WHO WE ARE

At Newport Lakes Childcare & Early Learning, we take childhood seriously.

We are a small, family-owned, Exceeding service built around slow, unhurried days. Slow pedagogy is something we genuinely live. Children have time to play deeply, revisit ideas, build relationships, take risks and follow their thinking without being rushed through their day.

Our philosophy is grounded in play-based learning and shaped by a thoughtful blend of early childhood theories and perspectives.

Our rooms are intentionally small, with strong staffing, dedicated programming time and well-resourced environments. We want children to have time to be children, and educators to have the time and support to do their best work.

ABOUT THE ROLE

This is a predominantly off-the-floor Educational Leader position, with protected time to mentor educators and strengthen practice across our service.

This is an active mentoring role. You will get to know our educators, understand their strengths and identify where they want to grow. You will spend time alongside them in practice, then have the time to follow their learning and development over time.

Your week will include

- Observing practice and working alongside educators in their rooms.
- Providing ongoing mentoring to Room Leaders and educators through reflection, feedback, modelling and professional conversations.
- Supporting educators to strengthen their planning cycle, documentation and child-led curriculum.
- Helping teams connect early childhood theory and theorists with what they see, plan and do each day.
- Leading critical reflection and service-wide professional discussions.
- Supporting teams to develop thoughtful environments, projects and emerging curriculum.




- Working closely with the Director across service leadership, compliance and continuous improvement.
- Stepping in as Responsible Person when required.

As Educational Leader, you will play an key role in turning this professional learning into meaningful changes in practice. WHO WE ARE LOOKING FOR

You might already be an experienced Educational Leader, or you might be an experienced Room Leader ready to take the next step into service leadership.

Because of the level of mentoring and leadership this position carries, we require a minimum of two years’ experience working as a Room Leader and/or Educational Leader.

This is not an entry-level leadership position. We are not seeking applicants who have recently completed their qualification without prior leadership experience.

We are looking for someone who:

- Has strong knowledge of early childhood theory and knows how to bring different theorists and perspectives into everyday practice.
- Loves mentoring educators and developing the confidence and capability of others.
- Has a robust understanding of the planning cycle, EYLF, NQS and critical reflection.
- Values play-based learning, slow pedagogy and child-led curriculum.
- Feels confident respectfully questioning practice and asking why we do things the way we do.




- Wants to remain present in rooms and connected with children and educators.
- Is ready to contribute to the wider leadership and continuous improvement of the service.

Bachelor-qualified applicants are encouraged to apply. We will also consider a robust Diploma-qualified educator who meets the experience requirements and has the pedagogical knowledge and leadership skills to thrive in this position. We are looking for someone who wants to know our educators, understand their strengths and work alongside them over time. Someone who will observe, question, model, encourage and challenge, and who gets genuine satisfaction from watching an educator’s confidence and practice grow.

HOW TO APPLY

Please email your resume and a cover letter of no more than one page to Briar at [email protected].

We want to hear about your experience and your thinking, so please use your cover letter to briefly address the following:

- What leadership experience have you had?
- Tell us about a time you mentored an educator and supported meaningful growth in their practice. What did you do?
- Which early childhood theorists or pedagogical perspectives influence your practice, and what does this look like in a real early childhood setting?
- What does a slow, unhurried childhood mean to you in practice?

We are interested in your experience, thinking and approach to leadership. Applicants who do not submit a cover letter addressing the questions above will not be considered for this position.

Please also note that a minimum of two years’ experience working as a Room Leader and/or Educational Leader is required.

📌 Educational Leader & 2IC (Newport)
🏢 Newport Lakes Childcare u0026 Early Learning
📍 Newport