For pre-school deaf children and their parents

JOB DESCRIPTION

FULL TIME EARLY YEARS TEACHER OR TEACHER OF THE DEAF

INTRODUCTION

The job description below focuses on the principal responsibilities of a Teacher of the Deaf at The Elizabeth Foundation. This position will require commitment, energy and a willingness to be adaptable, in our efforts to sustain thischarity as the centre of excellence for very young deaf children and their families.

We seek an energetic, flexible and innovative person who will help take forward and develop,in a practical as well as professional way, the work undertaken at our Family Centre in Cosham. You will need to work closely with parents and other professionals as part of the overall Elizabeth Foundation Team, and you will be responsible to the CEO.

PRINCIPAL RESPONSIBILITIES

  1. To teach and implement our programmes for deaf babies, toddlers and pre-school children. Specifically focusing on speech, language and listening development in a group/classroom situation.
  1. To provide ongoing assessment, recording and reporting on development of speech, language and listening skills of pre-school deaf children.
  1. To plan, prepare and implement teaching programmes keeping up to-date with the Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum, along with making sure that this is linked to the specialist work of the Elizabeth Foundation.
  1. To provide an ‘Individualised Education Plan’ for each child, highlighting progress and attainment and outlining specific goals and challenges targeting individual speech, language and listening levels.
  1. To contribute evidence to Education Health and Care Plans when required to do so.
  1. To provide a friendly, fun, non-threatening atmosphere in the Nursery from which children and their parents can benefit.
  1. To provide daily listening checks and continual monitoring and/or maintenance of hearing aids, cochlear implants, and other assistive listening devices, ensuring optimal listening conditions.
  1. To assist with the co-ordination of services for deaf children – working closely with all other professionals, sharing information, ideas and concerns, goals, strategies and recommendations.
  1. To share written reports with parents and all professional members associated with each child’s speech, language and listening development.
  1. To provide observation time and information to visiting professionals – specifically focusing on theMulti Sensory Aural philosophy of The Elizabeth Foundation and the daily routine of the Nursery.
  1. To provide parents with observation time during Pre-School sessionsthrough access to the observation window in each nursery.
  1. To provide parents with support and information on an as-needed basis, along with assisting with a more “formal” parent education programme.
  1. To supervise the Nursery staff as appropriate, and understand the importancefor everyone to work collaboratively, as part of a close-knit team.
  1. To supervise College/University students during work placements at The Elizabeth Foundation, providing written reports and feedback as well as pre-placement interviews and tutor-observations.
  1. To plan and organise outings for deaf pre-school children that facilitates the development of speech, language and listening skills.
  1. To take every reasonable measure to ensure the safety of all the children while in attendance at The Elizabeth Foundation. To ensure that Nursery staff are aware of First Aid procedures and know the correct way to report any accidents occurring.
  1. To be aware of and adhere to the Safeguarding policy at The Elizabeth Foundation and to ensure that safeguarding procedures are adhered to and concerns are reported and recorded appropriately; to apply for and register an enhanced DBS check
  1. To help keep up to date, The Elizabeth Foundation’s Policy documents, ensuring all procedures and OFSTED requirements are adhered to.
  1. To contribute to the overall ethos of the charity.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

Skills and qualifications
Qualified Teacher, Teacher of the Deaf or Early Years Teacher. / Essential
The ability to use formal and informal assessment techniques to track speech, language and listening development. / Desirable
The ability to support children in a small group setting / Essential
Experience and knowledge
Experience of working with pre-school children / Essential
Experience of working with parents / Essential
Experience of liaising with a variety of professionals / Desirable
Experience of teaching children with widely varying needs / Desirable
A good working knowledge of oral approaches to deaf children’s language development and education / Desirable
A good working knowledge of EYFS / Desirable
Experience of writing IEPs, Statement reports and attending TAC meetings / Desirable
Abilities and aptitudes
The ability to be adaptable and flexible / Essential
To be able to be work as part of a team as well as independently / Essential
Good verbal and written communication skills / Essential
Sensitive to the needs of others / Essential
Good ICT skills / Desirable
Keen to make progress with professional development / Essential
Values
Support The Elizabeth Foundation’s mission, aims and values / Essential

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