About the business and the role
Woollahra Little School is a long-established early childhood centre, operating since 2017, and committed to supporting the care and overall development of every child in our community. We believe childhood is a unique and valuable stage of life, and our program is built on play-based learning, hands-on experiences and strong relationships. Our educators create a warm, stable environment that feels like an extension of the home, encouraging independence, self-expression and thoughtful communication. We value collaboration with families, uphold high standards of hygiene and nutrition, and provide a nurturing space where each child can grow with confidence.
Job tasks and responsibilities
- Sets up the Toddler Room each morning and throughout the day with the resources and equipment the planned experiences require — messy play trays, sensory materials, art supplies, book corner rotations and outdoor gear — and keeps the room's stock lists current so nothing runs short mid-week.
- Designs and runs the Toddler Room’s weekly experiences, from small-group sensory and construction play through to music, movement and story sessions, planning around the interests the team has observed in individual children.
- Leads the room’s reading and games sessions, choosing books and simple turn-taking games suited to one- to three-year-olds and using them to build early language, listening and shared attention in a group where many children are pre-verbal or just beginning to speak.
- Holds active supervision of the Toddler Room at all times — indoors, on the outdoor deck and during transitions between the two — positioning herself and directing the placement of other educators so every child stays in sight and within reach during free play and physically active experiences.
- Runs the Toddler Room’s daily rhythm of arrivals, morning tea, indoor and outdoor play blocks, lunch, rest period and afternoon departures, adjusting timings for individual children’s sleep and feeding patterns as agreed with their families.
- Oversees the room’s personal care and hygiene practices, including nappy changing and toileting routines, handwashing before and after meals, and the cleaning and sanitising of bottles, cots, mats and high-touch surfaces in line with the centre’s hygiene procedures.
- Guides toddlers through the social side of the room — sharing, waiting, joining in and separating from parents — and responds to biting, pushing and other typical toddler behaviours with consistent, positive strategies, coaching other educators to use the same approach so children experience predictable responses.
- Monitors each child’s wellbeing across the day, noting signs of illness, injury, unsettled behaviour or possible developmental delay, recording observations in the centre’s system and raising concerns with the Centre Director and the family.
- Supervises the educators rostered to the Toddler Room, allocating daily tasks, setting break rotations and maintaining educator-to-child ratios for the 1–3 age group at all times.
- Mentors and coaches Toddler Room educators, trainees and students on placement, modelling practice on the floor, giving feedback in the moment and identifying training needs to discuss with the Centre Director.
- Leads Toddler Room team meetings and represents the room in centre-wide staff meetings, so programming decisions and family updates carry consistently across the service.
- Conducts daily indoor and outdoor safety checks of the Toddler Room and its play spaces, removes hazards, and reports maintenance items and equipment faults for action.
- Applies the centre’s policies and the NQF regulatory requirements within the room, including incident, injury, trauma and illness records, medication administration, allergy and dietary management, sleep and rest practice, and child protection reporting obligations.
- Oversees mealtimes and nutrition in the room, checking that meals served match each child’s dietary and allergy requirements and that food safety and allergen procedures are followed.
- Serves as the day-to-day contact for Toddler Room families, sharing daily updates at handover, holding progress conversations about each child’s learning and settling, and inviting family input into the room’s program.
- Assists the Centre Director with operational matters affecting the room, including enrolment and orientation of new toddlers, transition planning into and out of the Toddler Room, roster input, and resource and equipment ordering.
Skills required
- Relevant Diploma in Early Childhood Care and at least 1 year of relevant post qualification experience
- Strong understanding of early childhood development and play-based learning
- Excellent communication skills, with the ability to encourage self-expression and positive social behaviour
Pay: $85,000.00 – $95,000.00 per year
Benefits:
Work Location: In person
