Early Years Advisor

Reading Borough Council; Reading; On-site; GBP 28,000 - 38,000; Part time

Benefits offered by this job

25 days holiday

Flexible working opportunities

Life Assurance

On-site day nursery

Season Ticket Loan

Lease car salary sacrifice

Job summary

Reading Borough Council is seeking an Early Years Advisor to drive quality improvement across Reading's early years sector. You will provide targeted support to settings to strengthen EYFS design and delivery, and help children transition to primary school through integrated partnership working.

You will lead and mentor practitioners, focus on inclusive environments, and prioritise early intervention for disadvantaged children, contributing to training and safeguarding across settings.

Qualifications

• Extensive experience in supporting children under five and their families.
• Leadership experience in a high-quality early years setting.
• Track record of delivering successful support programmes and collaboration.

Responsibilities

• Provide targeted support to early years settings to strengthen EYFS curriculum design, sequencing and delivery.
• Support high quality transitions into primary school through coordinated partnership working.
• Help settings develop inclusive environments that build foundational skills for all children.
• Prioritise support for disadvantaged children with early identification and timely intervention.
• Deliver and contribute to training programmes, including curriculum development and foundational skills.

Skills

Early years experience

Leadership

Collaborative work

Job description

The job requirements are detailed below. Where applicable the skills, qualifications and memberships required for this job have also been included.

Job details

Contractual hours 30

Basis Part time

Region Permanent / Part-Time

Job category/type Administration / Clerical, Children's Services, Early Years Services

At Reading, our early years work is driven by the shared vision that every child deserves the very best start in life. We believe all children should have access to high-quality early education, inclusive support, and opportunities that help them thrive regardless of background or circumstance.

Our Early Years, Childcare and SEND advisory teams work in partnership to provide coordinated support, guidance, and professional development to early years providers across the borough. Together, we are committed to strengthening education, care, reducing inequalities, and improving outcomes for Reading's youngest children.

We seek the best talent from the widest pool of people as diversity and inclusion is the key to our success. Reading Borough Council is a Disability Confident Employer and is committed to the recruitment and continued employment of people with disabilities.

About the role

As an Early Years Advisor, you will play a pivotal role in driving quality improvement across Reading's early years sector:

• Provide targeted support to early years settings to strengthen EYFS curriculum design, sequencing and delivery.
• Support high quality transitions into primary school through coordinated partnership working.
• Help settings develop inclusive environments that build strong foundational skills for all children.
• Prioritise support for children facing disadvantage, ensuring early identification and timely intervention.
• Deliver and contribute to training programmes, including curriculum development and foundational skills.
• Provide modelling, coaching and mentoring during visits to strengthen practitioner confidence.
• Promote the effective use of EYPP, DAF and other funding to maximise impact on children's outcomes.
• Use data, observations and feedback to monitor progress and contribute to impact reporting.
• Promote strong safeguarding across all settings and uphold the highest standards of professional practice.

About you

We're looking for an early years professional with extensive experience of supporting children under five and their families, someone who truly understands child development and the power of early intervention. You will bring leadership experience from a high-quality early years setting, a track record of delivering successful support programmes, and the confidence to work collaboratively with a wide range of professionals.

You'll be part of a team that relies on each individual to play their part to the best of their ability. As well as the colleagues that you work closely with every day, you'll also be part of Team Reading, playing your personal part in making Reading a successful and vibrant place. Our vision is to ensure that Reading realises its potential as a great place to live, work and play, and that everyone shares the benefits of this success. Our values and behaviours guide how we will achieve this:

Work Together as one team -

work collaboratively, with each other and with our partners, and demonstrate the Team Reading values in everything we do

Drive Efficiency -

show initiative, be adaptable to change and put forward ideas to help improve delivery and efficiency. Take responsibility for our own learning and development and for reaching our potential

Be Ambitious -

be demanding of our own performance - striving to be even better - and be prepared to engage with and challenge leaders in a constructive and positive way

Make a Difference to Reading -

maintain the highest levels of customer service and be flexible and willing to provide the services needed at the time they are needed

Our offer

We offer a supportive environment to grow and develop your career with the opportunity to put your ideas across. Innovation and ambition is strongly encouraged, and you'll get a great feel for that working in our friendly and collaborative environment.

A competitive salary alongside a range of benefits including:

• Generous holiday entitlement - 25 days holiday each year plus bank holidays - rising to 30 days after 5 years' service and 33 days after 10 years' service, with the option to buy additional leave
• A wide range of flexible working opportunities
• Modern working environment at the Civic Offices in the heart of Reading
• Life Assurance - three times your annual salary (for members of the LGPS)
• On-site day nursery (Kennet Day nursery) rated outstanding by Ofsted
• Season Ticket Loan - a loan to help with the cost of your rail or bus journey, to and from work
• Lease car salary sacrifice scheme allowing you to lease a brand new, greener car for three years. The monthly fee includes insurance, servicing and road tax

Closing Date: Wednesday 16 th September 2026 Interview Date: To be confirmed
Interview Process: To be confirmed