Education and Qualifications

I have successfully completed an Introducing Childminding Practice course, which is a part of CACHE Level 3 Certificate in Childminding Practice. Currently I am studying for a Teaching Assistant course via Distance Learning College, which is a NCFE Level 3 Accredited course. Experience/knowledge/skills I have a year experience in working as a Nursery Assistant for a private nursery. I have also been volunteering for past 6 months in a Toddler Group for a Charitable organisation.

As a Nursery Assistant I have an experience of working and caring for children under various age groups ranges from 6 months old babies to 5 years old preschoolers. I had to be a hands-on member of a staff team who provide a caring, motivating and safe environment in which babies and young children are supported and encouraged to achieve their full potential. I had to provide full practical support in the day to day running of the nursery. As a Nursery Assistant I had to develop good knowledge of children and learn what makes them happy and engaged in activities.

I had to gain knowledge of being able to instruct them in a way that they can readily understand. Whilst I have good understanding of caring and supporting children from work experience, I also have an experience of being a mother of 3 children (including twins). So over the years I have developed a good understanding of early childhood development and learning. Until recently I had chosen to leave my full-time employment to concentrate on raising a young family.

As a part of my role as Nursery Assistant , I had been provided with training to ensure the provision of a high quality environment to meet the needs of individual children from differing cultures and religious backgrounds and stages of development. There are many legislation, policies and codes of practices for supporting children and young people in the UK. Legislations such as the health and safety act Work Act, Data protection Act and Children Act are some of the main and important legislations for the schools and nurseries.

I understand that under the health and safety at work Act I have a responsibility to make sure that I carry out my duties safely without risking myself, children, visitors and other staffs. I also have to cooperate with others who have duties for health and safety by reporting any unsafe practices. The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) sets the standards to ensure that children learn and develop well and are kept healthy and safe by the schools and child care providers. There have been recent changes as simpler framework for the EYFS was published on 27 March 2012, for implementation from 1 September 2012.

The new EFYS framework sets a number of improvements such as simplifying the statutory assessment of children’s development and reducing the number of early learning goals from 69 to 17. It puts a stronger emphasis on the three prime areas which are most essential for children’s healthy development, which are communication and language, physical, and personal, social and emotional development. In my previous role as Nursery Assistant my duties also included acting as a key worker for children, monitoring their progress and sharing information about their development with their parents.

I also had specific child care tasks around the preparation and completion of activities to suit the child’s stage of development. I am IT literate and able to use word, Excel, Access, PowerPoint, Internet and Email. I am fluent (both written and spoken) in Punjabi and Hindi language. I have an ability to work well on own initiative and demonstrate a self-reliant required to work in pressurised working environments. I am also a good team player with the ability to understand group dynamics and always keen to learn and adapt to new ideas, innovations.

I am fortunate for having valuable experience both from my professional and personal life for working with children and ensuring that they are cared for in a happy, safe and stimulating environment. Now I am looking for a position that offers further knowledge, experience and long term career development opportunities. I feel I have the compassion for and understand of young pupils needs which would enable me to succeed in being an effective learning assistant. While I was in India, I taught at a primary school for over 3 years.

My work there helped me to develop my teaching skills. I supported the development of my pupils, literacy and innumeracy skills, giving more confidence. I kept written records of pupil’s progress and was better able to support them through these reports. My reports also allowed me to look at each of my pupils individually, giving them support when and where it was needed. Through my work I have also developed an understanding of the factors affecting children’s learning.

For example, my job at the early years involved planning activities, documents the progress of the children, playing with the children, supervising, reporting to the manger and meeting up with parents, working with group of children and with individual children, monitoring and display children’s work and attending staff meetings. Throughout I used my verbal and written communication skills. I feel it is important to gain the relevant training to be able to support a child’s to highest standard. Last month I just started volunteer with Rebecca cheetham nursery age group is 3 to 5 and I am gain more work experience with that age of group.

I learn more about children development and health and safety which is really good experience for me. In that sitting they preparing the children for school. I am prepared to undertake any other relevant training being offered me. I am able to work calmly and with patience. In my role as a child care worker, I understand full barriers to children’s learning and development. The barriers of learning can be visual impairment, learning difficulties, health issues, lack of confidence and low self esteem. I regard pupils as individual in their own right and respect and value each and every one.

This sets a good example for the pupils to learn. Pupils learn from adult, from example, if the pupils see that I hold door open for another member of staff and other member of staff replies by saying Thank you, the pupils see that we respect each other and therefore will follow this example. I strongly believe that education should be accessible to every one and that every pupil has the right to be included. For example: a pupil I have worked with has poor motor skills and poor hand and eye-coordination, therefore the pupil needed to use a thicker pencil and other tool.

With in my role I make sure that my setting is inclusive and where every one feels welcome and where the pupil can focus on their learning. Having considered my personal characteristics and previous work experience, I believe I have that right attitude to carry out the roles and responsibilities required for the post. I know I will vary effective in this a role. I have the right blend of personal qualities, such as; being supportive, patient and respectful, people orientated and have huge amount of motivation. I feel I am ready for the challenge and would maintain high standards role at your school.