Graduate Early Years Teacher Training Pathway – Early Years Teacher Status (EYTS)
This is a paid post-graduate opportunity to join our Outstanding, Award-Winning Early Years Department and Train to Become a qualified Early Years Teacher, specialising in using creative and expressive arts to inspire your practice in the classroom.
Are you an ambitious graduate who is passionate about working with young children (18 months - 5 years) understanding brain development, the power of the arts and looking for a career where you can make a real difference?
Do you want to combine early education, creativity and the performing arts while gaining a recognised professional teaching status?
Performatots Pre-School, part of Northern Performance Academy in Harrogate, is looking for an enthusiastic, creative and ambitious graduate to join our 12-month Graduate Early Years Teacher Training Pathway, leading to Early Years Teacher Status (EYTS).
This is a fantastic opportunity for someone at the beginning of their career who has the passion and potential to become an exceptional Early Years Teacher.
You don't need to already be an Early Years expert. We are looking for the right person with the right attitude, creativity, energy and commitment to learning. Throughout the programme, you will work alongside experienced Early Years practitioners and qualified teachers, receive dedicated mentoring and develop the knowledge, skills and confidence needed to achieve EYTS.
About the Programme
This is a 12-month, full-time fixed-term training position designed specifically for graduates who want to build a career in Early Years Education.
As part of your training, you will complete three Early Years placements, gaining experience across different settings and developing a broad understanding of early education and practice.
You will:
- Work alongside experienced Early Years practitioners and qualified teachers.
- Receive ongoing support, guidance and mentoring throughout your training.
- Develop your knowledge of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) and child development.
- Build practical experience of teaching, learning and play with children aged approximately 18 months to 5 years.
- Develop your confidence in planning and delivering purposeful, engaging learning experiences.
- Learn how to create inclusive environments that support every child's development.
- Develop your understanding of observation, assessment and individual children's needs.
- Gain experience working with children with a range of abilities, interests and additional needs.
- Gain experience working with multi-agencies, including social care, speech and language therapists, early years advisors and learning about Ofsted and the Department for Educations role in the delivery of high-quality provision.
- Complete the requirements of the training programme and work towards Early Years Teacher Status (EYTS).
At the end of the programme, there may be the opportunity to continue your career with us in a full-time Early Years teaching position, subject to successful completion of the training and available opportunities.
We are passionate about developing our people and would love this to be the beginning of a long-term career with Northern Performance Academy.
Why Performatots?
We are not a traditional pre-school.
Performatots is an Ofsted Outstanding, nationally award-winning Early Years Department within Northern Performance Academy. Our approach puts creativity, imagination and the expressive and performing arts at the heart of children's learning.
Our specialist environment includes:
- Our own Theatre on-site
- An Early Years Library
- Dance studio
- Yoga studio
- Sensory room
- Atalier and Art Space
- Soft Play Gym
- Teaching kitchen
- Dedicated Early Years classrooms and multiple learning spaces
- Outdoor learning and play
- Opportunities to explore the local community and wider environment
We use the creative and performing arts to inspire our curriculum, helping young children develop confidence, communication, imagination, physical skills and a lifelong love of learning.
You might find yourself using drama to develop language, dance to explore movement and physical development, music to build communication skills, cooking to develop independence and mathematical thinking, or imaginative play to help children make sense of the world around them.
You don't need to be a performer.
This is really important to say. We are not looking for a children's entertainer. What matters to us is that you are creative, enthusiastic and excited by the possibilities of using the arts to inspire young children, develop their brains, bodies and minds, discover the transformative power the arts have to change lives and make a difference to young children's futures.
Who Are We Looking For?
We are looking for a graduate who is:
- Passionate about Early Years education and working with young children.
- Fun, energetic and enthusiastic, with the ability to engage children through play and purposeful experiences.
- Creative and imaginative, with an interest in the arts, creativity or performance.
- Warm, caring and nurturing, with a genuine commitment to children's wellbeing.
- Confident and positive, with the ability to build strong relationships with children, families and colleagues.
- Curious and reflective, with a genuine desire to learn and develop professionally.
- Ambitious, with the motivation to build a long-term career in Early Years education.
- Reliable, hardworking and dedicated to completing the training programme.
- Resilient and Professional to work with families and other professional agencies, guiding and impacting their lives.
- Excited by working in a busy, active and highly creative environment. No day is the same and the energy level needed is high! The rewards are unmatched.
