Job Description: Our Room Leaders

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

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

  1. Inspections: Ofsted / Central Team or Consultants - Good-Outstanding floor practice elements - Quarterly Inspections (30% weighting)

  2. 80% Staff positive feedback (within your room) - Quarterly Inspections (20% weighting)

  3. 95% Parent retention feedback (within your room) - Quarterly Inspections (20% weighting)

  4. 95% of Children progress to meet or exceed EYFS Development age bands - Monthly Reviews by Manager (15% weighting)

  5. 95% completion of compliance task lists and logs - on-going assessments (15% weighting)

  6. 95% punctual attendance throughout year

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

  • Room Leadership & Management - overseeing your room team and providing room evaluations / self assessments as part of quality assurance

  • Health & Safety - ensuring that room and staff are all compliant with policy at all times

  • Child Welfare / Protection - ensuring that child protection and safeguarding procedures are maintained at all times, reporting to the DSO as and when required

  • Administration - maintaining an accurate and up to date log of all statutory checks for the room at all times

  • Staff management - assisting the manager/  deputy with supervisions , one on ones with subordinates and providing assessments of staff practice on on-going basis and reporting to manager and incidence of disciplinary / grievance

  • Education & Learning - being primarily responsible for the planning of the room, to be compliant with the schools policies on bilingual leanring, working with manager and senior Chinese teachers in delivery of programmes that support our ethos

  • Formative Assessment - overseeing all formative and summative assessments for key children in room, reviewing subordinate staff output and ensuring that staff maintain strict adherence to the reporting timetable one observation / key child / week, ensuring Characteristics of Effective Learning and other frameworks are mapped on development

  • Parent Comms - managing the digital daily diaries and formative assessments through EY Log and ensuring that parents are updated via the app on all movements

  • REgistrations - ensuring that all children are registered into the EY Log system

Skills:

  • Good organisational, record keeping and planning skills

  • Excellent communication skills, with children, colleagues, advisors and parents/carers

  • A good understanding of the EYFS

  • Good written and verbal skills for report writing, maintaining child records and providing feedback to parents/carers and colleagues

  • A positive approach to learning and gaining new skills through teamwork and training opportunities

  • The ability to model, motivate and support staff

  • Problem-solving skills

  • Basic IT skills

  • Able to plan and manage own and others workload

  • Desired – Mandarin

Experience

  • 2 years of working in a baby room (pre 2 yr old age group) in a Nursery with Ofsted rated Good to Outstanding inspection history

  • Experience of caring for, or working with children aged aged 6 months to 5.

  • Good knowledge of Ofsted requirements for the provision of safe care to children aged 6 months to 5 years.

  • Knowledge of health & safety requirements for the environment in which children aged 6 months to 5 years are cared for

  • Experience of working in small team, supporting colleagues with peer on peer observations.

  • A commitment to the provision of high quality childcare.

  • Being able to deliver a tough message in a fair way

  • Supporting  nursery marketing events experience

Person Specification

  • Punctuality

  • Patience

  • Reliability and trustworthiness

  • A positive approach to inclusive practice with children, parents and colleagues

  • Enthusiasm for working with young children

  • Flexibility – occasionally working hours might be changed, e.g. if the the setting host marketing events

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:

  1. Registering Interest - submitting a response and cover letter to this advert

  2. Telephone screen - to provide principal assessment to your suitability

  3. Application Form - submitting their CV in full to the ATS (BambooHR) with mandatory questions fulfilled

  4. Referencing - referencing will be submitted for candidates who are processed through to interview & trial so that job offers can be expedited

  5. Invitation to Formal Interview & Trial - Post review of submitted certificates and safer recruitment information you’ll be invited to a formal interview and trial at one of our schools

  6. DBS Application & Conditional Job offer - post interview provisional offers, conditional on clear DBS, will be made

  7. Contracting - issuance of final contracts for signing

  8. Onboarding Pack -induction and onboarding pack issued by HR Management System, BambooHR


Purpose of Role

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


  

Organisational Culture: Personality / Attitude and Approach

It is critical that we get the right mix of people with the right skills and expertise to deliver the quality we need but it all hinges on the team, culture and attitude we take to work and to each other to make it happen. As such, every staff member is invited to evaluate their Manager, Management Team, Themselves and at least two of their peers against the following principles, which we, as a company, believe reflect the values of the company - values that we are trying to teach our children so should be able to demonstrate ourselves

Respect & Courtesy - for the Company, for your colleagues and yourself in how you communicate / behave

Compassion & Understanding - of your needs and those of others in how you communicate / behave

Team Work, Support & Collaboration - helping others do what needs to get done

Proactive Positivity - being solutions oriented, not problems focussed 

Praise & Encouragement - congratulating peers on work and providing positive constructive feedback on where they can improve

Pragmatic Professionalism - Maintaining confidentiality, ensuring policy and applying restraint in how your communicate


Areas of Responsibility

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

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.

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

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

Child Management - 5% - See Supervision policy for more information. 

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

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

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. 

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

   

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

Email

Parents Relationships / External Communications 10% - See Parent Communications Policy; Complaints Policy; Late Arrival / collection Policy

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 

Email

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

Email

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