Early Childhood Practitioner, Breadalbane Academy, Aberfeldy - PKC13647

Main Purpose of the Role

Working within Perth & Kinross Council is more than a job; it’s about being part of an organisation that puts people at the heart of all we do and provides opportunities to make a real difference by enhancing every life we touch. We currently have the following opportunity: Early Childhood Practitioner (Fixed Term until 16 August 2026) - PKC13647 £17,753 - £19,012 (23.5 Hours per week, Term-time only) Breadalbane Academy, Aberfeldy.

You will be working with a team of skilled practitioners to support our children develop their play and learning experiences across the curriculum. This post is 23.5 hours a week and you will be expected to work between the hours of 8am and 4.30pm, across 3 days.

About the School

Breadalbane Academy is a vibrant all-through school serving pupils aged 2 to 18 and takes pride in delivering a rich and diverse wider curriculum that supports the development of the whole child—academically, socially, and emotionally. Our approach is rooted in fostering creativity, resilience, and personal growth, ensuring every learner is equipped for life beyond school. Opened in 2010, Breadalbane Academy is located in Aberfeldy, amidst the scenic Highland Perthshire mountains. Our wide catchment area spans from the dramatic wilderness of Rannoch Moor in the west to the lively towns of Dunkeld and Pitlochry in the east. The school is part of a state-of-the-art Community Campus that provides an exceptional learning and working environment. Facilities include a 25m swimming pool, astroturf playing surface, recording studio, dance studio, and excellent ICT resources—supporting a rich and diverse curriculum that offers experiences to our young people that is not so easily assessable in other schools and encourages wider development. Surrounded by mountains, moors, forests, lochs, and rivers, our rural location offers unique opportunities for enriching student experiences. Through the Breadalbane Guarantee, we ensure that every young person at our school benefits from a broad range of achievement opportunities beyond the classroom. These experiences are designed to build valuable skills and aptitudes, while also expanding pupils’ life experiences and knowledge base. Breadalbane Academy is proud to provide opportunities for Gaelic Medium Education in our Nursery, Primary and Secondary schools. We are committed to offering our young people opportunities to engage with Scotland’s cultural heritage, including a consideration for the broader culture of Gaelic.

Skills & Experience Required

The successful candidate will be able to think 'on their feet' and enjoy a varied role in order to support a happy, busy nursery putting children's needs first. You will have excellent communication skills and have the ability to build strong relationships with children, families and colleagues alike. We are looking for a fun, caring, committed and dedicated individual who loves to work as part of a team and is a driven professional with appropriate Nursery experience and a passion for getting it right for every child. Knowledge of Curriculum for Excellence across Early Level along with expertise of extending play is essential, as is a commitment to continuous professional learning. For the role of Early Childhood Practitioner, you should hold an appropriate qualification e.g., SNNEB, NNEB, HNC, SCQF level 7 equivalent or SVQ 3 in Childcare and Education or SVQ 3 Social Services (Children and Young People), as well as have the eligibility to register with SSSC.

Working at Perth & Kinross Council

Our values and behaviours influence our work and support us in the delivery of our key priorities. In your application, and should you be invited to interview, you will be asked to describe situations that support the criteria required in the role and which also demonstrate our values and behaviours. Find out more about Perth & Kinross Council and you could soon be joining our team!

Here’s what we can offer you:

• A generous annual leave package
• 6 days public holiday and an additional discretionary day
• Eligibility to join our pension scheme
• Family friendly and positive work/life balance policies such as Flexible Working, Maternity, Paternity & Adoption leave, time off for volunteering and our Wellbeing Framework
• Access to a range of benefits
• Paid SSSC annual membership for relevant positions

A healthy work life balance is important to us and we provide supportive management and, where possible, flexible working arrangements to help you achieve that balance. You will have access to training and support for continued professional development. This role requires you to be registered with the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC); if you are not yet registered, you can still apply, as long as you are willing to apply for registration within 3 months of starting with us and be registered within 6 months.

Next Steps

We would love to hear from you and would encourage you to get in touch with Lynne Lambert, Head Teacher at Breadalbane@pkc.gov.uk to find out more. Click “APPLY NOW”. External candidates are required to provide contact details for 2 referees, including email addresses. One of these must be your current or most recent employer. Internal applicants applying for secondment must obtain line manager approval through the secondment form available under My Forms – Secondment Request Form on MyView. Please note that secondment requests are considered on a case-by-case basis. We welcome applications from everyone and as a Disability Confident employer, we guarantee to interview applicants who declare a disability and meet the essential requirements of the post. Please contact the hiring manager above or the Recruitment Team on (01738) 475555 or recruitment@pkc.gov.uk to discuss any reasonable adjustments. Appointments are based on evidence supplied during the selection process. Diversity is important to us and although some of our jobs may be perceived to be traditionally gender specific, we welcome applications from everyone and would encourage you to apply if you meet the job requirements. That includes welcoming applications from former armed forces personnel/reservists. Many of the skills picked up during your military career could be transferred directly into a role with local government. Working with children and/or protected adults is regarded as a regulated role and under the Disclosure (Scotland) Act 2020 you will be required to join the PVG Scheme or undergo a PVG Scheme update check. If you have lived overseas for a period of 12 months or more (continuous or total) within the last 10 years, an Overseas Criminal Record Check will be required. You will be required to provide this check. A confirmed offer of employment and commencement in the post will be subject to the outcome of the above mentioned mandatory pre-employment checks (including references) and will also include eligibility to work in the UK, qualifications and fitness to undertake the post.