Job Description

Early Years Lead


Heartsease Primary Academy


Contract: Full-time, Permanent


Salary: MPR/UPR (FTE: 32,916 - 51,048 per annum) + TLR3c


Start date: April 2026 or sooner


Join our dynamic team as an Early Years Lead and embark on a journey of innovation and excellence, where your skills will shape the future of the school, which is highly ambitious for their pupils, to ensure every child reaches their full potential.


We are seeking a highly motivated individual who will being a proven track record in Early Years development and be part of our new wider leadership team. The successful candidate will be well supported by the Assistant Headteacher and Early Years Lead at Colman Infant School as well as by the wider team at Unity Schools partnership. You will have strong subject knowledge and be able to work with colleagues to ensure aspirational outcomes are achieved.


We follow the CUSP curriculum which has a diverse literature spine that sets ambitious expectations for all. We offer a warm and welcoming environment with a dedicated staff team who are supportive of one another. There is a clear vision for school development to improve outcomes for all pupils. Heartsease Primary Academy is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. DBS and all other relevant checks will be required for this post.


Heartsease Primary Academy is part of Unity Schools Partnership, a multi-academy Trust made up of a family of 40 schools located on the Suffolk, Essex, Norfolk and Cambridgeshire borders, as well as Romford in East London. At Unity Schools Partnership our objective is to smash through barriers to make remarkable change happen. We pride ourselves on being an educational organisation that puts children first, going the extra mile for the vulnerable and disadvantaged, and every one of us has an impact on unlocking our pupils' potential. We are committed to providing a working environment where our employees can grow and thrive. We value collaboration, wellbeing, diversity, equality and work-life balance. Throughout our diverse family of schools and within our vibrant central hub we nurture talent, whether you are at the beginning of your career or looking to grow your expertise.


The Trust expects its work to be characterised by ethical leadership, an ambition for improvement at pace and the expectation that remarkable improvements can be achieved. We refer to ourselves as a family because, throughout the trust, we foster a supportive and collaborative relationship, whilst recognising, and celebrating that, we are all different and have our own contextual characteristics. Sharing the same values and facing similar issues not only enables us to support each other, but to challenge each other too. This interdependence allows each of our schools to flourish and grow; providing stimulating, nurturing yet self-challenging environments in which our pupils and staff members can thrive.


We would encourage applicants to arrange a visit to our schools, please contact Georgia Guy, Executive Headteacher on gguy@unitysp.co.uk



Closing date: 09:00am, 17 January 2026*


Interviews: TBC

Please note for internal applicants, this vacancy closes on 10 January 2025 at 09:00am. To apply please visit the internal careers portal.

Please note: we may hold interviews as and when applications are received and we reserve the right to offer to a candidate prior to the closing date. We only accept applications submitted online via our careers website and which are completed before the closing deadline. With this in mind, we encourage you to apply as soon as possible and advise you check the job information as per the listing on our careers site.


In line with safer recruitment, we are unable to accept CVs. Failure to complete an application form satisfactorily may result in not being shortlisted for the post.


Unity Schools Partnership is committed to safeguarding, safer recruitment and promoting the welfare of pupils. Our comprehensive recruitment and selection processes aim to discourage and screen out unsuitable applicants. Successful candidates are subject to rigorous pre-employment checks. We are equally committed to eliminating discrimination and encouraging diversity. We aim for our workforce to be representative of society and that each employee feels respected and able to give their best. We are committed to providing equality and fairness in our recruitment and employment practices and not to discriminate on any grounds. We oppose all forms of unlawful and unfair discrimination.


We care deeply about inclusive working practices and diverse teams. If you'd prefer to work part-time or as a job-share, we'll facilitate this wherever we can - whether to help you meet other commitments or to help you strike a great work-life balance. We're keen to ensure we're designing an organisation that works for everyone, so we particularly encourage applications from different under-represented groups.





CLOSING DATE


2026-01-17