In this article, we’re going to run through the specifics of the Room Leader’s Job Description - who they are, what they do, what they are responsible for, who reports to them (and why) and what performance metrics we expect them to deliver
Key Information |
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Post Title |
Room Leader |
Direct Report |
Nursery Manager |
Indirect Report |
Deputy Manager / Third in charge |
Works with |
Other Room Leaders |
Line Manages |
All staff within the room they supervise: Deputy Room Leaders, Qualified early years teachers (level 3 +), Trainee Teachers (Level 2+); Teaching Assistants (Unqualified in training); Assistants (Unqualified personnel not in training) |
Performance targets & Evaluation |
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Probation |
6 Months during which time probationary assessments must be passed, digital training programmes completed and positive peer review secured |
Type |
Full time permanent contract |
Progression |
Third in Charge |
Required Qualifications & Certificates |
Essential: Relevant childcare qualification to level 3 or above; Up to date DBS; Pediatric first aid; Safeguarding training; Food Hygiene; SEND; Fire Safety; A positive approach to gaining further qualifications and trainings. |
Responsibilities |
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Skills: |
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Experience |
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Person Specification |
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Safeguarding |
Hatching Dragons is committed to employing the most rigorous vetting procedures to ensure that its staff are the most qualified to care for its children. For full guidance, see our application form online (http://hatching-dragons.com/nursery-jobs) |
Safer Recruitment |
Candidates will be expected to follow the following safer recruitment steps prior to appointment:
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Purpose of Role |
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To ensure that the Room for which you are responsible always meets the compliance requirements of safeguarding and welfare (see Section 3, Page 16-31) and the learning and development requirements (see Sections 1 & 2, Pages 7-15) of the EYFS Statutory Framework and is met to Outstanding practice upon review |
Areas of Responsibility |
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Areas |
What to Do (Policy Requirement) |
When |
How (Procedural Guide) |
Systems |
Leadership, Management & Quality Control - 10% - See Quality Control Policy - The Room Leader is primarily responsible for ensuring his / her team and room is driving towards Outstanding through effective leadership and management of room improvements. See Outstanding Practice as outlined in pages 28-44 of the Ofsted early years inspectors handbook. |
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Room Improvement Plan |
To develop, monitor and update your Room Improvement Plan to ensure we’re working towards Outstanding in all areas |
Monthly |
Update Room Improvement Plan on weekly and monthly basis, setting tasks for the team to achieve on on-going basis through team meetings. Photo and share with manager each month |
Google Docs |
Inspection Test |
Prepare the room and team for Ofsted / Inspections from central team through on-going tests of policy knowledge and practice inspections. |
Quarterly |
Test staff knowledge through policy matrix test and run through Inspection Checklist / IMprovement Plan |
Google Docs |
Room Organisation / Cleanliness |
To ensure that your room is tidy, presentable, inviting and reflective of current planning / education and staff information and children |
On- going |
Deploy staff to tidy after each activity, ensure toys / items are returned to the appropriate place and boards for parent information are maintained in line with Cleaning Rota |
Trail / Photo evidence |
Team building |
To hold staff meetings once / week to discuss issues arising (children starting / welfare / holidays / deployment / policy) |
Weekly |
Use Room Meeting template to on Bamboo HR to complete and send to manager |
Bamboo HR / Google Docs |
Monitoring Standards |
Ensure staff adhere to terms of Code of Conduct, Staff Language Policy; Dress code & safeguarding policies (e.g. on mobile phones) and confidentiality policies with parents. See Monitoring Staff Policy |
Daily |
RLs should use probationary tracker templates & peer on peer observations & policy knowledge matrix tests to measure staff. Take photo and share with manager |
Bamboo HR / Trail |
Health & Safety - 10 % - see General H&S policy. R/Ls hold overall responsibility for the Health & Safety standards within their room. It is an on-going requirement requiring diligence and a culture within the staff team to ensure that standards are constantly met and risks mitigated. See Citation training modules. |
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Risk Assessment |
To have lead responsibility to undertake daily room risk assessments to ensure room is safe for the day. See R/A policy |Safety Checks policy |
Daily 0800 |
Fill out R/A log file in Daily task list in Trail / advise RL on any risks identified and highlight to manage via nursery slack channel |
Trail / Slack |
Food Hygiene |
