Early Years Assistant - Canaan Lane Primary School

An exciting opportunity has arisen for two skilled and enthusiastic Early Years Assistants to work in Canaan Lane Primary School, a new school which opened only a few years ago in the south of Edinburgh. The school currently consists of two Primary 1 - Primary 4 classes and an Early Learning and Childcare facility.

Within our Early Learning and Childcare facility, there are nurturing, creative and well‑resourced learning environments where learners are supported and encouraged to discover a love of learning. Outside, there are inspiring and vibrant spaces which reflect our vision for daily access to outdoor learning.

We are seeking to appoint two Early Years Assistants with a passion for working with our 3–5‑year‑old learners. This post represents an excellent opportunity to be working as part of our innovative and creative learning environment where our learners are empowered to discover and build on their interests, share ideas and be motivated to learn.

At Canaan Lane, we are not only committed to providing the very best educational experiences and opportunities but also to develop our learners as leaders and responsible citizens. We are committed to developing relationships based on mutual trust and support. We strive to be at the heart of our school community and develop skills to enable effective contributions to our local community and the wider world.

Candidates who are passionate about play‑based learning, wellbeing, inclusive practice, nurture and can demonstrate a commitment to nurturing approaches are invited to apply for this post. Applicants should be able to demonstrate excellent interpersonal and communication skills and model high standards of pedagogy to inspire, motivate and support colleagues in the development of their own classroom practice.

It is a requirement of this post that you gain a qualification in early years and childcare within three years of joining. Interviews will take place week commencing 25th June with an anticipated start date of the middle of August.

This post is regulated work with children and/or protected adults under the Protection of Vulnerable Groups (Scotland) Act 2007. The preferred candidate will be required to join the PVG Scheme or undergo a PVG Scheme update check. Where an individual has spent a continuous period of 3 months or more out with the UK in the last 5 years, an Overseas Criminal Record Check will be required. You will be required to provide this check. An unconditional offer of employment and commencement in the post will be subject to the outcome of both these pre‑employment checks being deemed satisfactory.

We are committed to a diverse and inclusive workforce where everyone feels valued and able to be their best. We particularly encourage applications from women for senior roles, as well as people from minority ethnic backgrounds, people with disabilities or neurodivergent people, care experienced people, carers and LGBT+ people across all levels of the organisation, all of whom are currently underrepresented. All applicants will be considered fairly based on skills and experience. Disabled and care‑experienced applicants who meet the minimum job criteria will be guaranteed an interview.

As part of our goal to improve organisational culture and create a great place to work together for the people of Edinburgh, we want to make sure we're recruiting the best people. We’re interested not only in your skills and experience but also in your approach to work. Therefore, part of our interview process will be an assessment of how you would bring Our Behaviours of Respect, Integrity and Flexibility into your ways of working.

Our salary range typically reflects the initial starting salary and annually increases until it reaches the top of the range. Happy to talk flexible working.