Shashika Jayathilake
Grantham,United Kingdom
Summary
Dedicated educator with a strong foundation in classroom management and learner engagement, specialising in EYFS understanding and phonics knowledge. Demonstrates compassion and empathy towards children's needs, ensuring effective communication and child behaviour understanding. Skilled in lesson planning, making learning resources, and implementing outdoor safety procedures. Committed to fostering a supportive learning environment through teamwork, patience, tolerance, and active listening.
Compassionate Nursery Practitioner with keen ability to engage and nurture young children, leveraging strong communication skills and creative problem-solving capabilities. Demonstrates proficiency in fostering positive and safe learning environment alongside effective teamwork and adaptability. Committed to contributing to children's foundational growth and development, ensuring supportive and stimulating atmosphere.
Overview
20
20
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work history
Nursery Practitioner Level 3
Fernwood Day Nursery
Newark-on-Trent, Nottinghamshire
2025.12 - 2026.06
- Encouraging children’s language, social, physical, and cognitive development.
- Following the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) framework (in the UK).
- Monitoring children’s progress and development.
- Recording observations and achievements.
- Identifying any developmental concerns and reporting them appropriately.
- Contributing to children’s learning journals or assessment records.
- Enhance emotional development of children with use of empathy-focussed group activities.
- Prepare daily activity schedules that promoted fun-filled learning experiences- for children.
- Plan educational games to stimulate cognitive growth in toddlers.
- Improve fine motor skills in children by introducing age-appropriate crafting activities.
Teaching Assistant
Harrowby Church of England Primary School
Grantham
2025.03 - 2025.11
- Prepare classrooms for lessons, ensuring a conducive learning environment.
- Support individual and group student learning, enhancing educational outcomes.
- Conduct interventions, fostering academic and personal growth.
- Assist with personal care, promoting student well-being. Contribute to activity planning, enriching student engagement.
- Support children with EHCP to achieve their targets
Teaching Assistant - Supply
The Supply Register Ltd
Grantham
2024.09 - 2025.03
- Prepare classrooms for lessons, ensuring a conducive learning environment.
- Support individual and group student learning, enhancing educational outcomes.
- Conduct interventions, fostering academic and personal growth.
- Assist with personal care, promoting student well-being. Contribute to activity planning, enriching student engagement.
Early Years Educator
Kids Planet Day Nurseries
Gedling
2023.10 - 2024.08
- Nurturing young minds at Kids Planet Day Nursery, fostering early learning through engaging activities and personalized care.
- Collaborating with parents to ensure holistic development and providing a safe, stimulating environment for children's growth at Kids Planet.
- Implementing age-appropriate activities to promote cognitive, social, and emotional development.
- Designing creative learning experiences at Kids Planet, incorporating play-based methods to enhance children's curiosity and problem-solving skills, and adapting approaches for diverse needs.
Nursery Practitioner Level 3
University of Nottingham Day Nursery
Nottingham
2023.03 - 2023.06
- Created a nurturing environment promoting growth and exploration. Empowered children to build self-reliance skills, offering guidance in daily tasks and creating a supportive atmosphere for personal development.
- Devised creative learning experiences that captivated children's interest, enhancing their cognitive and social skills through interactive play and education.
- Partnered with fellow practitioners to implement comprehensive care strategies, ensuring a holistic approach to early years education and wellbeing.
- Meticulously planned and executed age-appropriate activities, tailoring approaches to each child's individual needs and developmental stages.
Nursery Practitioner
The Little Learners Montessori
Watford
2021.11 - 2023.03
- Promote the aims and objectives of the nursery.
- Promote the high standards of the nursery at all times to parents, staff and visitors.
- Ensure the provision of high standards of physical and emotional care.
- Work with a team of professional workers and to always ensure good practice.
- Contribute to the planning of the environment.
- Ensure that admission forms and “all about me” profiles are filed appropriately in key children's folders.
- Work as a key worker as well as being responsible for the presentation of the Montessori activities for all children.
- Assist with the daily risk assessment.
- Check all key children's portfolios, carry out observations and record them correctly with the date and time.
Kindergarten Class Teacher
Horizon College International
Malabe
2010.09 - 2021.08
- Established literacy and arithmetic competence in students and assisted them wherever possible to ensure that all reach basic aptitude by providing a variety of learning materials and resources to use in educational activities in a positive environment in which students are actively involved in the learning process.
- Designed and developed interesting activities to boost the creative abilities of children between 3-5 years.
- Motivated children using songs, stories, and games to make them participate more.
- Consistently communicated with parents to report on student behaviour, social and developmental progress, as well as any note on any observed health conditions.
- Produced accurate and up-to-date records and reports as required.
Preschool Teacher
Lyceum International School
Nugegoda
2006.10 - 2010.08
- Developed and initiated several intuitive activities to boost creative abilities for children between the ages of 4 and 5.
- Used different instructional resources and methods to meet students' varying needs.
- Organized extra-curricular activities such as kiddies activity time, concerts and social events.
Education
Master of Science -
Asia E University
Malaysia 9 2020 - 4 2022
NVQ level 4 - Early Years Education
Vocational and Tertiary Education Commission
Colombo 1 2019 - 1 2020
Diploma - Early Childhood
Lyceum Academy for Teacher
Sri Lanka 9 2006 - 10 2007
Skills
- Compassion and Empathy
- Classroom Management
- Teamwork
- Learner engagement
- Effective Communication
- Sense of humor
- Lesson planning
- Child behaviour understanding
- EYFS understanding
- Phonics knowledge
- Making learning resources
- Empathy towards children's needs
- Outdoor safety procedures
- Patience and tolerance
- Key person coverage
- Active listener
Certification
Paediatric First Aid Certification
Links
https://www.linkedin.com/in/shashika-jayathilake-a
References
References available upon request.
Timeline
Nursery Practitioner Level 3
Fernwood Day Nursery
2025.12 - 2026.06
Teaching Assistant
Harrowby Church of England Primary School
2025.03 - 2025.11
Teaching Assistant - Supply
The Supply Register Ltd
2024.09 - 2025.03
Early Years Educator
Kids Planet Day Nurseries
2023.10 - 2024.08
Nursery Practitioner Level 3
University of Nottingham Day Nursery
2023.03 - 2023.06
Nursery Practitioner
The Little Learners Montessori
2021.11 - 2023.03
Kindergarten Class Teacher
Horizon College International
2010.09 - 2021.08
Preschool Teacher
Lyceum International School
2006.10 - 2010.08
Master of Science -
Asia E University
9 2020 - 4 2022
NVQ level 4 - Early Years Education
Vocational and Tertiary Education Commission
1 2019 - 1 2020
Diploma - Early Childhood
Lyceum Academy for Teacher
9 2006 - 10 2007