Employment & Staff Training

South Hill Park Pre-school is an equal opportunities employer and follows national employment guidelines, seeking legal advice through the Early Years Alliance where necessary.  We work towards an equal opportunities employment policy, seeking to offer job opportunities equally to both women and men, with or without disabilities, from all religious, social, ethnic and cultural groups.

All staff, committee and regular volunteers are checked by the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) and are required to subscribe to the update service. Each member of staff is also  asked regularly, at their supervision meetings, to sign to confirm that they have not been involved in any criminal activity.  All staff complete a half-term probationary period.  All staff are issued with a contract stating terms and conditions of employment in accordance with the Contract of Employment Protection (Consolidation) Act 1978 as amended by the Employment Act 1980 and 1982.  A blank copy of this document can be seen on request by any member of the Pre-school.

We encourage all staff to work towards Early Years qualifications. South Hill Park Pre-school is currently a graduate-led setting where at least half of the staff during any session will hold the required Level 2 qualification or above as set down in Ofsted guidelines. We aim to exceed this requirement, with 80–100% of qualified staff during each session.

Adults working in the Pre-school, whether on a paid or voluntary basis, will be entitled to induction training by a qualified member of staff.  All members of staff are given the opportunity to work within all aspects of the Pre-school on a rota basis.

Staff must show a commitment to ongoing training; our budget includes an allocation towards training costs.  Termly individual supervision meetings ensure that needs for in-service training are identified and acted upon. The Pre-school is a member of the Early Years Alliance and staff have access to online training via Educare. All staff are required to train in basic food hygiene, first aid and safeguarding as part of their induction and to update these regularly during their -employment with the Pre-school.

Regular meetings provide opportunities for staff to undertake curriculum planning and to discuss the children’s progress and any difficulties.

Last reviewed: July 2023