Early Years Foundation Stage Lead - Hollingwood & Poolsbrook Primary School

Hollingwood Primary School, Chesterfield, Derbyshire, S43 2JG

28 days remaining to apply

• Start date details

  September 2026

• Closing date

  15 April 2026 at 10am

• Date listed

  18 March 2026

Job details

• Job role:
  • Head of year or phase
• Visa sponsorship: Visas cannot be sponsored
• Working pattern: Full time
• Contract type: Permanent
• Full-time equivalent salary: £45,352.00 Annually (FTE) Main Pay Range to Upper Pay Range (Full Time/Part Time)

Early Years Foundation Stage Lead - Hollingwood & Poolsbrook Primary School job summary

About Us:

Hollingwood is a vibrant and inclusive primary school where children are at the centre of everything we do. We are proud of our warm, welcoming ethos and strong sense of community, where every child is supported to achieve their very best. Our dedicated staff team work collaboratively to create an environment where curiosity is encouraged, individuality is celebrated, and learning is brought to life through a rich, broad, and balanced curriculum. We place high importance on wellbeing, both for our children and our staff, and are committed to nurturing a positive, purposeful culture in which everyone can thrive.

Hollingwood Primary School (a 1.5 form entry school) and Poolsbrook Primary Academy (a 0.5 form entry school) are proud to work as one united team across two sites. Our federation is built on strong relationships, shared expertise, and a genuine commitment to every child’s success. As our collaboration continues to grow, our staff work seamlessly across both schools, using our strengths to create a rich and talented staff team. We are now looking for an inspiring leader to join this journey—someone who can champion and guide our EYFS provision across both settings, adding even more strength to our already brilliant team.

About Flying High:

Flying High Partnership is a thriving multi-academy trust of 38 primary schools across Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Nottingham City, and Nottinghamshire. We are driven by a shared vision to be unique, exceptional, and sustainable. Founded in 2012, we believe in the power of meaningful collaboration to help schools reach their full potential while supporting others along the way.

Our Partnership celebrates individuality, champions continuous improvement, and ensures every child thrives. With a strong focus on school-led professional development and leadership, we’re committed to growing exceptional teachers and inspirational leaders.

Together, we make every day count.

About the Role:

We’re seeking an inspiring, dedicated EYFS Lead to guide our Nursery and Reception team across both schools. Based primarily at Hollingwood as the Reception Class Teacher, you’ll also spend some leadership time at Poolsbrook to ensure both settings are consistently supported and thriving.

We’re looking for a teacher with strong, proven classroom practice and a passion for high quality teaching and learning. You’ll create a calm, inclusive and purposeful environment, using positive, proactive strategies to secure excellent behaviour for learning.

A strong understanding of inclusive practice is essential. You’ll confidently meet diverse needs—including those of children with SEND—and work closely with colleagues, support staff and families to ensure every child is supported, challenged and fully included.

As Phase Leader, you will lead by example, build a cohesive EYFS team, and drive high standards of care and provision. You’ll be a key member of our extended leadership team, contributing actively to whole school improvement.

We are looking for a teacher who:

• Delights in being with children and puts their wellness first
• Has strong behaviour management strategies and a calm, consistent approach to classroom routine
• Has the ability to make learning fun, engaging, and challenging for all learners
• Brings fresh ideas and is eager to share and collaborate with colleagues
• Values every member of the school community and contributes positively to a team culture
• Is reflective of our values, professional, resilient, and always ready to go the extra mile with enthusiasm!

Key Responsibilities:

Teaching & Classroom Responsibilities:

• Plan, prepare, and deliver high-quality lessons that cater to the diverse needs of all children in the class
• Create a stimulating and supportive learning environment that fosters children's curiosity and enthusiasm for learning
• Assess and track progress, providing feedback to support their ongoing development
• Foster a positive classroom culture that promotes respect, inclusion, and positive behaviour management
• Collaborate with colleagues to enhance the curriculum and share best practices for teaching and learning

EYFS Leadership Responsibilities:

• Provide strategic leadership for the EYFS curriculum across both schools, ensuring high-quality provision, a coherent pedagogical approach, and full alignment with the EYFS Statutory Framework
• Lead assessment across EYFS, including Baseline, ongoing formative assessment, and EYFSP, ensuring accuracy, consistency, moderation and high expectthations for progress
• Monitor the quality of provision across both settings through learning walks, environment audits, coaching and modelling of high-quality practice
• Develop and refine continuous provision and learning environments, ensuring they meet the developmental needs of all learners
• Support the early identification of SEND, working closely with the SENDCo, external professionals and families to ensure every child receives the right support
• Lead transitions into Nursery/Reception and from Reception to Year 1, supporting colleagues and families to ensure a positive, structured experience
• Ensure consistency in routines, systems, expectations and practice across both Hollingwood and Poolsbrook
• Lead, support and develop a high-performing team of EYFS practitioners across both schools, fostering a collaborative, reflective, and ambitious culture

We Can Offer You:

• A commitment to people across our partnership, underpinned by our people principles: adaptability, wellness, recognising achievement, employee voice and engagement, professional development and growth, inclusivity, and collaboration.
• Access to extensive, high-quality CPL at every stage of your career, including opportunities to grow as a leader.
• The opportunity to progress across the partnership, realising your career ambitions.
• Access to an employee assistance programme that offers specialist support, including counselling, financial support, and legal advice.
• A fantastic working environment, with a team that works together for the benefit of the children in our schools.

Application Details:

Visits are warmly welcomed and encouraged. Please contact the school office team to arrange a visit.

Visit Date: Friday 27th March at 4pm

Early application is strongly encouraged, as we reserve the right to interview and recruit before the closing date.

Our organisation is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and expects all staff and post holders to share this commitment. We are committed to equality of opportunity for all staff and applicants. Applications from individuals are encouraged regardless of age, disability, sex, gender reassignment, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, and marriage and civil partnerships.

Further information about the job

The candidate will be required to undergo a full enhanced DBS check and must be eligible to work in the UK.

Visas cannot be sponsored.

If you're interested in teaching or training to teach in England as an international citizen, we can help you understand your next steps.

Commitment to safeguarding

Our organisation is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. We expect all staff, volunteers and trustees to share this commitment.

Our recruitment process follows the keeping children safe in education guidance.

Offers of employment may be subject to the following checks (where relevant):
childcare disqualification
Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS)
medical
online and social media
prohibition from teaching
right to work
satisfactory references
suitability to work with children

You must tell us about any unspent conviction, cautions, reprimands or warnings under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975.

Applying for the job

This school accepts applications through their own website, where you may also find more information about this job.

CVs will not be accepted for this application.

About Hollingwood Primary School

• School type: Academy, ages 3 to 11
• Education phase: Primary school
• School size: 316 pupils enrolled
• Age range: 3 to 11
• Ofsted report: View Ofsted report
• School website: Hollingwood Primary School website
• See more jobs: teaching-vacancies.service.gov.uk/organisations/hollingwood-primary-school-chesterfield

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