Media with Cultural Studies (BA) hons., Post Graduate Certificate of Education in the Primary sector (PGCE)

Skills – creativity, engaging children in their learning, following children’s interests, learning through play, Religious Education (graded as Outstanding in Section 48 RE validation in May 2011)

Expertise: YR Teacher (4 and 5-year-olds), ICT Manager

I have worked with children from a range of socio-economic backgrounds and cultures. I have also worked with EAL and SEN children.

EY Interests: creating a climate for learning, child initiated learning, the unique child, boys and writing, parents as partners

Enabling environment, outdoors, creativity, nurturing, engaging with children, organisation of resources, following children’s interests., presenting/sharing knowledge through workshops/ presentations and exhibitions with other professionals in early years community.

Outdoor play.  Continuous provision.  RRR.

Enabling Environments – creating an environment that enables the children to feel secure, to grow, to develop, and to be creative and independent with high quality continuous and enhanced provision. Child Initiated Learning and establishing routines that allow children extended periods to engage in CIL.

Developing the role of the adult during CIL ensuring all adults have the skills to support the learning by playing alongside them, making observations, interacting when appropriate and extending children with individual next steps.  

Planning from the children’s interests, enabling us to move children on individually and offering a curriculum that is exciting and relevant to the children. Individual Learning Journeys. The role of the Key Person in the reception class.

As practitioner and key-person working with children on daily basis,

organisation and planning within the setting, supporting the staff team through in-service training and induction programmes, staff recruitment and team building.  As SENCO meeting the individual needs of children and their families and being committed to inclusion. Financial management and budgeting in an increasingly difficult financial environment. Communication and relationships with parents.

Completed Foundation Degree in Childhood Studies at Winchester University. Due to start EYPS Long pathway in January 2012. Holistic, individual approach to every child within our provision.  NVQ 3 Play Work.

Management. Identifying areas for development. Team building & creating effective working relationships. Working in partnership with parents.

In a one form entry Primary school I have developed my skills in the EYFS. With a supportive head teacher our results prove that children can and do learn in an environment that encourages their own child initiated learning.

I have developed good relationships with our feeder pre-schools. We receive children from many different settings so I always prioritise those children coming as a singleton for visits.

The transition process into our school is very important and our successful Songs and Rhymes programme runs for six weeks. Visits to pre schools and a home visit are all offered. We also operate a flexible entry into school, liaising closely with parents.

BA Childhood studies currently being completed. EYP due for completion December 2011. Belief that being a pack away setting should not hinder or restrict the learning opportunities for children. Outdoor play should be ‘Big, bold and exciting’, the need for young children to take risks in their play.

Desire to encourage independence in young children. Snack routines, interested in developing boys play.

SEF- involving everyone in the SEF, practitioners, parents and children, writing the SEF - developing the SEF

Development plans - Ensuring team ownership on these  - sharing and involving parents - review and managing

Managing change - getting everyone on board – team work /team ownership

Key person - developing this role in the nursery with children aged 3months – 8 years - ensuring staff shift patterns reflect the importance of this role with the key and co-key person - putting care plans in place especially to support children’s allergies and dietary needs

Setting up a nursery from the start - writing policies and procedures -revising and developing - involving and sharing with the team

Practitioners continuous professional development - inspiring them to take on board new challenges - highlighting training needs for the nursery and individuals.

Evaluation of training - training follow up - sharing of training with the team-individual training plans and professional development plans - whole nursery training plans ensuring they meet the needs of the nursery in line with the business plan and the needs of the practitioners - ensuring training feeds from and back into staff supervision and annual appraisals

Safer Recruitment – advertising - job descriptions – application - interviewing process – induction - mentoring practitioners

Operational files - investors in Children/accreditation - investors in people

Partnership with parents - working with parents to continually evaluate what we provide ensuring we are developing all the time to meet the changing needs of our families - ensuring good communication with parents is in place-parents evenings

Flexible day care - providing hourly day care - evaluating what we provide to ensure we meet the needs of our families while being sustainable

Staffing/shifts/ratios -developing shifts to meet the needs of the nursery -flexible working for practitioners - providing high ratios - proving casual call in team to ensure staff are consistent and trained as part of our team

Planning, parent, enabling environment, PSED, developing strategies for two year olds, schemas, nurturing environment, researching in various aspects of early years well being, expanding the key carer role, presenting/sharing information, knowledge through workshops,  presentations and exhibitions with other professionals in the EY community, interested in the continuing development of home visiting,  sharing schemas with parents, supporting parents and children with special educational needs and behaviour difficulties.

Leaderships skills - managing skills - key carer - safeguarding children officer-

responsible for planning - presenting/sharing knowledge with other professionals in the early years community - attachment / settling in -  engaging with 4yr olds - organisation / zoning of learning areas - creating forms. following children’s interests - building a passionate, knowledgeable early years team. - schema behaviour / play