority and maintaining discipline. / 1,2
1,2
1,2
1,2
Equality Issues / Able to recognise and act upon discrimination / 1,2
Specialist Knowledge / Demonstrable knowledge of relevant policies and codes of practice and child development and able to relate this to practice.
Demonstrable knowledge of the Early Years curriculum and the Early Years Foundation Stage. / 1,2
1,2
Education and Training / NNEB or BTEC or NVQ level 3 in childcare or an equivalent qualification.
Meet Higher Level Teaching Assistant standards (NVQ Level 4) or equivalent early years qualification or equivalent experience.
Willingness to undertake cpd and to undertake specialist qualifications at NVQ4 and above / 1,2,4
1,2,4
1,2 / First Aid Certificate
Foundation Degree in Early Years / 1,2,4
1,2,4
Other Requirements / Willing to be flexible in scheduling where/when work will take place between home/school/other environments.
Ability to attend some evening meetings (eg parents’ evenings/ governing body meetings) – circa 3 per year. / 1,2
1,2
1,2

( 1 = Application Form 2 = Interview 3 = Test 4 = Proof of Qualification 5 = Practical Exercise )

We will consider any reasonable adjustments under the terms of the Equality Act 2010 to enable an applicant with a disability (as defined under the Act) to meet the requirements of the post.

The Job-holder will ensure that Luton Borough Council’s policies are reflected in all aspects of his/her work, in particular those relating to;

(i) Equal Opportunities

(ii) Health and Safety

(iii) Data Protection Act (1984 & 1998)

The School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and expects all staff to share this commitment. Applicants must be willing to undergo child protection screening appropriate to the post, including checks with past employers and the Disclosure and Barring Service.

CVs will not be accepted for any posts based in schools.

1Date JD last reviewed:

Date of JE Panel::