The job itself
The Headteacher & Governing Body are seeking a Level 3 EYFS practitioner to join our friendly and nurturing church school to be based in our reception class. We are looking for experience, passion and a deep understanding of the EYFS curriculum and how young children learn. The successful candidate will have a proven capacity to create inspiring environments for learning and an ability to respond dynamically to continuous provision to meet children's needs.
Play is our favourite way to learn! We are an inclusive school and we are looking for someone who is experienced and confident in supporting children with special educational needs and helping young children to regulate. We are looking for someone who is confident to communicate with families and understands the importance of working closely with parents.
We are currently expanding our love of play beyond the EYFS, through the OPaL play project. The right person will be eager to share their expertise and philosophy of play-based learning with the wider school. The role includes supervision over lunch times when the EYFS children access OPaL play with the rest of the school. Working with young children can be physically demanding so we are looking for someone who is energetic and resilient and has a genuine love of working with young children.
This role will predominantly be in the reception class but as we are a small school, our whole team need to be flexible when needed and also see themselves as a member of the wider school family.
Attributes of the prospective candidate:
- Skilled in the teaching of early reading and a solid understanding of phonics.
- Ability to lead groups and provide cover when needed.
- A team player who will collaborate with our EYFS team and the wider school staff.
- Excellent interpersonal skills with a commitment to young people, their welfare, education and personal development. You will act as a role model to our children.
What can we offer:
- The opportunity to have a real input into the development of our EYFS, working as a valued member of a team where your opinions and skills matter.
- A fun, hard-working, committed team.
- An SLT and Governors who are supportive and value every member of their team.
- Opportunities to access CPD linked to the needs of our children.
- Amazing children who love school and make the classroom a joyful place to be.
- Supportive families who are engaged in their children's education.
- Beautiful school grounds, including forest school provision.
We are a very welcoming, friendly and supportive church school, where everyone is valued and we all aspire to live by our Christian values of trust, honesty, forgiveness, caring and respect. We are a very experienced and stable school staff who prioritise our children and take care of each other - this is a rare opportunity to join our dedicated team.
The post is fixed term for 3 years in the first instance, to cover a secondment. The hours will be worked over 5 days (Monday to Friday), 8:30am to 4:00pm with a 30minute lunch. Visits to the school are welcome, please contact the office on (01964) 542498 to arrange a suitable time.
Interview and Task - should you be selected for interview, where possible we would like to come and see you in your current setting so that we can see you at your best with the children you know well. We do understand however, that in some situations this may not be possible.
Applications
It is important to complete all parts of the application form, leaving no gaps in employment history since you left school. You must provide the names, addresses and email contact details of two referees who have consented to provide a reference on your behalf. To enable the shortlisting procedure to be fair and accurate you should state how your skills and expertise meet the criteria of the post as specified in the accompanying Person Specification - please include clear examples.
Please note the school takes the safeguarding and welfare of children very seriously, so references for shortlisted candidates may be requested prior to interview. The successful candidate will be subject to an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check. The school will carry out an online search as part of their due-diligence for all shortlisted candidates in line with Keeping Children Safe in Education 2025 (para 225).