Ensuring that fridges / food meet H&S Requirements under Food Hygiene & Healthy Workplace policies and that children’s allergies / dietary needs are met with appropriate coloured placemats (red | white | yellow | green) |
Daily (Pre- Open) / Lunch & Meal times |
Check temperature probe of fridge and input into Trail log file Use temp probe for food and log in daily food hygiene log file at lunch / meal times Ensure children have appropriately coloured placemats to disclose dietary / allergy |
Trail / Log File |
Fire Evacuation |
To have lead responsibility to organise / coordinate and deliver weekly fire drills to ensure procedures are met. See fire policy |
Weekly |
Evacuate children to congregation area, taking evacuation bag and walkie talkie. Take roll call and liaise with manager and update log template with performance |
Trail / Log File |
Cleaning |
To delegate to staff team to ensure: Playspace is cleaned / setup between activities; toys and surfaces are cleaned / sanitised; Children’s linen is clearly labelled and cleaned; Separate and remove refuse for recycling; (See healthy work place & cleaning and Environmental policy) |
Daily Weekly End of Day Daily / Weekly |
Cleaning Rota on wall to share tasks. Toys: antibacterial wipes / bath for all toys and update log Cleaning linen logs to be updated Refuse separated into separate bins (general / recycling / clinical) & removed to bins Take photo of updated logs & share with manager |
Trail / Log File |
Medication |
To check the contents of both the medication cabinet and the evacuation bag to ensure contents are up to date and full |
Monthly |
Update Medication Cabinet Check log to ensure contents are not out of date / fully stocked, take photo and share with manager |
Google Photo |
Child Welfare / Safeguarding / Protection - 10% - see Safeguarding Policy. Room Leaders hold overall responsibility for ensuring the safety for the children in their room including the safeguarding duty of care we have. They can depute below actions to subordinate staff but must sign off on logs and checks to ensure that activities are happening in line with policy |
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Intimate Care Routines |
To ensure that nappy changes and toilet trips are delivered according to Respectful Care, Intimate Care, Nappy Change & Health & Safety / Infection Control Policies in terms of cross contamination. All children must have accurate nappy logs & nappy change needs daily cleaning Caring for babies & toddlers // Sleeping policies must also be met |
Daily |
Review nappy change records for each child (EY Man) Update cleaning log by nappy change station ad share with manager via Google Photo Review sleeping logs for each child (EY Man) and inspect sleeping area during Risk Assessment |
EY Log |
Accidents |
To ensure that the Accident & Injury policy is met within your Room and that the Supervision policy is delivered by your staff team to minimise risks |
Ad Hoc |
Record Accident on EY Log / Man and report to manager. Monitor accident log for consistent issues. Remind staff on deployment in room to minimise incidents/ risks |
EY Man |
Incidents |
To ensure all incidents (including behavior) are logged and managed consistent with Behaviour Management , Biting and Incident policies |
Ad Hoc |
Update Behaviour Management log and Child incident log template, Share with manager |
Trail / Log file |
Medication |
To ensure child medication as administered in line with medication policy |
Ad Hoc |
Update administering medication log, ensure parents sign take photo and share with manager |
Trail / Log File |
Visitors |
Ensure visitor management policy is met - collections only granted to those with permission to collect child |
Ad Hoc |
To be vigilant of supervising visitors to your room |
Sign In App |
Outings |
To ensure that the outings policy is met and that during outings all aspects of health & safety are considered |
Ad Hoc |
- Undertake Outings R/A for each outing - share with manager - Ensure evacuation bag is full and mobile phone communicated to manager along with location / emergency contacts checked - Manage staff formation |
Trail / Log File |
Safeguarding |
To ensure all children’s safeguarding in room is met in line with Safeguarding Policy |
Record issues on safeguarding log template and share with manager |
Email / CPOMS |
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Child Management - 5% - See Supervision policy for more information. |
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Settling In |
To ensure settling in policy is met and all new starters, including parents, receive a full and comprehensive introduction to the school, the team and our policies |
Ad Hoc |
To deliver the Settling In Checklist and provide parents / manager with annotated updates on Settling Form. Share with manager via Google Photo |
Trail / Log File / Google Calendar |
Transitions |
To ensure that the transition policy is met and all new transitioning children are given the same process as with a settle |
Ad Hoc |
Attend preliminary meeting with parent and manager Attend “Settling” Sessions in new room Fill out transition form and share with manager |
Trail / Log File / Google Calendar |
Room Staff Management - 25% - See Monitoring Staff Behaviour | |
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Inductions |
To induct new starters and agency staff into room structure / intro to team and run through routine of day. See induction policy |
Ad Hoc |
