Name of Employer: University of Essex Campus Services – Day Nursery
Job Title: Senior Forest School Practitioner
Salary: £21,930 per annum
Location: Colchester
How to Apply: To apply, please click on the following link where you will be redirected to our vacancies page: https://bit.ly/2n61TAJ
Job Description: Set in the peaceful surroundings of Wivenhoe Park on our Colchester Campus the Day Nursery offers high quality care and education to children from 3 months to 5 years. We are open to the general public, university staff and students. We are looking for a passionate, inspiring and motivated Forest Schools Practitioner to join our pre-school team in leading and implementing regular forest schools sessions. The setting is lucky enough to have access to the beautiful facilities and surroundings of the University of Essex Colchester Campus, including a lake, wooded areas and open spaces.
Duties of the Role: To lead, manage and motivate a team of Early Years Educators and an Apprentice Early Years Educator. This will include supervision and performance development reviews, training and development and performance management, ensuring that staff achieves the necessary standard of performance, taking corrective action as appropriate. As Senior Forest School Practitioner, you will be responsible for the smooth running of the Forest Schools, monitoring health and safety risks making necessary changes to the environment if needed and ensure that staff follow Health and Safety guidelines at all times.
Additional duties include:
- To ensure the forest schools ethos and approach is embedded within the day to day running of Forest schools
- To be flexible in times of emergency and staff absence to ensure there is adequate cover.
- To create a development plan for Forest Schools that underpins the Ofsted Self Evaluation Form.
- To respond to any parental complaints in a sensitive and timely manner, seeking advice from the Nursery Manager, Head of Early Years Practice and the Deputy Manager as appropriate.
- To challenge unprofessional behaviour ensuring you are an excellent role model at all times.
- To provide cover for other Senior Early Years Educators as required.
- Selling the nursery service to prospective clients effectively delivering high standards of care and provision during Forest Schools sessions and answering any queries and by attending marketing and promotional events as required.
- Host regular meetings for your team and facilitate staff training.
- To be involved in the training of students and apprentices, and cooperate with student projects.
- Assist the Nursery Manager, Head of Early Years Practice and Deputy Managers in implementing staff rotas / lunch cover as required.
Person Specification: Skills and qualifications required
In order to be successful, you must have completed the following qualifications and training:
- NNEB or NVQ Level 3 Childcare or equivalent
- Level 3 Certificate in Forest School Programme Leadership
- Minimum GCSE Grade C, or equivalent, in English and Mathematics
- First Aid training (Appropriate for Forest Schools)
- Level 2 safeguarding training.
It is essential that you have experience of working with all age ranges under 5, along with the understanding of Early Learning Journals and record keeping. You will have experience of managing and motivating a small team of staff and have the ability to manage the performance of staff effectively, within a multi-cultural environment. You will also have the ability to communicate clearly and effectively with children, parents and colleagues.
You must have the ability to undertake the physical aspects of the post with a flexible approach to working. You must also have the ability to fulfill the requirement of a DBS check
