Early Childhood Practitioner

St Richard’s VC Academy are looking to appoint an outstanding, enthusiastic and highly motivated Early Childhood Practitioner. We are a forward-thinking, caring and, most important of all, a happy school where pupils of all abilities and social backgrounds achieve. Our children are at the heart of everything we do and all the decisions we make.

This post is to cover a maternity leave - 37 hours per week - term time only

We require an enthusiastic, self-motivated and experienced individual to undertake the role of Early Years Practitioner in our dedicated early years team based in our Foundation Unit. Please note that the successful candidate must have a recognised Early Years qualification. Please check your qualification at https://www.gov.uk/guidance/check-an-early-years-qualification if you are unsure.

Candidates need to demonstrate good to outstanding practices, will need to be organised, proactive and have the ability to develop good relationships with staff, children and parents in the school.

Be able to assist the Foundation One leader in preparing and delivering a wide range of creative and enjoyable inside and outside activities, to ensure a secure and welcoming Teaching and Learning environment and to work with the Early Years Educator in being responsible for the safeguarding and conduct of all pupils.

We offer:

A kind and caring ethos with high expectations;

Support in your role through our mentoring and coaching programmes;

Pupils who are motivated, friendly and excited by their learning;

A committed, cohesive, enthusiastic and supportive team.

We are looking to appoint someone who:

can establish productive working relationships with children, acting as a role model and setting high expectations

is confident establishing relationships with families and being a supportive presence in their lives

is kind, caring, energetic and enthusiastic

encourages pupils to interact with others and engage all children in learning activities led by the teacher

has excellent communication and interpersonal skills and enjoys working within a supportive team

is well organised, flexible and creative

is willing to participate fully in ensuring inclusion of all children.

uses their initiative to ensure the best possible support for pupils and families is keen to continue to develop professionally

What we offer:

a school committed to developing each child as an individual to their full potential

happy children who are eager to learn

a commitment to quality professional development for all

the opportunity to join a forward-thinking, supportive and caring team

Why Work With Us?

We offer a range of benefits to support your wellbeing, finances, and career development:

• Cycle to Work Scheme

• Access to Trust gym at St Mary’s College

• Discounted local leisure and sports facilities

• Employee assistance programme, counselling, and wellbeing support

• Free on-site parking

• Ongoing training and professional development opportunities

• Pension Scheme with employee contributions

• Shared Cost AVC Scheme for tax-efficient pension savings

• Free access to My Money Matters financial wellbeing platform

• Optional contributory healthcare scheme

We are committed to meeting the needs of our diverse community and aim to have a workforce reflecting this diversity. We are also committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and adults. We have a robust child protection policy and all staff will receive training relevant to their role at induction and throughout employment at the school. We expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

The Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people.

The Trust is an equal opportunities employer.

Disclaimer

By submitting this application form, you declare that all information provided is accurate and truthful. You further confirm that you have not used any artificial intelligence (AI) tools or software to generate, edit, or enhance any part of this application. Any application found to have utilized AI will be subject to disqualification.