Lead Pre-school Practitioner

Greenleas School, Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire, LU7 2AB

30 days remaining to apply

• Closing date

  18 January 2026 at 11:59pm

• Date listed

  19 December 2025

Job details

• Job role:
  • Other leadership roles
• Visa sponsorship: Visas cannot be sponsored
• Working pattern: Full time
• Contract type: Permanent
• Full-time equivalent salary: £19,125.00 - £20,056.00 Annually (Actual) Term time only working

Lead Pre-school Practitioner job summary

At Greenleas, we are proud of our friendly, nurturing environment where children aged two to nine are supported to become happy, confident and curious learners. We are equally committed to providing a welcoming, professional workplace for staff, supported by excellent facilities and a strong sense of community.

This 31.25 hour term-time only post sits within our Early Years Team at our purpose-built Derwent Road site, working primarily with children aged two to four. Many of our children move seamlessly from pre-school into our pre-reception class before joining the main school, and continuity of high-quality practice is central to our approach.

We are a warm, collaborative and ambitious team, dedicated to ensuring every child receives the very best start to their educational journey.

The Role

As Lead Pre-school Practitioner, you will play a leading role in the planning, delivery and evaluation of high-quality early years provision. Alongside delivering engaging activities such as role play, storytelling and early phonics, you will support the development of consistent, inclusive practice across the team.

You will act as a role model for excellent teaching and learning, supporting colleagues through collaboration, guidance and shared reflection. This is an ideal opportunity for an experienced practitioner ready to take the next step in their career and contribute more strategically to early years provision.

We are seeking a consistently outstanding practitioner who:

• Is an effective, enthusiastic and proactive team player, willing to take on additional responsibility.
• Can confidently model and uphold the school’s vision, ethos and high expectations.
• Embodies the school’s core values, ensuring every child is school-ready, safe, and experiences excellence, enrichment and enjoyment.
• Is passionate about early years education and inspires both children and colleagues.
• Demonstrates the ability to support, mentor and influence others’ practice positively.
• Has a strong interest in current research, developments and initiatives within early years.
• Is flexible, reflective and confident in embracing change.
• Is committed to contributing to whole-school culture, collaborative working and shared decision-making.

In return, we offer:

• The opportunity to take the next step in your early years career within a supportive, forward-thinking setting.
• A welcoming, inclusive and engaged school community.
• Enthusiastic children and a friendly, committed staff team.
• Strong support for continuous professional development and leadership growth.
• A creative, well-resourced environment where learners and staff thrive.
• Local Government Pension Scheme.
• Clear opportunities for progression across our two sites.
• An inclusive, collaborative approach to leadership and improvement.
• A talented, motivated and professional team of colleagues.
• A supportive and engaged senior leadership team and governing board.

This role offers an exciting opportunity to develop your leadership skills while continuing to make a meaningful difference during the most important years of a child’s education.

We are an equal opportunity employer and are committed to building a diverse and inclusive workforce. We welcome applications from all individuals regardless of age, disability, gender identity, race, religion or belief, sex, or sexual orientation. We are particularly keen to hear from applicants who can help us better reflect the diverse ethnic backgrounds of our pupils and wider community.

We operate a safer recruitment policy and follow the CBC Code of Practice. Our recruitment process includes undertaking online searches in line with the requirements of Keeping Children Safe in Education. This post will involve regular contact with children, and therefore is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. Applicants are therefore not entitled to withhold information about convictions, cautions or bind-over orders which, for any other purposes, are “spent” under the provisions of the Act. Any information that is “protected” under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 will not appear on a DBS certificate and does not need to be declared. Guidance on this can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/new-guidance-on-the-rehabilitation-of-offenders-act-1974

Successful candidates will be subject to a DBS check at the appropriate level. Shortlisted candidates will be asked to complete a self-declaration related to their criminal record or any information that would make them unsuitable to work with children. Additional checks in relation to the Childcare Disqualification Regulations will be undertaken for successful candidates. If you have lived or worked outside of the UK, additional information may be required from you to satisfy safer recruitment checks.

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

Greenleas School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and expects all staff to share this commitment. We will carry out enhanced DBS checks where necessary on all staff and take references. Please note that online searches are undertaken as part of the safer recruitment process.

Central Bedfordshire Council Schools are equal opportunities employers and welcome applications from all members of the community.

Please advise us if you have a disability, learning difficulties, medical conditions or needs for which you would like us to make reasonable adjustments so that your application and working experience is more accessible.

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 Greenleas School

• School type: Local authority maintained school, ages 2 to 9
• Education phase: Primary school
• School size: 680 pupils enrolled
• Age range: 2 to 9
• Ofsted report: View Ofsted report
• School website: Greenleas School website
• See more jobs: teaching-vacancies.service.gov.uk/organisations/greenleas-school

We are a two-site school in the market town of Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire. We have over five hundred and sixty main school pupils in addition to those attending our Early Years provision which brings our total number to nearly seven hundred. We have one hundred and thirty staff across both sites.

We have a senior and middle leadership structure, providing opportunities for career development.

Our teachers have shared PPA on a Friday afternoon and come together across both sites for our staff meeting/Inset every Wednesday. We plan as a team across both sites.

School location

Get a job alert when similar jobs are listed

Find more school jobs in Bedfordshire