Play Assistant, The Community School of Auchterarder Nursery - PKC13456

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: Play Assistant (Fixed Term until 16 August 2026) - PKC13456 £9,608 - £9,851 (16 Hours per week, Term-time only) The Community School of Auchterarder Nursery.

An opportunity has arisen for an enthusiastic and motivated Play Assistant to join our Nursery team on a part-time, term-time basis. This is temporary to the end of the summer term, with a fixed term contract end date of 16 August 2026. The role is child focused which requires sensitivity, patience and compassion along with a welcoming approach to generate a feeling of trust and safety for children and their family/carers. A genuine interest in the development of children and their wellbeing is essential and the important qualities are kindness, sensitivity, respectfulness, and good manners and to respect confidentiality at all times.

This is a part-time role, working 16 hours per week, Monday to Friday, during term-time. Currently, the working hours will be 11:00am until 2:12pm but shift patterns may be subject to change depending on the needs of the setting.

About the School

The Community School of Auchterarder is an all-through school, comprising Nursery, Primary and Secondary departments serving the community of Auchterarder and surrounding district. We have a roll of approximately 1,100 children and young people across all three sectors. The nursery setting is an 80-place setting, working on an extended years 45-week model. The school is situated in a rural location, approximately 14 miles south of Perth with good road networks to the rest of Perthshire, Glasgow, Edinburgh and the central belt. Our Associated Primary Schools are Aberuthven, Blackford and Dunning. Our school motto is ‘Strive to Excel’ and, working together, we encourage all children and young people to aspire to be the best they can be. Our aim is to build a community of learners who are: Happy, Engaged, Ambitious, Respectful, Trustworthy. The Community School of Auchterarder, at the HEART of our community.

Skills & Experience Required

We are looking for an individual who has a genuine interest and commitment to working with children in a professional capacity within early learning or a childcare environment and who loves to work as part of a team. The successful candidate will have a commitment to continuous development working towards HNC Level 7, SVQ level 4 or SVQ level 3 Social Services Children and Young People and qualification within 5 years from starting the post. All candidates must register with SSSC within 3 months from starting the post.

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.

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 Shona Duncan, Principal Early Childhood Practitioner by emailing TCSOAContact@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. 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.