Reception Teacher & Early Years Phase Lead
Avanti Meadows Primary School, Bishop's Stortford, CM23 1FQ9 days remaining to apply
Start date details
January 2027
Closing date
11 October 2026 at 11:59pm
Date listed
2 October 2026
Job details
Job role
- Teacher or lecturer
- Head of year or phase
- View all Suitable for early career teachers (780)jobs
Visa sponsorship
- Visas cannot be sponsored
Key stage
- Early years, Key stage 1, Key stage 2
Working pattern
- Full time: Refer to job description.
Contract type
- Permanent
Full time equivalent salary
- MPS1 – MPS6 (TLR 2A)
Additional allowances
TLR 2A
What skills and experience we're looking for
About us and the role
Avanti Meadows Primary School is seeking an experienced and committed Reception Teacher & Early Years Phase Lead to lead our Early Years team and drive high standards across the phase. This is an exciting opportunity for a teacher who is passionate about early education and able to inspire colleagues through excellent classroom practice, effective collaboration and professional development. Working closely with the senior leadership team, you will play a central role in securing strong outcomes, consistent practice and an exceptional experience for every child.
As an excellent classroom practitioner and supportive phase leader, you will help create a nurturing, inclusive and stimulating environment where children feel safe, valued and motivated to learn. You will lead the development of teaching and learning across the Early Years phase, using assessment, observation and effective practice to ensure every child makes strong progress from their starting point. You will also support and develop colleagues, promote collaboration and contribute to a culture of continuous improvement across the school, with high expectations for pupils’ wellbeing, development and achievement.
School visits are welcomed and encouraged. Please contact the school to arrange a suitable time.
What will you do?
- Lead and manage the Early Years phase, ensuring consistently high-quality teaching, learning, assessment and outcomes for all pupils, with a strong focus on inclusion, progress and attainment.
- Provide effective leadership and support to phase staff, modelling excellent classroom practice, developing colleagues’ teaching, promoting professional development and ensuring consistency in planning, assessment and behaviour approaches.
- Create a safe, nurturing and stimulating learning environment in Reception, maintaining high expectations for behaviour, independence, wellbeing and achievement while safeguarding all children.
- Work collaboratively with the senior leadership team, colleagues, parents and carers, governors, the Avanti Schools Trust and external agencies to promote pupils’ wellbeing, support effective transition and contribute positively to the wider life and ethos of the school.
- Monitor and evaluate standards across the phase through observation, assessment, moderation and data analysis, using evidence to identify priorities, provide appropriate support and drive continuous improvement.
What are we looking for?
- Qualified to bachelor’s degree level in relevant subject or allied subject
- QTS qualified
- Ability to influence the quality of teaching and learning.
- Vision aligned with the Avanti Schools Trust’s emphasis on educational excellence coupled with embedded character development and spiritual insight; having high aspirations and high expectations of self and for others. Able to work within the framework of the Trust’s Ethos Hand- book
- Be able to demonstrate outstanding classroom practice and articulate what constitutes effective teaching and learning within your phase.
- Commitment to the safeguarding and welfare of all students
Please view the full Job Description for more information on the responsibilities and essential criteria required for this role.
What the school offers its staff
Avanti Meadows is a brand-new primary school in Bishop’s Stortford. Surrounded by fields and new housing estates, the school is a centre for the new community developing in the north of Bishop’s Stortford. The school is rated “good” with “outstanding” in personal development.
Avanti Meadows is a non-faith, community school that embraces inclusion and diversity. “From the very start, pupils develop the deep consideration for others, self-reflection and kind relationships that are at the heart of this school.” Avanti Meadows Ofsted Inspection Report, March 2024.
Our school is a vibrant, exciting place to be that is open to big ideas and creativity, all with a genuine focus on pupil and staff wellbeing.
“Through our yoga sessions, children are learning to self-regulate, they are learning that they have the ability to control themselves, to try and calm themselves down and to be in the moment” - Sara Thompson, Yoga Teacher
Our staff are inspired and passionate about their roles, the vision of the school, and providing the most fulfilling learning experience for pupils. Learning is a quest to discover each student’s unique gifts and potential, and to lay the foundation for their lifelong journey of learning.
“We have the most amazing staff members; it’s really evident that the team are very close to one another, and there is a real synergy in their approach to children’s learning.” - Sally Allan, Executive Principal.
Why should you apply
Avanti exists to help each person become a well-rounded human being through intellectual, moral and spiritual growth, and so make the world a better place.
You will be working in a fantastic environment, with:
- Great opportunities for professional development
- Teacher pension scheme (subject to eligibility)
- O2 discounts, Specsavers corporate eye test vouchers
- Eligible for NUS Card and CSSC membership
- Well-being programs (retreats, yoga, wellness apps)
- Cycle-to-work Scheme
Further information about the job
Further information
Pre-employment checks
Avanti Schools Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and requires all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. All successful candidates are required to have an Enhanced DBS check unless internally appointed and still within the cycle of DBS re-checks. Any appointment subsequently made will be subject to the receipt of satisfactory references and other pre-employment checks.
Diversity and Inclusion
We want to make sure we are attracting the widest possible range of people and ensure that they are accepted, understood and treated equally when they work here. This means we will work hard to understand that each employee is unique and ensuring that individuals or groups are not treated differently or less favourably on the basis of specific characteristics. Such characteristics include (but are not limited to) age, disability, gender including transgender, race, religion, sexual orientation, marital status, and how the school supports pregnant women and new parents.
Commitment to safeguarding
Avanti Schools Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and requires all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. All successful candidates are required to have an Enhanced DBS check unless internally appointed and still within the cycle of DBS re-checks.
Any appointment subsequently made will be subject to the receipt of satisfactory references and other pre-employment checks.
Applying for the job
Apply for the job by following the link below.
CVs will not be accepted for this application.
View advert on school website (opens in new tab)Additional documents
If you need these documents in an accessible format, please contact the school.
About Avanti Meadows Primary School
- Organisation type
- Free School, ages 3 to 11
- Education phase
- Primary school
- Size
- 315 pupils enrolled
- Age range
- 3 to 11
- Ofsted report
- View Ofsted report
- Email address
- talent@avanti.org.uk
This school will be the latest in the development of the Avanti Schools Trust who already have several highly successful schools in operation and I am very proud and honoured to have been appointed as the Executive Principal Designate for this new member to our family of schools.
Avanti Meadows Primary School will provide parents and pupils with the highest standards of education and pastoral care. We want our children to take pride in the new school and for every member of the school community to work hard to provide high quality education, care and support for every child and every family. We will set the highest expectations from the outset to ensure that we provide creative learning experiences which inspire and challenge our pupils to achieve the very best in all aspects of their learning.
Our curriculum will be based upon the National Curriculum and we will adopt a personalised approach in order to provide tailor- made learning paths for all pupils.
The site for Avanti Meadows will be a brand new building and the facilities will be bespoke, contemporary and first-class, which will make for a unique learning experience. We are working in partnership with Hertfordshire County Council to ensure that careful planning and preparation is in place to make Avanti Meadows a first-choice school for the children of Bishop’s Stortford North. This is a very exciting time for all of us as we see the new school develop towards the opening date of September 2021
Arranging a visit to Avanti Meadows Primary School
To arrange a visit and increase the chance of a successful application email talent@avanti.org.uk.
School location
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