Early Years Specialist x3 posts

Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council; Catcliffe; On-site; GBP 49,000 - 52,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Disability Confident employer

Job summary

Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council is seeking an experienced Early Years Specialist to lead improvement in Nursery and Reception provision. You will work with schools and partners to raise outcomes and support the EYFS curriculum, with emphasis on language, reading, writing and numeracy development.

You will report to the Service Leader and contribute to safeguarding and inclusion while driving sustained school improvement across the authority.

Qualifications

• Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) or Early Years Teacher Status (EYTS).
• A Level 6 Early Years qualification, degree or equivalent teaching qualification.
• Significant and successful experience working with Early Years children in schools.
• Experience of supporting schools and Early Years settings to improve outcomes.
• A strong understanding of the EYFS Framework and current priorities.

Responsibilities

• Lead Local Authority Early Years improvement activity to raise GLD outcomes.
• Support development of high-quality EYFS curriculum and provision.
• Improve children's communication, language, reading, writing, maths and personal development.
• Support schools to prepare for Ofsted inspections and align practice with expectations.
• Analyse EYFS data to identify priorities and evaluate impact.
• Plan and deliver professional development, training, coaching and networking.
• Promote inclusive practice and reduce attainment gaps for disadvantaged children.
• Collaborate with schools and partners to sustain improvement.

Skills

Communication skills

Relationship-building

safeguarding

Education

QTS or EYTS

Level 6 EY qualification / degree or equivalent

Job description

Key responsibilities

• Leading Local Authority Early Years improvement activity to raise Good Level of Development (GLD) outcomes.
• Supporting the development of high-quality EYFS curriculum and provision.
• Improving children's communication and language, early reading, writing, mathematics and personal development.
• Supporting schools to prepare for Ofsted inspection and align practice with current expectations.
• Analysing EYFS Profile, Reception Baseline Assessment, attendance and other performance data to identify priorities and evaluate impact.
• Planning and delivering professional development, training, coaching and networking opportunities.
• Promoting inclusive practice and improving outcomes for disadvantaged and vulnerable children.
• Working collaboratively with schools, academy trusts, Department for Education advisers and other strategic partners to support sustained improvement.

About You

We are looking for a highly motivated professional who can demonstrate:

Essential Requirements

• Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) or Early Years Teacher Status (EYTS).
• A Level 6 Early Years qualification, degree or equivalent teaching qualification.
• Significant and successful experience working with Early Years children in schools.
• Experience of supporting schools and Early Years settings to improve outcomes.
• A strong understanding of the EYFS Framework, child development and current national priorities.
• Proven ability to evaluate provision, identify priorities and lead sustainable improvement.
• Excellent communication, influencing and relationship-building skills.
• A commitment to safeguarding, inclusion and reducing attainment gaps for disadvantaged and vulnerable children.

post involves working with children and therefore if successful you will be required to apply for a disclosure of criminal records check at an enhanced level.

Further information about the Disclosure Scheme can be found at Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults.Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council is committed to encouraging equality, diversity and inclusion among our workforce, and eliminating unlawful discrimination. The aim is for our workforce to be truly representative of all sections of society and our customers, and for each employee to feel respected and able to give their best. As a Disability Confident employer, we will ensure that a fair and proportionate number of disabled applicants that meet the minimum criteria for this position will be offered an interview. For further information, please visit our website.

Location: RotherhamSalary: 48,738 - 51,928 per yearEmployment: Full timeCategory: Early Years AdvisorPosted: 2026-10-29Valid to: 2026-11-25Directorate: Children and Young People's ServicesTemporary, Full Time, 37 hours per weekAre you a passionate and experienced Early Years professional with a proven track record of improving outcomes for young children?We are seeking 3 exceptional Early Years Specialists to lead and support improvements in Nursery (Foundation Stage 1) and Reception (Foundation Stage 2) provision across Rotherham. This is an exciting opportunity to make a significant impact on children's life chances by working strategically with schools, academy trusts and key partners to improve the quality of Early Years education and raise outcomes for all children.About the RoleReporting to the Service Leader - Head of Education/School Improvement Lead, you will provide expert advice, challenge and support to school leaders, Early