Emali Early Learning – Littlehampton

Location: Littlehampton, SA
Position: Team Leader – Walkers Room (1–2 Years)
Employment: Full-time opportunity

Lead with purpose. Inspire little learners. Help shape the future.

Are you a passionate early childhood educator ready to lead a room and make a meaningful difference in the lives of young children?

Emali Early Learning Littlehampton is looking for a motivated and experienced Team Leader for our Walkers Room, caring for children aged 1–2 years, to lead a team of educators and create a safe, nurturing and engaging environment where little learners can thrive.

Working alongside the Centre Director and Assistant Director, you'll play an important role in guiding educators, strengthening educational practice and ensuring children receive high-quality education and care during these important early years.

What makes Littlehampton special? Our very own little animal farm, incorporated into the children's educational program! From connecting with animals to exploring nature and learning through hands-on experiences, our farm provides unique opportunities for children to develop curiosity, empathy, confidence and a sense of responsibility.

We're looking for a leader who understands the importance of relationships, responsive caregiving and developmentally appropriate learning. Someone who can bring a team together, inspire great practice and create an workplace where children feel safe, secure, valued and supported to explore the world around them.

At Emali, leadership is about more than managing a room. It's about building relationships, developing educators and ensuring children remain at the heart of every decision.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander educators are strongly encouraged to apply.

About the Role

As the Walkers Room Team Leader, you'll take responsibility for leading the day-to-day operations and educational program of our 1–2-year-old room, working collaboratively with the Centre Director, Assistant Director and wider team.

You'll be a hands-on, approachable and supportive leader who understands the unique needs of toddlers and the importance of creating a predictable, responsive and stimulating environment.

Your responsibilities will include:

- Leading the Walkers Room team to deliver high-quality education and care for children aged 1–2 years.

- Creating a warm, secure and engaging environment that supports children's emotional wellbeing, independence, confidence and development.

- Developing and implementing meaningful, play-based learning experiences aligned with the Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF) and National Quality Framework.

- Supporting educators to recognise and respond to children's individual interests, developmental stages, cues and emerging abilities.

- Promoting responsive caregiving, including respectful mealtimes, rest routines, nappy changes and transitions throughout the day.

- Leading programming, observations, documentation and reflective practice to support children's learning and development.

- Mentoring and guiding educators, sharing knowledge and building confidence in everyday practice.

- Maintaining effective room routines, organisation, communication and compliance with relevant policies and procedures.

- Ensuring active supervision, accurate headcounts, safe transitions and appropriate educator positioning at all times.

- Building strong,



respectful relationships with families and maintaining open communication about children's wellbeing, routines, milestones and learning.

- Supporting children's developing communication, movement, social skills, independence and relationships with others.

- Working collaboratively with the Centre Director and Assistant Director to identify opportunities for improvement and strengthen educational outcomes.

- Incorporating meaningful experiences with nature and Littlehampton's animal farm into the educational program where appropriate, ensuring all experiences are safe, purposeful and age-appropriate.

- Role modelling Emali's values of Safety, Kindness, Connection, Joy and Growth.

You'll help create a room where children feel a strong sense of belonging, educators feel supported and families feel confident that their children are receiving exceptional care.

Child Safety & Child Protection Responsibilities

At Emali Early Learning, child safety is our highest priority. Every educator has a responsibility to protect children and ensure child-secure practices are embedded in everyday operations.

As Team Leader, you will be expected to:

- Uphold Emali's Child Safe Commitment at all times.

- Promote an environment where children feel safe, respected, heard and valued.

- Understand and comply with mandatory reporting obligations under South Australian legislation.

- Identify, respond to and escalate concerns regarding child wellbeing, suspected abuse, neglect or other risks to children's safety.

- Follow all child protection policies, procedures and internal reporting processes.

- Maintain appropriate professional boundaries and model respectful, ethical behaviour.

- Support educators to understand and consistently implement child-safe practices.

- Maintain active supervision, safe educator positioning, effective headcounts and safe transitions throughout the room and outdoor environments.

- Ensure incidents, hazards, injuries and child safety concerns are reported, documented and managed promptly in accordance with Emali's procedures and regulatory requirements.

- Maintain safe sleep, rest, hygiene, nappy-changing and toileting practices appropriate to the age and needs of the children.

- Contribute to a culture of accountability, vigilance and continuous improvement in child safety.

About You

We're looking for someone who combines strong early childhood practice with a genuine passion for supporting toddlers and leading a team.

You will have:

- An approved early childhood qualification, such as a Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care or a Bachelor of Early Childhood Education.

- Experience working in an early learning environment, ideally with children aged 1–2 years.

- Demonstrated leadership experience or the confidence and readiness to step into a Team Leader role.

- A strong understanding of the EYLF, National Quality Standard (NQS) and National Quality Framework.

- Knowledge of toddler development, attachment, responsive caregiving and developmentally appropriate practice.





- Confidence supporting educators, providing constructive feedback and building team capability.

- The ability to plan and implement engaging learning experiences that respond to children's interests, strengths and developmental needs.

- Robust organisational skills and the ability to lead daily room routines while maintaining compliance.

- A sound understanding of child safety, active supervision, safe sleep and mandatory reporting obligations.

- Completion of federally mandated National Child Safe Training.

- A current South Australian Working with Children Check.

- Excellent communication and relationship-building skills.

- A calm, caring and solutions-focused approach to leadership.

- A commitment to professional accountability, reflective practice and continuous improvement.

Most importantly, you're someone who leads by example, builds trusting relationships and understands that the little things matter enormously during a child's earliest years.

A Little Farm with a Big Impact

At Emali Littlehampton, our animal farm is more than a special feature of the centre. It's an opportunity to bring learning to life.

Incorporated into the children's educational program, the farm encourages children to explore, ask questions, develop empathy for living things and build an understanding of the natural world through meaningful, hands-on experiences.

For our youngest learners, these experiences can provide opportunities to explore new textures, observe animals, develop curiosity and experience the world through their senses.

As Team Leader, you'll help educators identify appropriate ways to incorporate these experiences into the program, ensuring they are safe, inclusive, purposeful and responsive to children's developmental stages.

You'll be joining a centre with a strong, experienced team and the opportunity to make a genuine difference in the daily experiences of our youngest learners.

Why Emali?

At Emali, our people make the difference.

As a South Australian-owned and operated early learning group, we're committed to creating environments where children thrive, educators grow and leaders are supported to make a meaningful impact.

Our values guide everything we do:

- Safety – Putting the safety and wellbeing of children first, always.

- Kindness – Leading with empathy, respect and understanding.

- Connection – Building meaningful relationships with children, families and colleagues.

- Joy – Creating positive experiences and celebrating the difference we make.

- Growth – Supporting our people to learn, develop and reach their potential.

We believe in Where Great People Lead Great Teams.

At Emali, you'll have the opportunity to grow as a leader, work alongside experienced professionals and contribute to a culture where children come first.

We value educators who support one another, communicate openly, embrace continuous improvement and create environments where children and colleagues feel connected, respected and empowered to succeed.

Ready to Make a Difference?

If you're passionate about early childhood education, love working with toddlers and are ready to lead a team that makes a difference every day, we'd love to hear from you.

Join Emali Littlehampton and help our youngest learners build confidence, develop new skills, form meaningful relationships and discover the world around them.

📌 Team Leader- Littlehampton
🏢 Emali
📍 Littlehampton