Joanna, childcare - EH19 Bonnyrigg

I qualified as a Nursery Practitioner in 2013 and working in a private nursery from June 2013 to October 2014. I decided to have a career break from childcare and developed my administration skills, moving to the Royal Hospital for Sick Children in November 2014 and then onto the Royal Infirmary. Having had an almost two year break I am looking to get back into childcare and I think this would be a good first step.

Whilst at college, I worked in a private nursery, two council nurseries and a primary school so I have extensive knowledge and experience with children of all ages. During my college years I learnt about Pre-birth to Three, Cirriculum for Excellence and Getting It Right For Every Child. I have had first aid training through my job roles and college, food hygiene through college and working in a supermarket and I am a member of Disclosure Scotland / PVG Scheme.

When employed in a private nursery in Edinburgh, I worked in the Tweenie Room (toddlers aged one to three) with around 23 toddlers on average per day. I was responsible for seven key children, updating their folders with observations, pictures and artwork, arranging meetings with their parents to discuss progress and development and helping transition to the pre-school room. I had regular meetings with my Head of Room, ensuring that our room was up to date and displays were complete and bright for children and parents to see.

I also spent time in the Baby Room (aged three months to one year) and Pre-School (aged three to five years), helping with activities, outdoor walks and play, lunch and snack time, story time and sleeping after lunch.

I was responsible for keeping our diary up to date with staff and children’s holidays, planning weekly rotas, our monthly and daily activity planning sheets using a child’s observation and ensuring our room was kept tidy and clean and daily cleaning sheets were filled in, in our main room, bathroom and garden. I had regular meetings with our manager to discuss my own progress, that of the room and my key children.