Early Years Practitioner
Reporting to: Headteacher/Deputy Headteacher
Location: Clapham (with travel to other locations on occasion)
Contract: Permanent
Working Pattern: Full-time (open to flexible working including part-time or term-time only)
Salary: £23,366 - £27,000 dependent on experience and qualifications
Closing date: 27/01/2023 at 10am
About the role:
As we expand, we are looking for Level 3 qualified Early Years Practitioners to join the founding team at Ark Start. In this role you will provide the highest standards of physical, emotional, social and intellectual care for all children in your care, you’ll ensure all children are safeguarded and their welfare and safety is promoted, and you’ll work to provide an enabling environment in which all children can play, learn and develop.
We are looking for people with genuine passion for young children, with the skill, creativity, commitment, energy and enthusiasm required for leading room practice. You’ll be able to take learning beyond the classroom and interact with outdoor and forest learning, cooking and gardening – this won’t just be another day in the classroom!
Key Responsibilities:
- Encouraging young children to enjoy learning about their environment through fun games and activities
- Encouraging the development of social awareness through interactions with other children
- Ensuring that classrooms and outside play areas are child-friendly and safe
- Promoting high standards of the nursery at all times to parents, staff and visitors
- Keep records of all children’s development and learning journals and share this with parents and carers and ensure all record keeping is up to date and accurate
Key Requirements:
- Level 3 Diploma in Early Years Education and Care or the willingness to work towards it
- Right to work in the UK
- An awareness of keeping children safe, noticing safeguarding and welfare concerns, and knowing how and when to take appropriate action
- A team player that can work collaboratively as well as using own initiative
View the full job description and person specification here
About Ark Start:
Our dedicated team work together to ensure that every child has a joyful, engaging and secure nursery experience and leaves us ready to start school happily and confidently. We are driven by our values in everything we do: Aim High, Be Brave, Be Kind and Keep Learning.
Ark Start is at an exciting time in its evolution. We opened two nurseries in South London last year and aim to expand our reach over the coming years. As we expand, we are looking for Early Educators to join our founding team. We are looking for someone with a genuine passion for young children and with the skill, creativity, commitment and energy to deliver excellent provision at Ark Start John Archer.
Benefits:
- A Real Living Wage Employer: We are a Real Living Wage employer with a minimum salary of £11.95 per hour for all roles in London. We also pay 11% pension contributions.
- Ongoing Learning: We are committed to providing the best development for all our staff. We close the nurseries for five days each year to focus on staff training and ensure there is protected time for training and supervision each week for every adult. We work hard to ensure there are clear career progression routes
- Annual leave: We are proud of our staff and want everyone to feel valued for playing their part. That’s why staff receive 25 days holiday each year, excluding bank holidays.
- Wellbeing: Staff wellbeing is incredibly important to us. We know that while incredibly rewarding, working in a nursery can be challenging. We therefore work hard to ensure all staff have the support and infrastructure they need to take care of their wellbeing
- Part of a Network: Ark Start is part of Ark, a charity that aims to transform children’s lives through education. Ark operates a network of 39 schools across London, Birmingham, Portsmouth and Hastings as well as a number of charitable ventures. Being part of a network means our staff get access to the opportunities, infrastructure and support of a large organisation
How to Apply:
Apply with a CV and cover letter on our online recruitment portal. Applications to be submitted by Friday 27th January 2023 at 10am but please note: we will be reviewing applications on an on-going basis and this advert may close earlier than advertised depending on the level of response.
This ATS application form should take no longer 20 minutes to complete. At any time, you can pause, save, and log back in. If you have any difficulty with meeting the deadline for application, please contact recruitment@arkonline.org
Interviews will be arranged as suitable candidates are identified, so early application is strongly advised.
Ark is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people in its academies. In order to meet this responsibility, its academies follow a rigorous selection process to discourage and screen out unsuitable applicants.
Ark requires all employees to undertake an enhanced DBS check. You are required, before appointment, to disclose any unspent conviction, cautions, reprimands or warnings under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975. Non-disclosure may lead to termination of employment. However, disclosure of a criminal background will not necessarily debar you from employment - this will depend upon the nature of the offence(s) and when they occurred. To read more about Ark’s safer recruitment process, please click this link.