Early Years Practitioner / EYFS Lead

Job Title: Early Years Practitioner / EYFS Lead (SEND)

Location: Chelsea, London [same location fix needed as flagged above]

Salary: Competitive, dependent on experience and level of responsibility [flag: recommend a figure or band]

Job Type: Permanent, Full Time

Start Date: September 2026 or January 2027

Description:

First Bridge School is a DfE-registered specialist SEND school in Chelsea, London, for pupils aged 2 to 11 with autism and complex developmental needs. We're hiring an Early Years Practitioner, or an experienced practitioner ready for EYFS Lead responsibilities, to support children aged 2 to 5 with autism in a fully integrated therapeutic model working alongside teachers, SaLTs, OTs and Behaviour Specialists.

As Early Years Practitioner, you will:

• Deliver individualised Early Years provision aligned to EHCP outcomes and EYFS principles
• Use autism-specific strategies including structured routines, visual supports and communication systems
• Support early communication, personal care, independence and emotional regulation
• Differentiate for pupils at varying developmental stages, including pre-verbal children
• Contribute to observation, assessment and EHCP review processes
• For EYFS Lead: model good practice and support consistency across the Early Years team

We're looking for:

• A relevant Early Years qualification, ideally Level 3 or above
• Experience with children in Early Years, nursery, reception, SEND or specialist provision
• Understanding of EYFS principles and child development
• A calm, consistent, nurturing approach with young children
• Confidence with observation, assessment and progress recording
• For EYFS Lead: experience supporting colleagues or leading an area of Early Years provision
• SEND or autism-specialist experience desirable (TEACCH, PECS or Intensive Interaction a plus)

You'll get a manageable workload, daily collaboration with therapists, funded SEND-specific CPD, 34 days' holiday, and a laptop for work and home use. This Early Years Practitioner role suits practitioners who want genuine multidisciplinary collaboration and developmental progress over standardised attainment data.

First Bridge School is committed to safeguarding. Enhanced DBS and other pre-employment checks apply. This vacancy is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974.