To run through room induction checklist, secure signature from new starter, photo and share with manager / HR to update staff file |
BambooHR / Google Calendar / Trail |
Deployment |
To monitor and manage staff:student ratios throughout the day being aware of occasions where Single Worker is possible |
Daily |
Report gaps to manager via Slack / Internal Comms channels (walkie talkie etc) |
Deputy / BambooHR / Walkie Talkie / Slack |
Key Worker |
To be responsible for maintaining an equitable split of key worker : child numbers between the staff in line with competence and experience - see policy |
Ad Hoc |
Maintain Key Worker lists on staff boards |
EY Man / Log |
Attendance |
To notify the manager of late attendance of staff against deployment, or late return from lunch |
Daily |
RL’s to use Slack on tablets to notify manager of any on-going issue via Direct Message |
BambooHR / Deputy / Slack |
Probationary Assessments |
To ensure that new starters receive regular end of week feedback with targets set for improvement and to make recommendations on performance to management. See Probation policy |
Ad hoc |
Undertake routine testing of staff knowledge on policy evaluation matrix with notes issued to the manager on performance. |
BambooHR |
Supervision & CPD |
To provide your staff team with ad hoc one - on ones for feedback on their performance against job description and policy knowledge |
Ad hoc |
Use Bamboo HR Pre-built signature forms for staff to complete |
Bamboo HR / Google Calendar |
Holidays / Sickness |
To notify manager of any holiday / sickness discussions as they arise |
Ad hoc |
Request / report to manager |
Bamboo HR |
Learning & Development - 30% - See Bilingual Policy, Pedagogy Statement and our Approach to Learning and Development / Annual Planning Cycle |
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You are responsible for delivering the overarching educational frameworks for your room, ensuring that children are exceeding expectations through inspirational activities that are geared towards their collective and individual learning intentions. |
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Key Person |
To act as key person to a limited number of children in your room and assign the majority to your deputy and qualified practitioner staff. |
On-goign |
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Bilingual Model |
Ensuring that our bilingual policy and Our Approach to Education to is delivered |
Weekly |
Review Weekly class schedules to identify rotating Chinese / English practitioner schedules for activities and depute to staff for activity plans to be drafted |
Trail / EY Log |
Baseline / Formative & Summative Assessment |
Undertake baseline assessment for all new starters and to oversee formative & summative assessment outputs for all children in room (along with your own Key Children) |
Weekly Termly |
Quality assure, review and publish observations drafted by floor team (1 / child / week) Review and publish Summative reports / Learning Journeys every 3 months |
EY Log EY Log |
Planning / Focussed activities |
Responsible for delivery and development of weekly and monthly educational planning for the room, liaising with Manager and staff team on timetable and approach, ensuring compliance with our bilingual model |
Weekly |
Assign staff non-contact time to undertake their planning and review in line with policies Submit weekly planning schedules to manager for review Oversee development of one activity plan / week |
Google Calendar Editable PDF |
Materials |
Providing manager and central team with procurement lists of materials for your planning on bimonthly basis |
Twice / month |
Submit procurement requests based on planning to manager via email |
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Parents Relationships / External Communications 10% - See Parent Communications Policy; Complaints Policy; Late Arrival / collection Policy |
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Parent Handover |
Ensure that key worker undertakes handover to parents at the end of the day. If significant instances occur (e.g. accident or incident), your should also attend handover. |
Daily Daily |
Ensure that practitioners give full handover in line with handover checklist Ensure all children in room have digital daily diaries completed each day |
Verbal EY Log |
Confidentiality |
To ensure your staff team maintains professionalism in maintaining standards in communication with parents - see confidentiality policy |
Daily |
RLs should notify manager immediately if staffer breaks policy |
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Complaints / Compliments |
To be initial point of contact for all parent feedback (verbal) |
Ad hoc |
Advise parent of Complaints Policy and inform management / central team |
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Events |
Plan and prepare room activities to follow nursery event schedule, showcase the room by presenting the best practice on floor |
Ad hoc |
Ensure event risk assessment complete for your room take photo and share wilth manager |
Google Photo |
Marketing Collateral |
Data Collection: Ensure high quality and meaningful pictures/videos are captured each week. |
Weekly |
Use Google photo to share marketable information to digital@hatching-dragons.com ensuring that permissions are reviewed so that only photos and videos of children permitting material are published |
EY Log |