Job title: Children's centre teacher
Employer: Leeds City Council, Early Years Service
Location: Bramley Children's Centre, Leeds, West Yorks
Duties
Children's centres offer quality care and education for young children alongside services and support for families in the community.
My role as children's centre teacher is to have an overview of the education of all the children in the centre, who range in age from birth to five years, with particular responsibility for the Foundation Stage. I lead the Foundation Stage team, working alongside staff and co-ordinating and advising on provision, planning and assessment.
Part of my role is to carry out monthly supervision discussions with staff to support them in their work and help them to develop professionally. I can also provide training in the centre, both on an individual and a group basis.
I am part of the senior management team at the children's centre so I meet regularly with the manager, assistant manager and senior nursery officer to discuss current issues and develop our vision for the children's centre in the future.
Part of the children's centre's remit is to develop and disseminate best practice, so another aspect of my role is that of partnership advisory teacher. I visit a range of non-school settings in the local area to advise and support them on issues such as quality of provision, planning, assessment and interaction. I also deliver training for both individual settings and larger groups.
Another element of my role is that of Foundation Stage Profile (FSP) moderator. This involves visiting reception classes to moderate their judgements for the FSP, and holding area meetings and training sessions for reception teachers on aspects of the FSP.
Start date
I joined the team at Bramley Children's Centre in April 2004, although I have worked as a partnership advisory teacher in non-school settings since September 2002.
Likes/dislikes
I love all aspects of my job. I am passionate about providing the very best care and education for young children and feel privileged to be part of the development of children's centres in Leeds. It's really interesting to work with such a wide range of different settings and agencies, and I learn such a lot every day from all the people I meet and work with.
I really enjoy being part of the team of partnership advisory teachers in Leeds; it's great to work with such a committed group of like-minded people in which we can share and develop ideas together.
Best achievement
Achievement for me is the progress and successes of the children and families that I work with each day. That's what makes the job so worthwhile and rewarding.
Training
My initial teacher training was a BEd degree in primary education.
Throughout my teaching career I have taken every opportunity to update my skills and feel that it is really important to continually access professional development and training.
I am currently undertaking the NPQICL (National Professional Qualification for Integrated Centre Leadership), which I am finding incredibly challenging but also very valuable in developing my leadership skills and a more reflective approach to my management role.
Career path
For the first ten years of my teaching career I worked in primary schools and gained experience teaching children in all classes, from reception to Year 6. I then spent some time teaching in nursery and realised that my passion was for the early years.
I worked in school nurseries for nine years and was Foundation Stage co-ordinator in my last post before moving to the children's centre in 2004.
Career progression
I am currently on the teachers' main salary scale plus one management allowance (under review), and am a member of the management team in the children's centre. My plans are to complete the NPQICL course in the summer, which should then give me a clearer vision of the next stage in my career.
Advice
To be a teacher in a children's centre, I would say that first and foremost you need to be totally committed to working with young children and their families. You also need to be able to work effectively in a multi-agency team and I think you need to be prepared for a process of ongoing change.
Interests/hobbies
I am very proud of my three wonderful daughters and really enjoy spending my spare time with my family. I am an active member of my church and a governor at the church primary school. I also enjoy reading and eating out, and am partial to a little retail therapy.
Further information
* NPQICL: www. ncsl.org.uk/npqicl
* Leeds Early Years Service: www. earlyyearspartnership.leedslearning.org
* Children's Centres: www.surestart.gov.uk
