Practitioner MAT Cover

The children, community and governors of Ball Green Primary School are excited to announce the vacancy of an Early Years Practitioner with significant experience of supporting learning for children in the Early Years.

• The ideal candidate will have previous experience as an Early Years Practitioner and ideally in a Reception Class;
• All candidates must have a relevant NVQ Level 3 or above;
• A very secure knowledge and understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage [EYFS] Framework [2024] and the high expectations related to it in order to support teachers and the extended EYFS team in securing success for our children at the end of Foundation Stage 2 [Reception];
• A very secure knowledge and understanding of how the needs of the 'unique child' are best met through a child-centred application of the framework to all learning experiences;
• Experience of supporting in the administration of the Reception Baseline;
• A proven track record in supporting small groups of children through adapted learning sequences that have been planned by the class teachers or specific programmes of intervention. Generic areas of need are prioritised around the prime areas of CL, PSED, PD and the specific areas of Literacy and Mathematics;
• The knowledge to be able to support children in making accelerated progress by sharing their next steps in learning and/or creating challenges for the children;
• Excellent organisational skills ensuring that they are always prepared for their day;
• Effective classroom management skills routed in relational practice and mutual respect.
We can offer:
• A genuine commitment to your continuous professional development with a proven track record of supporting 'Teaching Assistants' to completing Foundation degrees, BEds, and Assessment Only QTS;
• A happy and supportive environment where all staff are valued and encouraged to thrive;
• A school full of wonderful children who flourish when treated with kindness and mutual respect.
If you think that you can live up to the same wonderful standards as our staff, we would love for you to apply to be our Early Years Practitioner in our Reception Class. Our school is set amongst the fields in-between Ball Green and Norton. It is quite a big school [340 children] with a large playing field, which we love to use, a woodland area for 'Forest Schools' and a number of playgrounds. There are two classes in each year group so that our class sizes can be kept small and we all have one teacher and at least one teaching assistant in each room. The grown-ups in our school, work very hard to make sure that 'every child' is given 'every chance,' 'every day.'

Stoke-on-Trent City Council is a unitary authority employing approximately 4,600 staff who deliver 700 services to more than 260,000 residents. Our city comprises of six towns: Burslem, Fenton, Hanley, Longton, Stoke and Tunstall. We are a city of strengths, with a proud heritage and bright future. We have undergone significant changes over the last few years. New ways of working have already transformed many service areas and we are determined to continue to develop more innovative approaches to ensure that we can maximise the benefits of transformation. Our city Although the 13th largest city in the UK, Stoke-on-Trent is rapidly outstripping a number of parts of the country with our economic growth and recovery. Stoke-on-Trent is a city with a strong sense of civic pride - we've been voted the kindest city in the UK - and a place where you'll receive a hugely warm welcome. We have a rich and diverse culture, steeped in our prestigious industrial heritage as the celebrated 'world capital of ceramics'. But we don't just want to celebrate our proud past - we firmly believe that Stoke-on-Trent's best years are ahead of it. We are determined to raise aspirations and match them with high-quality education and health provision, as well as improved opportunities to secure fulfilling and well-paid work. Through uniting social and economic opportunities, we are maximising the full power of the city council as a secure and steadfast institution within the city.

When you work for Stoke-on-Trent City Council you'll be helping to improve the lives and wellbeing of our residents. We'll provide you with support, learning opportunities and flexible working options and some amazing benefits including; a competitive salary, generous holidays, an excellent defined local authority benefit pension scheme, annual leave purchase scheme, cycle to work schemes just to name a few. We also have access to lifestyle benefits which offer a wide range of discounts such as family days out, travel, retail and many more. Our commitment to you Vibrancy and diversity are two of Stoke-on-Trent's greatest assets. A city founded on creative endeavour should value and celebrate the multitude of voices, ideas and identities that shape its culture. We are committed to creating a culture which is truly inclusive, where all staff feel valued, listened to, supported and able to do their work to the best of their abilities at all times. And we must ensure that our decisions and policies nurture and empower communities across our city and do not inadvertently disadvantage groups and individuals that we want to help to thrive. Our approach to Equality and Diversity is an invitation to all our communities to work with and for us so we can continue to improve how we deliver services residents need. Our employee networks are inclusive, open forums for colleagues with similar lived experiences. They allow staff to meet, support and mentor each other, alongside being a voice for under-represented groups to advise and support the organisation when developing policies and services.