Previous Early Years experience is welcomed but is not essential. We are particularly interested in meeting graduates who can demonstrate transferable skills from areas such as education, performing arts, theatre, dance, music, psychology, sport, childcare, youth work, community work, hospitality or other people-focused disciplines.
Essential Entry Requirements
To be eligible for this graduate training pathway, you must have:
- A degree in any subject.
- GCSE English at Grade C/4 or above, or equivalent.
- GCSE Maths at Grade C/4 or above, or equivalent.
- GCSE Science at Grade C/4 or above, or equivalent.
- A genuine interest in developing a career in Early Years education.
- The commitment and availability to complete the full 12-month training programme, including the required placements.
- The right to live and work in the UK
- An excellent standard of both written and spoken english.
You do not need to already hold a recognised teaching qualification such as QTS/Early Years qualification or EYTS.
The purpose of this opportunity is to support the right graduate to develop into a confident, knowledgeable and inspirational Early Years Teacher.
What You'll Be Doing at Performatots
Alongside your formal training and placements, you will become an important part of our Early Years team.
You will gradually develop your responsibility for working with children aged 18 months to 5 years, supporting their learning, development and wellbeing through play, creativity and purposeful experiences.
Your role will include:
- Building warm and trusting relationships with young children.
- Supporting children's personal, social and emotional development.
- Encouraging language, communication and early literacy.
- Supporting early mathematical development.
- Providing creative, physical and sensory experiences.
- Using music, movement, drama, dance, storytelling and imaginative play.
- Creating exciting and inviting learning environments.
- Supporting children's individual interests, strengths and needs.
- Developing your understanding of positive behaviour support.
- Supporting inclusion and learning how best to work with children with additional needs, to ensure they make excellent individual progress.
- Working closely with parents, carers and colleagues.
- Learning to plan, observe and assess children's learning in line with the EYFS.
- Taking part in outdoor learning, community experiences and enrichment activities.
- Working as part of a supportive team of practitioners and teachers.
You will be supported as you develop — we don't expect you to know everything on day one.
What we do expect is enthusiasm, commitment, professionalism and a genuine desire to become an excellent Early Years Teacher.
A Place to Build Your Career
We are passionate about investing in our team.
Many of our colleagues have developed their careers with us, soem of whom are now part of the Senior Leadership team and have been with us over 10 years! We want people who are excited about progression, professional development and taking on new challenges.
This training pathway could be the first step towards a long-term career within Northern Performance Academy.
We want to meet people who aren't simply looking for a job for the next 12 months, but who are excited about the possibility of growing with us and building a career in Early Years education.
What Makes Working Here Different?
There is minimal unnecessary paperwork because we genuinely value practical work with children and the impact that our team has every day.
You will be surrounded by colleagues who are supportive, enthusiastic and passionate about what they do.
We care about wellbeing, work-life balance and creating a positive working environment. We are a friendly and social team, with opportunities to become part of our wider school community. We have an open-door policy, which means if you struggle with anything, we will make time to help you be able to continue your work whilst being fully supported in the best ways possible.
Most importantly, you will have the opportunity to work somewhere that believes early education should be joyful, creative, inspiring and full of possibility. This does take dedication and commitment to our high standards, integrity, lots of creative energy and incredible team work.
The Practical Details
Position: Graduate Early Years Teacher Training Pathway
Qualification: Early Years Teacher Status (EYTS)
Contract: 12-month fixed-term training contract
Hours: Full-time, approximately 38-40 hours per week
Working pattern: Monday to Friday, hours arranged usually between 8am and 6pm
Location: Performatots Pre-School, Harrogate/ Placement in Harrogate
Future opportunities: A full-time position may be available on successful completion of the training programme.
Ready to Start Your Early Years Teaching Career?
If you are a graduate with energy, creativity, ambition and a genuine passion for young children, we'd love to hear from you.
You don't need to have everything figured out yet.
You just need to have the passion to learn, the commitment to develop and the ambition to become an outstanding Early Years Teacher.
Come and see what makes Performatots so special.
We'd love to meet you.
Pay: £26,000.00-£28,500.00 per year
Benefits:
- Childcare
- Company events
- Company pension
- Cycle to work scheme
- Employee discount
- Employee mentoring programme
- Health & wellbeing programme
- On-site parking
- Sick pay
Work Location: In person
