Year 1 teacher | mainstream primary academy | barnet

CORE PURPOSE We require an exceptionally nurturing, enthusiastic Year 1 Teacher to guide young learners through the crucial transition from the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) into structured Key Stage 1 education. Operating within a collaborative primary academy, the successful candidate will foster an emotionally secure, language-rich classroom environment that prioritises early reading mastery through systematic synthetic phonics, foundational numeracy skills, and the development of independent, confident social habits. THE SCHOOL Our primary academy operates as a warm, community-focused mainstream school dedicated to providing an inclusive, child-centred education. The campus boasts bright, modern Key Stage 1 classrooms featuring dedicated continuous provision zones, sensory learning spaces, and vibrant outdoor play facilities. The school’s behavior framework is entirely rooted in positive reinforcement, routine consistency, and emotional regulation, ensuring a calm, highly predictable, and safe environment where young children feel valued and eager to learn. KEY TASKS & DAILY OPERATIONS Phonics Screening Check Preparation: Deliver high-impact, daily systematic synthetic phonics lessons (following validation schemes such as Little Wandle or Read Write Inc.), ensuring all pupils develop robust blending, segmenting, and decoding skills. Early Numeracy Foundations: Teach core mathematical concepts using concrete-pictorial-abstract (CPA) approaches, embedding deep number sense, place value, and basic addition and subtraction into daily practical routines. Transition & Continuous Provision Management: Masterfully manage the step up from Reception by blending structured, table-led National Curriculum tasks with purposeful, play-based continuous provision to maintain high engagement. Early Literacy & Fine Motor Development: Cultivate early writing stamina, correct pencil grip, letter formation, and sentence construction through creative storytelling, role-play, and fine motor skills activities. Proactive Parent & Carer Engagement: Maintain close, supportive partnerships with families through daily gate handovers, reading logs, and structured updates, ensuring a collaborative approach to each child's academic and emotional milestone tracking. PROFILE REQUIREMENTS Qualifications: Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) or an equivalent recognized primary teaching qualification, backed by a strong understanding of early childhood development and the Key Stage 1 National Curriculum framework. Phonics Expertise: Proven experience or comprehensive training in delivering systematic synthetic phonics programs with a track record of driving strong reading progression. Nurturing Presence: A highly patient, warm, and creative classroom presence, capable of establishing clear, gentle boundaries while maintaining a joyful and stimulating learning environment. REGIONAL CONTEXT Suburban Green Space & Diverse Community: Located in the outer London borough of Barnet, the school serves a diverse, vibrant multicultural neighborhood. The local area's wealth of green parks, tree-lined streets, and historical suburban heritage provides a perfect, secure backdrop for early geographical walks, seasonal outdoor learning, and nature-based science topics. Connectivity & Infrastructure: The campus is exceptionally well-placed for commuting educators across North London and Hertfordshire, utilizing excellent road links via the A1, A406 North Circular, and the M1 motorway. Public transit links are superb; the school is served by frequent London Bus routes and sits within easy reach of the Northern Line (via High Barnet, Totteridge & Whetstone, or Edgware stations) and Great Northern or Thameslink rail lines, offering rapid connections across the capital. APPLICATION INTAKE Please submit your current CV to begin the application process.