Are you interested in working with small children? it's a good sector to get into! It's a growing industry with lots of jobs available and a high demand for staff.
Placing People Direct, are a recruitment company, and have jobs available in Early Careers settings, such as Nurseries across London.
Placing People Direct have lots of jobs available and are an Employment Partner of Centrepoint.
If you have experienced or at risk of homelessness, you may be eligible for support to find a job from Centrepoint. Talk to your Job, Education & Training Advisor or email jetreferral@centrepoint.org
About the Role
An Early Years Educator (or Early Years Practitioner) plays a pivotal role in the development and care of babies and young children, ensuring a safe, nurturing, and stimulating environment. The ideal candidates will be organized, patient, hardworking, and have a nurturing and caring personality. You may work in various settings, including nurseries, daycare centres, children's centres, preschools, reception classes, or as a childminder. Whether working independently or supervising others, you will deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) Framework, set by the government for the learning, development, and care of children from birth to 5 years old.
As an Early Years Educator, you should know and understand: • Children's development from birth to 7 years. • The significance of attachment. • Theories and philosophical approaches to child learning and development. • Recognize the impact of individual circumstances on children's development. • Analyse how development stages and individual circumstances affect learning, including for children learning English as an additional language.
Key Responsibilities include:
Provide a safe, stimulating, and caring environment for babies and young children.
• Perform age-appropriate physical care routines including feeding, changing, and administering medicine.
• Promote healthy lifestyles through balanced meals, snacks, and physical activity.
• Model and promote positive behaviours and help children manage their behaviour.
• Support children's learning and development in line with the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) framework.
• Contribute to planning and implementation of age-appropriate activities that promote physical, emotional, social, and cognitive development including speech, language and communication.
• Provide appropriate learning experiences and environments for individual and group needs.
• Encourage group learning and socialization. • Balance adult-led and child-initiated activities. • Develop and extend children's learning and thinking through sustained shared thinking.
Support numeracy and language development through games and play.
• Utilize systematic synthetic phonics and strategies for early literacy and mathematics.
• Promote diversity, equality, and inclusion, reflecting cultural differences and family circumstances.
• Support children through transitions and significant life events.
• Accurately carry out and record observational assessments.
• Identify individual children's needs, interests, and development stages.
• Identify and support children needing additional help, assessing progress within the current curriculum framework.
• Monitor and record the progress of each child, maintaining accurate records and documentation.
• Use formative and summative assessment to track progress and plan next steps.
• Act as a Key Person to a group of children, to help each child feel safe and secure.
Health & Safety, Safeguarding
All education sector settings are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and expect all staff to share this commitment. Candidates must have:
• An Enhanced DBS check on the update service (or be willing to obtain one).
• At least two references - including one from the last employment position.
• A Pre-employment health-check may also be required.
Skills & Attributes
Approachable.
• Committed.
• Patient.
• Creative.
• Self-motivated and able to motivate others.
• Calm under pressure.
• Well-organized.
• Team player.
• Desire to make a difference in children's lives.
• Willingness to learn and develop new skills.
• Reflective practitioner.
• Professional at all times.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Enthusiastic, positive, and flexible.
• Effective time management and organizational skills.
• Excellent attendance and punctuality record.
• Commitment to continuous professional development.
• Must perform all duties with reasonable adjustments per the Disability Discrimination Act 1995.
• Ability to handle manual tasks such as lifting children, changing nappies, and carrying toys and equipment
Qualifications
Some nurseries and jobs require a Level 2 or 3 Early Years Education.
Some nurseries enable staff to complete Level 2 or 3 Early Year Education while working.
Some nurseries ask for GCSE pass (4/C) in Maths and English or Functional Level 2 in Maths and English.
There may be some nurseries that will support you to do your Level 2 Functional Skills in Maths and English.
Find out about the Level 2 Maths and English Functional Skills.
If you are not already qualified, learn about the Early Years Qualifications and take some fully-funded online courses here.
What Next?
Click on the apply button to register with Placing People Direct and search jobs.
You can also get tips to write a CV for a job in Early Years here.
Remember, if you have experienced or at risk of homelessness, you may be eligible for support to find a job from Centrepoint. Talk to your Job, Education & Training Advisor or email jetreferral@centrepoint.org
Good luck!