Early Childhood Teacher

About Middle Park Kindergarten

Middle Park Kindergarten is a stand alone, community-run sessional kindergarten for 3 and 4 year old children. Within our close-knit community, Middle Park Kindergarten nurtures and inspires young learners to unlock their full potential. Our passionate teachers draw on their experience and the National Quality Framework to deliver a kindergarten program with four key areas at its heart. Children at Middle Park Kindergarten:

1. Feel empowered
2. Receive quality education
3. Belong to a strong community
4. Respect their surroundings

Job Opportunity

We are seeking an enthusiastic Early Childhood Teacher and Nominated Supervisor to join our fantastic team at Middle Park Kindergarten and delivery our 3-year-old Kinder Program.

We are offering a part-time position that will commence in 2026. The hours are as follows:

Monday: 8.15am to 4.15am

Wednesday: 8.15am to 4.15am

Friday:8.15am to 4.15am

Total 24 hours

Paid school holidays under VECTEA 42/52 model.

Statement of Commitment to Child Safety

The Service is committed to ensuring the safety of children and has zero tolerance of child abuse.  The Service is also committed to ensuring the cultural safety of children from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and children from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds and providing a safe environment for children with different abilities.  The Service understands its 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.

The objectives of this position are to:

• Act as the Nominated Supervisor and person in charge of the day-to-day management of the serviceand manage the service in collaboration with the CoM.
• Ensure the service provides a high-quality early childhood education program that complies with all applicable legislation and regulations, including the Education and Care Services National Law (the Act), Education and Care Services National Regulations (the Regulations) and National Quality Framework.
• Develop and deliver a high quality, developmentally appropriate educational program based on the Early Years Learning Framework for children attending the Service in consultation with the Educational Leader, CoM and the parents/guardians of the children attending the program.
• Always operate in a professional manner and ensure that the service meets the requirements of the Victorian Department of Education and Training's Kindergarten Funding while and adhering to the approved policies and procedures of the Service and its Quality Improvement Plan.

Organisational Relationships:

• The Early Childhood Teacher reports to and takes direction in the performance of their duties from the Committee of Management.
• The Early Childhood Teacher is expected to work in accordance with the Educational Leader's guidance in relation to the pedagogical aspects of the development and delivery of the program.

Responsibilities and Duties

General Responsibilities:

• Be responsible to the Committee of Management for the development and delivery of a high quality program for which they are responsible.
• Fulfill all responsibilities associated with being the person in day-to-day charge.
• Act in accordance with the authority delegated by the CoM in dealing with situations of an urgent nature requiring immediate action, ensuring compliance with the Act and the Regulations.
• Assist and perform your role to ensure the program operates within the requirements of the Regulations, the Act, the Quality Improvement Plan, policies and procedures of the Service and any other applicable legislation, regulation, standard or guideline
• Operate within the requirements of the Service's policies and procedures, as well as funding and regulatory requirements.
• Operate within the limits of the service budget allocation, financial delegation limits for the role, and financial policies and procedures of the Service.
• Be actively involved in the development and implementation of the Quality Improvement Plan of the Service.
• Encourage enrolments and provide relevant written information and referrals in accordance with the enrolment policy and procedures of the Service.
• Respect the confidentiality of information relating to families and children and comply with the service's privacy and confidentiality policies.
• Work in accordance with the standards outlined in the Service's Code of Conduct, the Code of Ethics of Early Childhood Australia, Code of Conduct of the Victorian Institute of Teaching, and the Child Safety Standards.

Specific Responsibilities:

a)     Related to children

• Develop and deliver in consultation with parents/guardians, educators and the educational leader, an educational program that is inclusive of all abilities and appropriate to the individual developmental needs and interests of the children. The program will be based on an approved curriculum framework, reflect the service's philosophy and policies, the needs of the community and be culturally respectful and appropriate.
• Display the educational program at the service and update it every fortnight at a minimum.
• Develop, record and maintain specific objectives for individual children based on regular written observations across all aspects of the child's development and share this information with parents/guardians as appropriate.
• Link specific objectives for individual children into the program plan.
• Provide a safe, healthy, and welcoming environment for children and ensure that children are supervised at all times.
• Discuss with educators working in the program/room and other relevant service staff involved in the program, the educational program being delivered, and the needs of families and children to enable them to carry out their duties effectively.

b)     Related to parents/guardians

• Actively encourage parental involvement in developing and implementing the program at the service;
• Provide regular information about the program, the operation of the service and child development for families in the form of newsletters, posters and notices.
• Communicate with parents/guardians on their child's development and progress at the service.
• Ensure that new families are appropriately enrolled and orientated at the service.

c)      Related to the program, staff and the service

• Be responsible for the day-to-day supervision of educators reporting to them;
• Hold or attend regular staff meetings as required, within paid time, to facilitate effective communication with other employees, engage in internal staff development discussions/activities, and facilitate management and programming for the service;
• Provide leadership while working as a member of a cooperative team and encourage educators who are involved in the program to contribute to the planning and implementation of the educational program;
• Share housekeeping tasks of preparation, packing up, hygiene, and safety related to the program, with other employees;
• Work cooperatively with the Educational Leader, the CoM and all other employees to ensure a safe work environment and compliance with all health and safety procedures at the service;
• Participate in regular performance development planning and evaluation meetings, and undertake professional development as required.
• Undertake the process for regular performance development planning and evaluation with direct reports and support their professional development as required;
• Comply with all VIT requirements and maintain current registration;
• Assist with the induction of new staff as required;
• Ensure Child Safe Standards are adhered to at all times;
• Keep abreast of current advances and developments relating to the provision of children's services;
• Work cooperatively with the Educational Leader in the development of the program;
• Attend meetings of the CoM as required by the Committee of Management;

Accountability and Extent of Authority

• The Early Childhood Teacher is directly accountable to the Committee of Management.
• The Early Childhood Teacher has the authority to take such action as is necessary to ensure that the safety and wellbeing of children and their families are maintained within the service and on approved activities outside the service;

Essential skills and competencies

Specialist skills and knowledge

• Have a sound understanding and knowledge of early childhood development and education;
• Have a sound understanding and knowledge of legislation, regulations and standards, including Child Safe Standards governing the operation of children's services.
• Ability to develop, document and implement a high quality, developmentally appropriate education program for kindergarten children in consultation with relevant stakeholders.
• Computer literacy and ability to use online based early years' tools.
• Ability to plan, work and manage time effectively with minimal supervision.

Interpersonal skills

• Excellent interpersonal skills and an ability to communicate effectively with children, families, other employees, professionals, stakeholders, and CoM.
• Ability to work in a cooperative, flexible and professional manner with children, families, staff and committee of management.
• Well-developed leadership and self-motivation skills.
• Ability to ensure confidentiality of information.

Essential requirements

• Qualifications suitable for an Early Childhood Teacher under the Education and Care Services National Law, Education and Care Services National Regulations and the Victorian DET Kindergarten Funding Guide.
• Be registered as an Early Childhood Teacher with the Victorian Institute of Teaching and continue to renew/maintain the registration during the course of employment at the Service.
• Must be able to fill the position of Responsible person or be nominated as a person in a leadership position or with responsibility for the day-to-day operations of the service in accordance with the Regulations if required by the Approved Provider.

• In accordance with the Education and Care Services National Regulations and service policies, hold a current

• approved first aid qualification,

• approved anaphylaxis management qualification and
• approved emergency asthma management qualification.
• Annual Mandatory Reporting Child Protection Certificate