Early Years Room Leader

St Josephs; Castle Point; On-site; GBP 20,000 - 25,000; Part time

Benefits offered by this job

Wonderful children

Supportive staff

Professional development

Paediatric First Aid

Job summary

St Joseph's is seeking an enthusiastic Early Years Educator to lead the nursery part-time, joining our EYFS team across Reception, Nursery and SEND Hub. The role combines Level 3 EY duties with leadership responsibilities, focusing on a warm, nurturing environment where children thrive.

You will work under the EYFS lead, plan and deliver high-quality learning, support safeguarding, inclusion, and family partnerships, and contribute to ongoing CPD.

Qualifications

• Minimum Level 3 Early Years qualification and commitment to ongoing professional development.
• Experience leading a nursery room and working within EYFS settings.
• Strong communication skills and safeguarding commitment.

Responsibilities

• Lead the nursery room part of the day, ensuring a calm, child-centred environment.
• Plan, deliver, and evaluate high-quality EYFS learning experiences.
• Support inclusion, SEND requirements, and collaboration with families.
• Supervise staff, facilitate reflective practice and staff development.
• Lead room meetings and contribute to EYFS development across the school.
• Maintain safeguarding standards and partnership with external agencies.

Skills

Leadership

Child development

Communication skills

Team management

Education

Level 3 Early Years qualification

Tools

Tapestry

Job description

We are seeking an enthusiastic, motivated and experienced Early Years Educator who will have part time responsibilities as Room Leader in our nursery setting. This is an exciting opportunity for a practitioner who is passionate about early childhood education and ready to take the next step in their career. The successful candidate will be leading the Nursery provision part time; to ensure high-quality provision within our Nursery, leading a warm, nurturing, and stimulating environment where every child can thrive. The room leader responsibility is part time, and the successful candidate will work across our EYFS provision at other times which include Reception, Nursery and Special Educational Needs Hub provision. For the right candidate, we are committed to supporting continuing professional development, including possible progression towards a Level 5 Early Years qualification., This role combines Level 3 Early Years Educator duties with part-time Nursery Room Leader responsibilities. The postholder will lead the Nursery provision during allocated leadership sessions and work across the wider EYFS team (Reception, Nursery and SEND Hub) at other times. The part-time Room Leader responsibility includes supporting the day-to-day organisation, environment and quality of provision within the nursery room, modelling exemplary practice and contributing to high-quality early education across EYFS. The Room Leader models exemplary practice, leads the nursery team with professionalism and warmth, and works in partnership with families, colleagues, and external agencies to ensure the best outcomes for every child.,

Leadership & Team Management

• Work alongside and under the strategic direction of the EYFS lead.
• Lead the daily running of the nursery room, ensuring a calm, purposeful, child-centred environment
• Provide clear direction, delegation, and role clarity for staff
• Model a supportive, approachable, and professional leadership style
• Build a positive team culture based on respect, trust, and shared vision
• Identify staff strengths and training needs through observation and supervision
• Support conflict resolution and promote positive working relationships
• Facilitate reflective practice and continuous improvement
• Lead room meetings and contribute to whole-school EYFS development

Teaching, Learning & Curriculum

• Plan, deliver, and evaluate high-quality learning experiences aligned with the EYFS
• Embed the Characteristics of Effective Learning into daily practice
• Promote sustained shared thinking, problem-solving, and independence
• Use open-ended questioning, modelling, and high-quality interactions
• Ensure the environment (indoors and outdoors) is rich, stimulating, and well-organised
• Act as a key person for a group of children, completing observations, assessments, and next steps
• Ensure inclusive practice and adapt provision for SEND pupils

SEND & Inclusion

• Work closely with families and the SENDCo to support children with SEND
• Contribute to One Plans, Support Plans, EHCP processes, and Early Help assessments
• Make reasonable adjustments to routines, activities, and the environment
• Ensure staff attend relevant SEND training and implement strategies consistently
• Liaise with external agencies and specialists

