Head of Early Years - Fulfen Primary SchoolCouncil

Head of Early Years needed for January 2027

Hours: Full time

Contract type: Permanent

Salary: M6 - £46,940 to UPS 3 - £52,835 + TLR 2.1 - £3,651

The Headteacher and Governors are seeking to appoint an outstanding Early Years teacher to join our school as Head of Early Years, with dedicated management time to lead and develop our exceptional Early Years provision. We are looking for an inspirational and highly skilled practitioner with a genuine passion for Early Years education, teaching and learning.

The successful candidate will take responsibility for the leadership and continued development of our Early Years unit, comprising of two Reception classes and two Nursery classes, working closely and collaboratively with our highly experienced Early Years team. As part of the role you will also lead Phonics and Early Reading across school, as well as join our Senior Management Team, contributing to strategic decision‑making and whole‑school improvement.

This is an exciting opportunity for an outstanding teacher who is committed to ensuring that our Early Years provision remains at the forefront of best practice. The successful candidate will provide strong pedagogical leadership, inspire and support colleagues, and lead a culture of continuous improvement, ensuring that every child receives the very best possible start to their education. The successful candidate would also be willing to lead a possible nursery expansion in the next few years.

We are looking for a candidate who:

Is an exceptional classroom teacher with a passion for Early Years

has a proven track record of creating a supportive culture that fosters quality professional development, coupled with ambition and high expectations

will continue to raise standards of teaching and learning and pupil outcomes

is able to inspire both pupils and staff and has a clear understanding of what constitutes highly effective teaching and learning and has a vision of how this can be implemented across the Early Years, ensuring that all pupils receive a high-quality learning experience

has high levels of emotional intelligence, enabling them to work effectively with staff at all levels,

forms strong relationships with all stakeholders, particularly those who are harder to reach

is deeply ambitious for pupils, staff and the community we serve

We offer:

a supportive community and Governing Board

a talented and hardworking staff team, who welcome new challenges and are committed to supporting and developing colleagues

enthusiastic well-behaved pupils who are keen to learn

quality continuous professional development opportunities

an extensive package of wellbeing and support initiatives including wellbeing webinars, medical support services & advice

Fulfen Primary School is a large oversubscribed 3 -11 Local Authority, Maintained primary school. The school is situated on a large site offering a forest school, garden with allotments, orchard, and extensive playing fields. Our forward-thinking school aims to prepare our children for a rapidly changing world by delivering a creative, challenging curriculum which is tailored to the needs of all pupils and inspires children to be the best that they can be.

We have the highest expectations around behaviour and standards. This is achieved through working alongside passionate and dedicated colleagues who share this vision.

Our young people are proud of the school and their community and have high aspirations that we see reflected in their conduct and engagement. We also actively promote staff wellbeing, supporting colleagues in what is a challenging yet rewarding profession.

Please take the time to read the latest Ofsted Inspection Report (November 2023). We hope this inspires you to visit us, as it is only by stepping into our school and meeting our pupils and staff, that you are able to appreciate the special place we believe this school to be.

We welcome you to visit school on the following dates:

Wednesday 23rd September at 9:30am

Tuesday 29th September at 9:30am

Please arrange your visit to school by contacting the school office on 01543 226070.

Important Dates:

Closing date: Monday 12th October 2026

Shortlisting will take place on Tuesday 13th October 2026.

Visits to see shortlisted candidates teach a 30-minute Phonics lesson and observe continuous provision in their own school will be arranged between Thursday 15th October and Tuesday 20th October where possible.

Interview Date: Wednesday 21st October 2026

For further details and an application form, please download the information from the advertisement. A completed Teaching application form, recruitment monitoring form and supporting statement should be returned to [email protected]

This school is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and expect all staff and to share this commitment. The successful candidate will be subject to all necessary pre-employment checks, including: an enhanced DBS; Prohibition check; Childcare Disqualification (where applicable); qualifications (where applicable); medical fitness; identity and right to work.  All applicants will be required to provide two suitable references.

Rehabilitation of offenders: This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and the amendments to the Exceptions Order 1975, 2013 and 2020. Which means that when applying for certain jobs and activities certain spent convictions and cautions are ‘protected’, so they do not need to be disclosed to employers, and if they are disclosed, employers cannot take them into account. Further information about filtering offences can be found in the DBS filtering guide.

An online search will also be carried out as part of due diligence on all short-listed candidates.

Fulfen Primary School

Rugeley Road

Burntwood

Staffordshire

WS12 9BJ

Telephone number: 01543 226070

Email address: [email protected]