Early Years Practitioner (Kirklees – Primary)

Job Title

Early Years Practitioner (Kirklees – Primary)

Job Salary

£24,495.00 - £28,000 (actual starting salary) – Dependant on relevant experience

Academy

Kirklees

Location

St Thomas Gardens, Huddersfield, HD2 1RA

Closing Date

 29 June 2026

Job Description and Person Specification

Download PDF

Job Advert

Hours:  35.5 hours per week, term time plus 10 days

Do you believe in the transformative power of education?

Join our mission to inspire and empower young people, making a lasting impact on their lives.

At Pivot we believe learners deserve better. We are a specialist independent provision with sites in Kirklees, Wakefield, Bradford and Leeds. In our academies we teach and support learners from Key Stages 1 – 5 who have been excluded from school or those with an EHCP who require a specialist placement. Every day our teams do incredible work, making a huge difference to the lives of complex and challenging learners.

We are currently seeking a caring and adaptable Early Years Practitioner to join our Primary provision in Kirklees.

From September 2026, St Thomas Garden’s will be a specialist primary provision, designed to support young learners with special educational needs, including social, emotional and mental health, communication and complex needs. We provide a structured, therapeutic and supportive environment where learning is tailored to each learner through a blend of play-based and personalised approaches, enabling learners to develop communication, independence and emotional regulation skills. Our aim is to remove barriers to learning, so that every learner can engage, feel safe and make meaningful progress.

What you will do:

  • Support the delivery of a nurturing, structured and therapeutic learning environment for young learners with SEND, helping them to access education and make progress.
  • Deliver targeted support in communication, social interaction, emotional regulation and early learning through both play-based and structured activities.
  • Build strong, trusting relationships with learners to promote engagement, wellbeing and positive behaviour.
  • Work closely with Teachers, families and external professionals to implement personalised strategies and ensure consistent support.
  • Monitor progress, maintain accurate records and contribute to reviews, while supporting learners through transitions and moments of dysregulation.

We are looking for someone with experience supporting young learners with SEND. You will be a strong team player with excellent relationship-building skills, able to support learning, behaviour and emotional development in a calm and consistent way. You will bring resilience, empathy and a genuine passion for helping young learners thrive and develop independence. You will have skills and knowledge related to working with primary SEN learners such as Makaton, assistive technologies and sensory strategies.

Working at Pivot will give you a real chance to change the lives of our learners and we truly believe you will find working here a rewarding experience.

We offer:

  • A supportive and forward-thinking school culture
  • Ongoing professional development and support for relevant qualifications
  • Focus on wellbeing for all & access to employee assistance programmes
  • Flexible working arrangements and early finish Fridays
  • Further additional benefits, including blue light card entitlement, eye-test reimbursement, financial wellbeing service, work mobile phone and death in service benefit

Don’t miss this opportunity, apply now by completing an application form and returning to the HR team at recruitment@pivot-group.co.uk.

Closing Date:    29 June 2026

We do encourage you to submit your application form as soon as possible as we reserve the right to change the closing date for a vacancy.

We are committed to safeguarding our young people and promoting the welfare of children and we expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.  The successful candidate will be subject to an enhanced Disclosure Barring Service check and appropriate referencing.

During the shortlisting process, Pivot will carry out an online search on shortlisted candidates as part of its due diligence