Co-educator Diploma Qualified

**Position Co-Educator - Diploma or Cert 111**

**Positions are based at Lake Park Kindergarten and Newlands Preschool**

**Award VECTEA - 10 weeks of paid holidays**

**Reports to Service Coordinator/ Nominated Supervisor**

**Supervises NIL**

**Program Early Years - Kindergarten**

**Merri-bek Early Years Management (MEYM) Vision**
- **MEYM is a thriving, diverse organisation where innovative educators deliver the best kindergarten programs and children and families are at the centre of everything we do.**_

Merri-bek Early Years Management Incorporated is a not-for-profit Early Years Management organisation servicing the Merri-bek community. MEYM has a Board of Management, and the General Managers oversee the operational management of the six early years services it currently manages.

MEYM was created in response to a desire in the community for a locally based, responsive and collaborative early years manager. Moreland is a diverse and ever-growing community and through our partnerships within the community, MEYM is growing to respond to community, family and children’s needs. MEYM’s values of respect, collaboration, integrity and diversity are reflected in our interactions within the community and shared by our staff.

At MEYM, we understand that our staff are our greatest asset and we provide support and opportunities for all staff to grow and thrive in their roles.

We are committed to child safety. We want children to be safe, happy and empowered and have zero tolerance of child abuse. We understand our legal and moral obligations to treat all concerns seriously and to report allegations and concerns about a child/ren’s safety and wellbeing to authorities.

We are committed to the cultural safety of all children including Aboriginal children, children from culturally and/or linguistically diverse backgrounds, and to providing a safe environment for children with a disability.

**Position Description**

The Co-educator will be required to attend staff and other meetings outside of usual business hours. Staff will be paid for these hours.

All staff may be asked to work across all of our MEYM services if there are staff absences.

PD_CE Last updated: 250822

**Role Purpose and key responsibilities**:
The purpose of the Co-educator at Merri-bek Early Years Management (MEYM) is to:

- Assist in the implementation and evaluation of the curriculum that supports children’s agency and provides teaching and learning opportunities that are child led.
- Assist with the development and provision of an educational program that is responsive to each child’s learning, growth, development, interests, and knowledge. This program is to be developed in consultation with the broader service community, the parents and families of children attending and the ECT in charge of the program and be responsive to the needs of the cultural and linguistic background of the children and the broader community.
- Support the teacher to implement learning spaces and environments for children that are flexible, open-ended, child directed and provide opportunities for children to access range of materials/resources that extend their learning
- Work cooperatively as a member of a team to provide a responsive and innovative children’s programs to effectively achieve the learning goals for individual children.
- Operate in a professional manner at all times and ensure that the service meets the requirements of the Education and Care Services National Law Act 2010 (National Law), Education and Care

Services National Regulations 2011 (Regulations), relevant curriculum frameworks, Quality

Improvement Plan and policies and procedures of MEYM and the service.

**Key responsibilities**:
The responsibilities of the Co-educator is to:

- Be responsible to MEYM, in partnership with the service and the early childhood teacher for assisting in planning and delivering programs for the children that are responsive to children's interests, learning, growth and development in the group/s in which they are working.
- Contribute to the planning and documentation requirements involved in delivering a responsive, child-focused and innovative children's program including, but not limited to, supporting the extension of children's learning within the program delivery, preparing program documentation, planning learning experiences and reflecting on the program and your professional practice.

Quality Improvement Plan and policies and procedures of MEYM and the service.
- Understand and practice in accordance with the Victorian Early Years Learning and Development (VEYLDF), the Early Years Framework (EYLF), the National Quality Standards(NQS) and Framework (NQF) and ensure all practices with children, family members, staff and other members of the community and profession align with requirements of these key sector documents.
- Work in accordance with all MEYM Policies and Procedures.
- Positively represent and advocate for the service and MEYM