Early Years Lead Practitioner in Edinburgh

The Erskine Stewart Melville Schools are currently recruiting for an Early Years Lead Practitioner to join the Nursery on a temporary basis from the 27 February to 26 June 2026 (subject to satisfactory pre-employment checks). This is a part-time, term-time position with the following days and hours of work: Friday 8am to 3:30pm. You will be entitled to an unpaid lunch of 30 minutes each day, a total paid working week of 7.5 hours. Remuneration is dependent on skills and experience, at a pro rata salary of £7,427 - £8,088. Annual leave will be a paid allowance in the annual salary as this is a term time only contract. All holidays will be taken during the school holidays.

The purpose of the Early Years Lead Practitioner (EYLP) is to lead, nurture and support the learning and development of the children in their class, working closely with colleagues, parents and external stakeholders. They are also required to support the school’s Holiday Club provision where necessary. They are responsible for providing and sustaining with other Nursery staff, an environment which is innovative, stimulating, challenging and enabling.

Successful candidates will have an understanding of the Curriculum for Excellence, GIRFEC and the UNCRC Frameworks. They will have experience working with children, possess a recognised childcare qualification, and demonstrate strong organisational skills. The EYLP will also offer exceptional leadership, motivation and management of their room team. They will support the wellbeing of their colleagues and will support the training and mentoring of staff, daily logistics and room organisation and task delegation.

ESMS is unable to sponsor the employment of international workers in this role. International applicants will therefore be unable to apply for and secure a Skilled Worker visa. The successful candidate will only be able to take up this role if they can demonstrate an alternative right to work in the UK.

Staff are offered a range of benefits including: a generous holiday allowance, enhanced sick pay, family friendly policies, use of the Schools’ swimming pool and fitness room outside school hours, membership of the ESMS Discount and Benefits Scheme, including a range of discounts at 130,000 retail and entertainment locations.

We are looking for individuals who can embody and promote ESMS values of Kindness, Confidence, Resilience, Integrity, and Curiosity while role modelling behaviours in line with our school pillars of Ambition, Innovation, and Community. ESMS is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people. Applicants must undergo child protection screening, including checks with past employers and Disclosure Scotland. All staff working at ESMS have direct access to young people therefore all posts within the school are considered exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974.

The closing date for the position is Wednesday 4 February 2026 at 12noon. We anticipate interviews will commence the week commencing 9 February 2026.

Welcome to the ESMS, a vibrant family of independent schools, set in beautiful grounds in the heart of Edinburgh. We offer a co-educational nursery and junior school, single-sex but closely twinned secondary education, and a co-educational sixth form. We are a consistently award-winning School, with an educational legacy that stretches back more than 300 years. Our Schools have always been pioneers of rounded education. Children’s education is underpinned by our values: kindness, confidence, resilience, integrity and curiosity. From virtual reality headsets in the classroom to developing one of the first outdoor learning programmes in Scotland, we are always searching for new ways to develop the whole child. The people that work for us are passionate, pioneering and strive for excellence in everything they do. We value the incredible contributions they make to school life, we invest in their careers and we support their ambitions so that they flourish professionally and personally.

Employees get access to a range of benefits including: Fee remission from Nursery to S6, Free school lunches, Free Sports’ Club membership, including access to pool and fitness suites, Family friendly policies, including enhanced maternity leave, Membership of the ESMS Discount and Benefits Scheme, including a range of discounts at 130,000 retail and entertainment locations, Employee Assistance Service, Cycle to work scheme, Car leasing salary sacrifice scheme, Annual professional review process, Regular salary reviews, Funding towards professional qualifications.