Early Years Teaching Assistant

At The Federation of Crigglestone and The Castle Nursery Schools, we believe the earliest years of childhood matter enormously.

We are looking for an exceptional, warm and enthusiastic Early Years Teaching Assistant to join our team — a practitioner who understands 2- and 3-year-olds, know how they learn and develop, and genuinely love working with this wonderful age group.

We are proud Curiosity Approach accredited settings, where children are encouraged to explore, investigate, question and discover.

Our environments are calm, nurturing and thoughtfully created, but we know that great Early Years practice is about far more than beautiful spaces. It is about the adults within them — the relationships they build, the interactions they have and the experiences they create for children every single day.

🌱Is this you?

You might be exactly who we are looking for if you:

• 💚 Love working with 2- and 3-year-olds and understand the unique needs of this age group
• 🌿 Believe that young children learn best through play, exploration and meaningful relationships
• ✨ Know when to step in, when to stand back and how to extend children's thinking through high-quality interactions
• 🧠 Understand child development and can recognise and respond to children's individual needs
• 🤝 Build warm, secure relationships with children and positive partnerships with families
• 🌈 Are passionate about inclusive Early Years practice
• 💡 Bring energy, creativity, initiative and enthusiasm to your work
• ❤️ Want to work somewhere that genuinely values Early Years education

If that sounds like you, we would love to hear from you.

About Us

Our federation has high aspirations for every child.

We want our nursery schools to be places where children feel safe, secure, valued and deeply curious about the world around them.

Our practice is rooted in:

🌿 Curiosity and wonder
🌿 Warm, responsive relationships
🌿 Child-led, open-ended play
🌿 High-quality adult interactions
🌿 Movement, exploration and sensory experiences
🌿 Inclusion and belonging
🌿 Strong foundations for lifelong learning

We recognise that working with our youngest children requires skilled practitioners who understand their communication, emotional, physical and developmental needs.

The Role

As an Early Years Teaching Assistant, you will:

• Develop warm, secure and responsive relationships with children
• Take responsibility for supporting and monitoring the development of your key children
• Use your knowledge of child development to recognise children's interests, needs and next steps
• Support children's communication, language, physical, social and emotional development
• Facilitate and extend child-led play through sensitive, high-quality interactions
• Create meaningful experiences that inspire curiosity, exploration and discovery
• Support children's growing independence, including their personal care and self-care needs
• Work inclusively to ensure every child can participate, belong and thrive
• Build positive and respectful relationships with parents and carers
• Work collaboratively as part of our supportive and passionate federation team
• Place children's safety, wellbeing and happiness at the heart of everything you do
• Engage enthusiastically in professional development and reflective practice

🌿What We're Looking For

We are particularly interested in practitioners who have strong, recent experience of working directly with 2- and 3-year-old children.

You will:

• Hold a Full and Relevant Level 3 Early Years qualification or above
• Have experience of working within an Early Years setting
• Have experience and confidence working with 2- and 3-year-olds
• Have a good understanding of the EYFS and child development
• Understand the importance of attachment, relationships and emotional wellbeing
• Be committed to inclusive practice and supporting children with a range of individual needs
• Be a strong team player with excellent communication skills
• Be reflective, proactive and willing to learn
• Bring warmth, patience, creativity and enthusiasm every day
• Hold Paediatric First Aid or be willing to undertake training
• Have knowledge or experience of the Curiosity Approach(desirable, but not essential)

💚Most importantly...

We are looking for people who really understand young children.

• People who will get down on the floor and play.
• Who will notice the child who needs reassurance.
• Who can turn a puddle, a cardboard box or an interesting stick into an opportunity for discovery.
• Who understand that sometimes the most important thing you can give a two-year-old is your time, attention and connection.
• And who see the enormous privilege in helping children build the foundations for everything that comes next.

✨Why Join Us?

When you join our federation, you become part of a team that is passionate about giving children an exceptional start.

We offer:

✨ Wonderful children who will inspire you every day
✨ A warm, welcoming and supportive staff team
✨ Beautiful, thoughtfully created Early Years environments
✨ A genuinely child-centred approach
✨ A strong commitment to inclusion and nurturing relationships
✨ Opportunities for high-quality training and professional development
✨ The opportunity to learn, develop and grow as an Early Years practitioner
✨ A federation where Early Years expertise is understood, celebrated and valued

📍Additional Information

These are federation roles, and successful candidates may work across Crigglestone Nursery School and The Castle Nursery School.

Hours: 31.25 hours per week, Monday–Friday

Working Hours: 8:45am–3:30pm

Contract: Term Time Only

Start Date: To be agreed

Pay Range:FTE £26,847 - £27,274,
Actual Pay:£18,959 - £19,261 for 31.25 hours per week, term time only - Starting salary will depend on experience.

Closing Date: Monday 5th October 2026

Interviews: Week Commencing 19th October 2026

Safeguarding

The Federation of Crigglestone and The Castle Nursery Schools is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

Appointments will be subject to the appropriate safer recruitment checks, including an Enhanced DBS check, satisfactory references and medical clearance.

🌿Come and grow with us.