Army – Defence Children Services (DCS) Outdoor Early Years Room Manager (OEYRM)- Cyprus

Job summary

Do you want to make a difference at the most crucial stage of a child’s development? Defence Children Services (DCS) are recruiting three Outdoor Early Years Room Managers into our Early Years Settings in Cyprus.

Are you a motivated leader who is committed to safeguarding, reflective practice, and fostering a culture of curiosity, creativity, and joy? Do you love teaching children outdoors? If you are ready to make a difference, we would love to hear from you!

We are looking for inspiring Early Years Room Managers to lead high-quality teaching and learning for children aged 0–5 in one of our Early Years settings based in Cyprus. You will have expertise in leading the highest quality of outdoor education and care across the Early Years.

Defence Children Services (DCS) is a Defence delivery organisation, subordinated under Army Regional Command. Our Vision is that we Educate the Child – Support the Family – Defend the Nation. HQ DCS is UK based at Trenchard Lines, Upavon and has forward deployed staff all over the world. DCS is responsible for the education and care of children of accompanied Service and Defence entitled personnel in MOD schools and settings; provides advice and guidance in respect of education for service families in the United Kingdom and the wider world.

In Cyprus, Early Years settings and schools are located in both the Western and Eastern Sovereign Base Areas (WSBA and ESBA). In the West, provision is delivered at Episkopi Primary and Episkopi Early Years, alongside Akrotiri Primary and Akrotiri Early Years. In the East, Queen Berengaria Primary is based in Dhekelia and the ESBA Early Years Setting operate across two sites—Dhekelia Garrison and a satellite at Ayios Nikolaos Station.

Our vision is to deliver exceptional, child-led education and care for children from birth to four. Purpose-built classrooms and outdoor environments foster curiosity, creativity, and holistic development through engaging activities in play, arts, literacy, maths, and more.

The Ministry of Defence employs over 50,000 Civil Servants. Within that, the Army Top Level Budget (TLB) employs around 7,000 MOD Civil Servants located at over 300 locations. Ours is a diverse workforce, with roles ranging from trainers, human resources, teachers, and psychologists to storekeepers, financiers, project and programme managers, and policy secretariat staff. There are many different functions and professions delivering key outputs for the Army. As such using data to aid understanding of our workforce is vital.

Job description

The Outdoor Early Years Room Manager (OEYRM) plays a crucial role in the operational delivery of Early Years Foundation Stage provision. Under direction of the Early Years Manager (EYM), the OEYRM is responsible for the safe and effective delivery of Early Years education and care. The OEYRM will be part of the deputy designated safeguarding team (DDSL) and will provide excellent leadership of teaching and learning across the 0-5 age range. The OEYRM will lead the teaching and learning of outdoor play and will lead and develop the outdoor curriculum across the 0-5 years. They will already be an expert in delivering Forest schools and will lead Beach Schools for the 0-5 age range of children. The OEYRM will be innovative in creating and setting up exciting and inviting provocations to play outdoors to support young children’s curiosity and exploratory play.

The OEYRM will work closely with, and will support, the EYM, the DEYMs, the EYRMs and AHT, to ensure effective implementation of our play based, Early Years outdoor curriculum. In addition to planning and directing sessions, facilitating weekly planning meetings, assisting with INSET training days, and writing/ monitoring children’s learning journeys; the OEYRM will be expected to champion effective, quality outdoor teaching and learning, reflective practice, and will strive to build strong teams. They will set up the outdoor environments to support the team to develop outstanding outdoor provision for the children at the setting. They will also ensure the safe and effective delivery of outdoor education by supporting children and teams with proportionate risk management for the Early Years age range of children.

In this role, you will:

• Lead an exceptional outdoor Early Years provision (0–5), delivering a progressive Forest and Beach School curriculum suitable for the 0-5 years age range. You will be responsible for setting up, maintaining and developing your own Forest School environment to meet the needs of all of the children at the setting.
• Champion safeguarding, welfare, and risk management. You will ensure the Outdoor environment is inspiring, safe yet appropriately challenging but also understand the importance of compliance to MOD/EYFS policies and procedures.
• Inspire, mentor, and develop practitioners through high-quality CPD and coaching so they love the outdoors as much as you. You will support colleagues to set up their outside environment.
• Monitor children’s progress outdoors and identify barriers to learning and support consistently high outcomes.
• Build strong partnerships with families, professionals, and stakeholders to maximise outstanding outdoor provision.

This position is advertised at 37 hours per week.

