Early Years Practitioner (Part-time)

The Erskine Stewart Melville Schools are currently recruiting for an Early Years Practitioner to join the Nursery on a temporary basis from the 23 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:

• Monday from 8 am to 3:15 pm
• Tuesday from 8 am to 3:45 pm

You will be entitled to an unpaid lunch of 30 minutes each day, a total paid working week of 14 hours. Remuneration is dependent on skills and experience, at a pro‑rata salary of £10,709 to £11,658. 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 this role is to deliver a high quality, child centred service which meets the needs of our children and their families. Key duties include planning and implementation of a curricular programme, observing and interacting with children to support their learning and participating in teamwork across the Nursery.

Successful candidates will be a kind, enthusiastic, and responsible individual who prioritises the interests of children and works well within a team. They will have experience working with children, possess a recognised childcare qualification, and demonstrate strong organisational skills.

Eligibility: 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.

Benefits: 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.

Values: We are looking for individuals who can embody and promote ESMS values of Kindness, Confidence, Resilience, Integrity, and Curiosity while role‑modeling 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.

Any enquiries about this position should be directed to the HR Team at recruitment@esms.org.uk. The closing date for the position is Wednesday 4 February 2026 at 12noon. We anticipate interviews will commence the week commencing 9 February, 2026.

About ESMS: 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.