Safeguarding, Welfare & Health and Safety

• Record and report injuries or concerns following safeguarding procedures
• Work closely with the DSL and follow statutory guidance
• Maintain accurate records and elevate concerns appropriately
• Ensure all staff understand and implement safeguarding policies
• Maintain the highest standards of hygiene, safety, and risk assessment
• Ensure all statutory requirements, including ratios and registration conditions, are met

Quality Assurance & Continuous Improvement

• Carry out regular observations of practice and environment audits
• Develop action plans to improve quality and monitor progress
• Review practice in line with policies and procedures
• Ensure resources and activities are varied, purposeful, and high-quality
• Link staff targets to supervision and appraisal processes
• Monitor progress and individual performance with regular feedback

Parent & Community Partnerships

• Build strong, positive relationships with parents and carers
• Provide regular updates on children's progress and wellbeing
• Support transition processes into Nursery, Reception, and beyond
• Represent the nursery professionally at events, tours, and meetings

Professional Development & Sector Awareness

• Keep knowledge current regarding EYFS reforms, Ofsted updates, legislation, and funding
• Engage in ongoing CPD and share learning with the team
• Attend training and disseminate best practice across the setting, Please be aware that some uploaded documents may require special software such as Microsoft Word or Adobe Acrobat Reader to view.

EYFS Room Leader

• Has strong knowledge and hands-on experience of working with children in an Early Years environment
• Holds a minimum Level 3 Early Years qualification and is committed to ongoing professional development
• Has high expectations for children's learning, behaviour, and inclusion
• Demonstrates excellent communication skills and the ability to build positive relationships with children, families, and colleagues
• Is committed to safeguarding, equality, and maintaining confidentiality
• Supports and promotes the Catholic ethos and values of our school (applications from non-Catholics who support our ethos are warmly welcomed)

We can offer you:

• Wonderful children who are eager to learn
• A dedicated, supportive and motivated staff team
• A forward-thinking, inclusive school community, Level 3 Early Years qualification (minimum)
• Strong knowledge of the EYFS, child development, and safeguarding
• Experience working in an early years setting, ideally with leadership responsibilities
• Excellent communication skills with children, families, and colleagues
• Ability to lead a team with confidence, empathy, and professionalism
• Strong observational skills for assessing children and evaluating staff practice
• Ability to manage conflict professionally and constructively
• Commitment to inclusive practice and high-quality early education
• Excellent time-management and organisational skills
• Commitment to safeguarding, equality, and confidentiality
• Ability to reflect on practice and drive continuous improvement
• Paediatric First Aid

Desirable:

• Experience in a school-based nursery
• Experience contributing to SEND support plans or Early Help
• Knowledge of 'Birth to Five' assessment
• Working knowledge of 'Tapestry' software
• Level 4/5 Early Years qualification or willingness to work towards it
• Experience leading staff meetings or training

St Joseph's is part of the Assisi Catholic Trust of schools. At St Joseph's, our core values - Respect, Integrity, Service and Excellence, guide everything we do. We believe that every child is created in the image of God and deserves to be loved, known and supported to achieve their very best. As a Catholic school, showing love through all our actions is at the centre of our mission, shaping the way we learn, play, collaborate and care for one another. We are proud of our strong academic outcomes, which exceed national averages and continue to improve year-on-year. These achievements reflect the dedication of our talented staff, the curiosity and enthusiasm of our pupils, and the wonderful partnership we share with parents and our parish community. Our extensive, beautiful grounds, along with our school swimming pool, provide a unique setting for learning and play. They offer space for exploration, reflection and discovery-supporting children's wellbeing and enriching their learning experiences across the curriculum. St Joseph's is a joyful, vibrant and welcoming place where children thrive academically, spiritually and personally. All appointments are subject to safer recruitment requirements to ensure the safeguarding of children and young people. All positions will involve appropriate checks and clearances.

Salary: NJC Point 5 (£22,301.73) - paid 44 weeks per year Contract: Part-time, Permanent, Term-time only Hours: 37 hours per week Hours of work: Monday to Friday 8:30am - 3:30pm (with a 30-minute unpaid lunch break each working day) Additional Room Leader Responsibility: Fixed-term (reviewed annually). Details will be discussed at interview (NJC Point 12-14).