If you need to contact Defence Business Services (DBS) regarding this vacancy, please indicate that your vacancy is being handled by Resourcing Team 1. If you experience any technical difficulties with the CS Jobs system, please contact the Support Team at candidate@support.oleeo.com

Person specification

• Leadership of outdoor teaching and learning and Forest Schools in a demanding, full-time 0-5 yrs setting. You must be in a current EYFS setting.
• Outdoor planning and teaching the EYFS to birth – pre-school children for outdoor learning and Forest School schools and experience of developing and delivering a 0-5yrs outdoor curriculum for the EYFS
• Health and Safety experience- must have proven experience of writing and implementing robust risk assessments for outdoor learning environments and activities

Desirable

• Experience with leading Beach Schools

This is an established MOD post within Cyprus and any Cypriot Nationals will not be eligible to apply as a UKBC (UK British Civil Servant).

Qualifications

Level 3 Forest School Qualification. You must hold this qualification at the time of application.

Evidence will be required at interview.
All qualifications, licences or memberships declared must be held at point of application and if applicable be in date. Equivalents will not be accepted.

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Leadership
• Communicating and Influencing
• Working Together

Technical skills

We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:

• Presentation
• Early Years Education and Care experience

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £30,740, Ministry of Defence contributes £8,905 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

We are passionate about delivering extraordinary things for our people. We employ people who challenge and guide each other, working within a highly capable team who will support you to develop your skills and experience. Some of the many benefits you will receive include

• Learning & Development opportunities for professional & personal development of skills.
• A culture encouraging inclusion & diversity.
• Medical & dental support.
• A paid annual return flight to the UK is also provided for each family member after completing 12 months in post.
• The post offers full relocation allowances subject to eligibility.
• Cost of Living Overseas Allowance (COLA) is payable based on personal circumstances and marital status.

Discover My Benefits:

Please follow the link to visit the Discover My Benefits site which showcases the benefits and discounts offered when working as a civilian for the MOD. https://discovermybenefits.mod.gov.uk/civilian/

This post offers full relocation allowances subject to availability. Cost of Living Overseas Allowances is payable based on personal circumstances and marital status.

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Experience and Technical skills.

At sift, you will be assessed against your CV and Personal Statement.

Your Personal Statement (maximum 750 words) should demonstrate the relevant outdoor Early Years skills and experience that detail how you meet the essential criteria as detailed in the job role and responsibilities, including examples of evidence. Please note on your application your preferred age range and experience.

Upon completion of the sift, successful candidates will be invited to virtual interview, where you will;

• deliver a 10 minute presentation themed 'As an Outdoor Room Manager how would you ensure the children in your care have the best start in life’
• followed by experienced based questions and assessed on the following Civil Service Behaviours;
  • Leadership
  • Communicating and influencing
  • Working Together
• and be asked questions and assessed on your outdoor Early Years Education and Care experience.

Candidates who meet the minimum success criteria at the first interview will be invited to complete a second stage interview. This will involve watch a video (up to 20 minutes) of an Outdoor Early Years, focusing on the quality of teaching, learning and the curriculum. You will be asked to give feedback on the on the session and describe how this relates to the areas of learning in the EYFS and child development. You will also be asked how the learning could be extended and developed further.

The Ministry of Defence adopts a zero-tolerance approach to unacceptable behaviours, which includes bullying, harassment, sexual harassment, discrimination, and victimisation. You will not be eligible and will not be considered for this post if you have been dismissed from a role for such unacceptable behaviours within the last five years. This will also apply if you resign or otherwise leave a role but, because of an adverse decision, would have been dismissed for gross misconduct had you continued in that employment. Pre-employment checks will be carried out.

As a result of the changes to the UK immigration rules which came into effect on 1 January 2021, the Ministry of Defence will only offer sponsorship for a skilled worker visa under the points-based system, where a role has been deemed to be business critical.

The role currently being advertised has not been assessed as business critical and is therefore NOT open to applications from those who will require sponsorship under the points-based system. Should you apply for this role and be found to require sponsorship, your application will be rejected, and any provisional offer of employment withdrawn.

The Ministry of Defence requires all candidates who are successful at interview to declare any outside interests. These declarations will be discussed with successful candidates following the interview process and before a formal offer of employment is made, as some outside interests may not be compatible with MOD civilian roles. This will not, in the majority of cases, prevent employment in MOD, but it is a measure that must be taken to ensure that appropriate mitigation's can be put in place to manage any potential, perceived or actual conflicts of interest from the first day of employment.

MOD Recruitment Satisfaction Survey – we may contact you regarding your experience to help us improve our customer satisfaction. The survey is voluntary and anonymous. You may however be given the opportunity to provide additional information to help us improve our service which includes the collection of some personal data as defined by the United Kingdom General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR). The MOD Privacy Notice sets out how we will use your personal data and your rights.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see theCivil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

Apply and further information

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants

Job contact :

• Name : Helen Lakey
• Email : helen.lakey@modschools.org

Recruitment team

• Email : DBSCivPers-ResourcingTeam1@mod.gov.uk

Further information

Please see Further Information document attached.

Attachments

20241009 - Further Information - External Opens in new window (docx, 34kB)Defence Civil Service Offer Opens in new window (pdf, 1562kB)