Certificate III Educator | Helensburgh Community Preschool

• Maximum Term, Part Time
• 15 hours per week
• Term only Preschool

Working at Big Fat Smile, there’s a lot to smile about. The trust you’ll be given in exchange for your expertise. The freedom you’ll be given to use your judgement, adapt learning approaches, and bring creativity and playfulness to a child’s day. And the beautiful relationships you’ll form with peers, children, and families – through shared experiences that are as rich as they are rewarding.

There are lots of reasons why a role with us is rewarding

• Due to our size, there are big opportunities for those who want to go further. You’ll find meaningful career paths with opportunities for further development and promotions across our centres and head office.
• Professional learning and growth are at the heart of everything we do, from learning more about infant-toddler pedagogy, trauma responsive practice, cultural immersion and truth telling, to leadership through a neuroscience lens – these are some of the things our people have benefited from.
• Support to further your studies, such as scholarships, time off floor for coursework, study leave, paid prac and more.
• Save money with our Perks Hub which has great deals and discounts from over 500 major retailers and the biggest brands, including groceries, cinema tickets, clothing, homewares, tech, travel and more.
• Access to our Wellness Hub which has a wealth of curated content focused on your wellbeing, plus monthly health and wellbeing webinars, free flu vaccinations and more.
• A holistic approach to your wellbeing with our employee assistance program, including counselling, First Nations clinicians, health assessments, financial and legal support, and a dedicated manager hotline.
• Save with a 60% discount on early learning and care and out of school hours care services.
• Focus on what matters most because you have support from head office specialists and expertise, such as safeguarding, inclusion professionals, and pedagogy and practice specialists.

Right now, we’re looking for a Certificate III Educator for our Helensburgh Community Preschool. Located centrally in the middle of town, our preschool offers a natural play space including natural cubby houses, vegetable patch, mudpie kitchen and large sandpit.

Experienced, long-term staff have made a commitment to remain updated on new and emerging research. They are encouraging emerging literacy, numeracy and STEM skills and utilise technology within a variety of experiences. We believe that preparation for school is much more than expecting a four-year-old child to sit and complete a stencil, they are capable of much more than this.

We do believe that, along with any life transition, preparation for the change of attending school is vitally important. We have an extensive transition to school program, work closely with our local schools and will always inform families of important dates and events that will help children be emotionally prepared for the changes that will occur.

Lastly by utilising the team of Big Fat Smile “creatives” such as musician, artists and nature play experts we enhance our programs.

As an Early Childhood Educator, you’ll play a critical role in shaping young minds. You’ll create happy, healthy relationships between a child and the most important people in their lives. You’ll bring fun, laughter and play to each day, but most importantly, you’ll create magical moments for children to experiment and grow.

What your work will involve

• Providing quality education and care to all children
• Contributing to planning educational programs that supports a child’s learning to meet their goals
• Building strong relationships with children, families, and the community

What you need to succeed

• Commitment to making sure the children in our care are safe and healthy
• Dedication to improving the lives and minds of children, families, and the community
• A fun-loving attitude and big smile!

Our commitment to safeguarding children

Safeguarding children is at the heart of every decision, policy and practice at Big Fat Smile. And we have a zero tolerance towards child abuse, harm and neglect.

This starts with ensuring the people we select to work here will contribute to our child safe culture. So during the recruitment process we conduct a range of pre-employment checks. To assist us with this, you will need:

• A cleared valid for paid work, NSW working with Children’s Check (WWCC)
• A cleared National Criminal Record Check
• Demonstrated commitment to protecting all children from abuse, harm and neglect.
• Demonstrated commitment to cultural safety for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and families.
• Evidence of completion of the National Child Safety Training Foundation Course
• Details of a minimum two referees, where one must be a manager or supervisor at your current or most recent workplace.

How to apply

Please send us:

• A copy of your resume
• A brief cover letter that outlines why you are a good fit for the role

At Big Fat Smile we are deeply committed to Reconciliation and encourage Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people to apply.

Big smiles and bigger opportunities

We’re Big Fat Smile. A not-for-profit that plays a pivotal role in the lives of thousands of children and families across Australia. We’re early education enthusiasts, with 40+ community preschools, long day care and out of school hours care centres, and a variety of community and inclusion programs. Each one dedicated to giving every child the best start in life. And each well-respected for the work it does.

Join us and you’ll be smiling too, when you make more of a difference.