Job Title: Early Years Lead Practitioner
Actual Annual Salary: £30,700 - £33,951 – Grade E
Full Time Equivalent Salary: CLF Grade E (£35,852 - £39,649) based on full time, all year round.
Contract Type: Permanent, Term Time Only plus inset days
Hours: Full-time, 37 hours per week, Monday to Friday
A chance to advance your career as an Early Years Lead Practitioner
We are looking for an Early Years Lead Practitioner to complement the work of teachers by taking responsibility for developing and delivering agreed learning activities under an appropriate system of supervision.
The Early Years Lead Practitioner is responsible for leading high-quality teaching, learning, and assessment across the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS). You will plan, implement and adapt an ambitious and inclusive curriculum for the nursery/pre-school, ensuring strong progress and positive outcomes for all children.
The role requires a high level of professional autonomy in planning and assessment, alongside a strong understanding of early childhood development and effective pedagogy. You will model excellent practice, contribute to the consistency and quality of provision within the setting, and support colleagues through collaboration and sharing of effective approaches.
While not holding strategic responsibility for EYFS, the post holder will play a key role in implementing the early years curriculum, contributing to ongoing development of practice, and maintaining high standards of teaching, learning and care. They will also support safeguarding processes, parental engagement and multi-agency working as required.
About you:
You will:
- Establish and maintain high-quality, nurturing relationships with children, using strong knowledge of early childhood development and effective pedagogical approaches to support and extend learning.
- Deliver high-quality group and whole-class learning, adapting provision in response to assessment and professional judgement.
- Maintain accurate and up-to-date assessments of children’s development and progress, contributing to wider assessment processes within the setting
- Engage in multi-agency and cross-setting collaboration in conjunction with the SENCo, coordinating provision to meet the needs of all children, including those with SEND, and liaising with external professionals and families to support effective outcomes.
- Deal with any Child Protection disclosures or pastoral concerns sensitively and in line with Safeguarding policy and procedures
Applicants are advised to refer to the full requirements of the role in the attached job description and person specification, prior to submitting an application.
Haywood Village Academy has classes in Pre-school, Reception and year groups 1 to 6. The school was judged Outstanding by Ofsted in May 2025. The academy is at the heart of the community that it serves and is defined by High Aspirations, Valuing Learning and Achievement for all. We have created a school where children experience an exceptional education.
The school offers a limitless education that empowers choice through enriching, meaningful and active opportunities. Staff receive high quality professional training and support and contribute positively to the development of the school.
Why work at CLF?
We are a diverse and inclusive community of 36 academies across five cluster regions in the South West that is committed to excellence and making a positive impact. Our people bring unique perspectives, but we’re all driven by a shared moral purpose and a passion for making a positive impact, whether in a teaching, leadership or support role. We’re proud to foster a culture where everyone can thrive, feel valued, and make a meaningful difference to the lives of others.
We are an equal opportunity employer and proud to serve a diverse student population and our communities. We strongly believe that representation matters and so encourage applications from underrepresented and global majority groups including ethnicity, gender, transgender, age, disability, sexual orientation or religion.
We aim to remove any barriers to employment, ensuring everyone can compete on equal terms. Job share, part-time and flexible working opportunities will be considered.
What we can offer you:
- Access to a generous pension through the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS).
- Generous annual leave.
- A comprehensive induction and ongoing commitment to wellbeing and career progression, through a range of training, apprenticeships and in-role/wider-trust development opportunities.
- Well-being support through an Employee Assistance Programme.
- Health benefits, including wellness sessions, gym discounts, and flu jabs.
- A range of generous family leave options, including above industry average occupational maternity pay.
- Additional benefits like cycle to work scheme, on-site parking plus many more!
Recruitment timeline:
Closing Date: 10 May 2026
Shortlisting Date: 11 May 2026
Interview Date: 14 May 2026
We welcome visits from potential candidates. If you would like to arrange a school visit prior to the closing date, please contact the academy/site directly to arrange a suitable appointment.
As part of our commitment to Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE), we do not accept CVs, a full education and employment history must be provided through our application form.
Please note we are not able to offer visa sponsorship for this role.
We reserve the right to close this vacancy early, should we receive a high level of interest in the role. Therefore, candidates are advised to apply at their earliest convenience to avoid missing out.
As a Disability Confident Committed Employer, we are dedicated to equity and inclusion and commit to interviewing applicants with a disability who meet the essential criteria. We aim to provide an inclusive and accessible recruitment process, and support employees throughout their employment. If you have a disability, are neurodivergent, or require any adjustments to support you through the application or interview process please let us know how we can assist.