We are looking for an Early Development Practitioner who will work with children in our Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) or within our SEND Hub, ‘The Nest’, with children with complex Special Educational Needs or Disabilities (SEND) who are developmentally working at 0 to 5 years. The staff member will play a crucial role in children’s early development, learning and wellbeing.  We are looking for a special person who is knowledgeable, nurturing, organised, flexible, reflective and inclusive—combining professional skill with warmth and a deep commitment to helping every child thrive at the very start of their educational journey.

Could this be you? 

Do you have:

• Integrity, a secure understanding of safeguarding, and health and safety (or a willingness to learn)?
• High expectations and an ambition for each child to make progress from their starting points?  
• A secure understanding of early childhood development (birth–5), including communication and language, how children learn through through play, exploration and relationships, not just formal teaching methods?
• A secure working knowledge of key documents relating to both EYFS and SEND such as The EYFS Statutory Framework, Development Matters, Strong Foundations and The Engagement Profile (or a willingness to learn and research)?
• A genuine commitment to inclusive practice, especially for children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities?
• Empathy and Trauma Informed Practice - a sensitivity to children’s emotional cues and able to support attachment, co-regulation and transitions?
• Confidence supporting children with speech and language needs, sensory differences, social communication needs or a commitment to learn?
• A belief in collaboration and team around children, working closely with class teachers, SENCOs and external professionals.
• Excellent communication with young children—modelled language, questioning, narration and expansion?
• An ability to work collaboratively with the staff team and contribute clearly to observations, discussions and reviews

Our children are looking for:

• ·        Someone who is calm, clear in their high expectations and creates a safe, nurturing, secure and inclusive environment for them to learn. 
• ·        Someone who genuinely loves being with them and wants to get to know each one of them without judgement.   
• ·        Someone who is playful and will build, explore, climb and dance.  
• ·        Someone who talks to them, sings with them, laughs with them and leads them on adventures.