Early Childhood Educator, Hawthorn Early Years. Hawthorn, Melbourne VIC. Childcare & Outside School Hours Care (Education & Training). Full time. $30-$36 per hour. Early Childhood Educators: Hawthorn Early Years. Hawthorn Early Years (HEY) is located in the Hawthorn Community Precinct in the Boroondara Council shire on Wurundjeri Land.

About us: At Hawthorn Early Years, we teach children to love learning so they never stop growing.

Hawthorn Early Years (HEY) is a not-for-profit community-based service that boasts spacious and light-filled rooms with lots of natural light, large outdoor spaces, a beautiful peppercorn tree, vegetable gardens, mud pits, and a communal area that houses pet turtles and fish. With a diverse range of cultural backgrounds amongst our teaching teams and children, we love exploring cultural differences, as well as embracing various holidays and celebrations throughout the year. Situated close to public transport, the local library, and primary schools, which provides opportunities to take the children out and about on excursions and to enjoy great connections with the surrounding community.

HEY values professionalism, and we are committed to investing in our staff and encouraging career progression. Our daily contexts and quality improvement practices also contribute to ongoing learning and development and, therefore, professional identity as a team. HEY employs two full-time educational leaders to support the teaching teams in recognition of the clear link between leadership and improved outcomes for children.

Our Philosophy: At Hawthorn Early Years (HEY), we recognize the importance of childhood in building the foundations for future learning and citizenship in an ever-changing world. We recognize children as bearers of rights, capable and competent of participating in society through their relationships with others. Our practices are influenced by the principles of Pikler and RIE.  HEY prides itself on being recognized as a dynamic and innovative early childhood service that is responsive to all children, both as individuals and within groups. Our teachers and educators are supporting children to develop the skills and dispositions they will need to thrive in the 21st century.

Our Vision for Reconciliation: HEY’s vision for reconciliation is that we develop an authentic national culture that recognizes the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples as the traditional owners of the land that is now called Australia. We want to be a country that represents equality and equity, historical acceptance of our shared history, and the removal of negative race relations. At Hey, we believe that reconciliation is something that should live within all of us, heart, head, hands, and spirit, auctioning this throughout all programs and environments so that all Australians can keep moving forward to a strong, respectful nation that embraces all communities together.

About the role: We are looking for a full-time educator. Working closely with your classroom team and designated educational leader, you will enjoy supporting the development and implementation of curriculum in collaboration with team members to maximize each child’s development and learning. Supporting each child to participate in the educational program. Supporting assessment of each child’s learning and development. Contributing to the development and ongoing implementation and review of the service quality improvement plan. Have a commitment to following all our Child Safety policies and procedures and adhering to our zero tolerance for child abuse and harm.

Hawthorn Early Years has zero tolerance for child abuse and any harm resulting from discrimination based on disability, race, ethnicity, religion, sex, intersex status, gender identity or sexual orientation.

We are committed to the cultural safety, participation and empowerment of all children, including those of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander backgrounds, culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds and those with a disability.

The Candidate We are looking for educators who see children as individuals who are capable and competent learners and their teaching role as working alongside children to provide opportunities that encourage, motivate and challenge children to explore and experiment in their own way and their own time.

You will have: First Aid Qualifications and up-to-date COVID 19 vaccinations. Proven knowledge of the National Quality Framework and VEYLDF. A valid Working with Children’s Check. Preferred skills. A growth mindset. Past experience working in collaborative teams. Future earning opportunity. Hawthorn Early Years is part of the first ever multi-employer bargaining group in not only the Early Years sector but across all industries. We are working in collaboration with many other peak bodies and 61 other services, Australian-wide, to ensure our employees will be the first to benefit from a significant increase in wages and supported professional development.

Benefits of Working at HEY: We are proud to share that Hawthorn Early Years is a part of the first group of employers who has signed on to be a part of the government’s new pilot program of a Multi-Employer Bargaining Agreement (MEB). Through the MEB, the government is making a commitment to subsidies a portion of educator wages to support increased educator wages across the sector. The government is still in negotiations about what exactly this will look like; however, we are hopeful that in the near future we will be able to announce a wage increase for all HEY employees.

Attractive remuneration packages with above-CSA award pay rates. Highly committed staff with excellent retention and culture. Operate each classroom 1-2 educators above ratio. Classroom are rostered as individual spaces and not as a whole service. Minimum 4 hours planning provided for all team leaders. Additional classroom planning for all educators. Childcare discounts and access to our employee assistance program. Access to paid innovative professional development, coaching and mentoring. High-quality, spacious, well-resourced environments for children and educators. Flexible work options, including monthly RDO’s for full-time staff.

Christmas closure for 2 weeks. 2 child-free days, one for packing up and one for setting up per year. 1 child-free Professional Development Day during the year. Paid first aid training. Supportive of educators undertaking further studies. Salary sacrifice opportunities.

NOTE: Never make payment to any employer, person, company, contractor or agency to get hired for a Job.

For a confidential discussion about the role, contact info@hey.org.au, 98192326