Black Rock Pre-School is a community-managed sessional kindergarten located in Black Rock, providing a welcoming, inclusive and nurturing environment for young children and their families. We are a small service where relationships, collaboration and a strong sense of community are central to our approach. Our educators work closely together to create a consistent, responsive and engaging learning environment where every child is known, valued and supported. Our program is grounded in play-based learning, supported by intentional teaching and thoughtful educator interactions. We value educators who are curious about children’s ideas, notice opportunities to extend learning and work collaboratively to deepen children’s thinking, skills and understanding. Our curriculum draws on the Victorian Early Years Learning and Development Framework (VEYLDF) and the National Quality Framework (NQF), with a strong focus on children’s agency, wellbeing, relationships, learning and development. We provide children with opportunities to explore, investigate and learn through a rich range of experiences, including emerging science and mathematics, language, music, creativity, environmental learning and outdoor exploration. Our program also incorporates regular Beach Kinder experiences, connecting children with the local environment and community. As a community-managed kindergarten, our team plays an important role in contributing to the ongoing development of the service. We value educators who bring ideas, demonstrate initiative, engage in reflective practice and contribute positively to our team culture.
Black Rock Pre-School is seeking a passionate and capable **Diploma-qualified Co-Educator** to join our small, community-managed kindergarten on a casual basis. We are looking for an educator who understands that **high-quality play-based learning is enhanced through thoughtful, intentional teaching**. You will be someone who notices what children are exploring, recognises opportunities for learning and confidently uses purposeful interactions to extend children’s thinking, language, skills and understanding. As a Co-Educator, you will work collaboratively with our Early Childhood Teachers and educators to support the delivery of an engaging, inclusive and responsive kindergarten program. Your role will include: * Supporting children’s learning, development and wellbeing through play-based experiences * Recognising and creating intentional teaching moments within children’s play * Extending children’s thinking, language, problem-solving, creativity and curiosity through purposeful interactions * Using open-ended questions, conversations, modelling and shared thinking to deepen children’s learning * Observing children closely and using their interests, strengths and emerging ideas to inform your interactions * Knowing when to step into children’s play to extend learning and when to step back and allow children to lead * Working collaboratively with teachers to intentionally extend the learning occurring within the environment * Contributing to observations, documentation and the assessment and planning cycle * Supporting engaging indoor and outdoor learning environments that encourage exploration, experimentation and discovery * Supporting routines, transitions and effective supervision * Building warm, respectful and responsive relationships with children and families * Contributing to a safe, inclusive and child-safe environment * Working in accordance with the National Quality Framework (NQF), National Quality Standard (NQS), VEYLDF, National Regulations and service policies and procedures Black Rock Pre-School operates under the Victorian Early Childhood Teachers and Educators Agreement (VECTEA) * Employment conditions are in accordance with the **VECTEA** * Remuneration is in accordance with the applicable **VECTEA classification and casual loading** * Casual employment with the opportunity for regular shifts * A supportive and collaborative team environment * Opportunities to contribute your ideas, strengths and professional knowledge * A strong focus on professional practice, intentional teaching and continuous improvement
Applicants must have: * **Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care (or recognised equivalent)** * Current Working with Children Check * Current First Aid, CPR, Anaphylaxis and Asthma qualifications * Satisfactory National Police Check * Current mandatory reporting and child safety training as required * The right to work in Australia * A commitment to child safety, duty of care and the responsibilities of working in an early childhood setting We are looking for an educator who: * Has experience working with children in an early childhood or kindergarten setting * Understands that **play-based learning and intentional teaching work together** * Demonstrates intentional teaching through responsive, in-the-moment interactions that extend children’s learning * Is confident identifying opportunities to extend children’s learning through everyday interactions and play * Uses thoughtful questioning and conversation to encourage children to think more deeply * Is curious about what children are doing and looks for meaningful learning opportunities within their play * Understands the importance of following children’s interests while purposefully extending their learning * Is warm, approachable and genuinely enjoys working with children * Is confident working collaboratively as part of a teaching team * Communicates respectfully and professionally with colleagues and families * Demonstrates initiative and contributes positively to the program and team * Is receptive to feedback and committed to reflective practice and continuous improvement * Has a strong understanding of children’s safety, wellbeing and supervision requirements * Demonstrates a commitment to the **Child Safe Standards** and maintaining a child-safe environment
