Early Years Advisor
| Posting date: | 19 March 2026 |
|---|---|
| Salary: | £20,219 to £21,817 per year, pro rata |
| Hours: | Part time |
| Closing date: | 05 April 2026 |
| Location: | Reading, Berkshire |
| Remote working: | Hybrid - work remotely up to 2 days per week |
| Company: | Reading Borough Council |
| Job type: | Contract |
| Job reference: | DOC0059 |
Summary
x2 Part-time, 23 months fixed term contracts
At Reading, our early years work is driven by the shared vision that every child deserves the very best start in life. We believe all children should have access to high-quality early education, inclusive support, and opportunities that help them thrive regardless of background or circumstance.
Our Early Years, Childcare and SEND advisory teams work in partnership to provide coordinated support, guidance, and professional development to early years providers across the borough. Together, we are committed to strengthening education, care, reducing inequalities, and improving outcomes for Reading’s youngest children.
We seek the best talent from the widest pool of people as diversity and inclusion is the key to our success. Reading Borough Council is a Disability Confident Employer and is committed to the recruitment and continued employment of people with disabilities.
About the role
As an Early Years Advisor, you will play a pivotal role in driving quality improvement across Reading’s early years sector:
Provide targeted support to early years settings to strengthen EYFS curriculum design, sequencing and delivery.
Support high‑quality transitions into primary school through coordinated partnership working.
Help settings develop inclusive environments that build strong foundational skills for all children.
Prioritise support for children facing disadvantage, ensuring early identification and timely intervention.
Deliver and contribute to training programmes, including curriculum development and foundational skills.
Provide modelling, coaching and mentoring during visits to strengthen practitioner confidence.
Promote the effective use of EYPP, DAF and other funding to maximise impact on children’s outcomes.
Use data, observations and feedback to monitor progress and contribute to impact reporting.
Promote strong safeguarding across all settings and uphold the highest standards of professional practice.
About you
We’re looking for an early years professional with extensive experience of supporting children under five and their families, someone who truly understands child development and the power of early intervention. You will bring leadership experience from a high‑quality early years setting, a track record of delivering successful support programmes, and the confidence to work collaboratively with a wide range of professionals.
You’ll be part of a team that relies on each individual to play their part to the best of their ability. As well as the colleagues that you work closely with every day, you’ll also be part of Team Reading, playing your personal part in making Reading a successful and vibrant place.
Our vision is to ensure that Reading realises its potential as a great place to live, work and play, and that everyone shares the benefits of this success. Our values and behaviours guide how we will achieve this:
Work Together as one team - work collaboratively, with each other and with our partners, and demonstrate the Team Reading values in everything we do
Drive Efficiency - show initiative, be adaptable to change and put forward ideas to help improve delivery and efficiency. Take responsibility for our own learning and development and for reaching our potential
Be Ambitious - be demanding of our own performance – striving to be even better – and be prepared to engage with and challenge leaders in a constructive and positive way
Make a Difference to Reading - maintain the highest levels of customer service and be flexible and willing to provide the services needed at the time they are needed
Our offer
We offer a supportive environment to grow and develop your career with the opportunity to put your ideas across. Innovation and ambition is strongly encouraged, and you’ll get a great feel for that working in our friendly and collaborative environment.
A competitive salary alongside a range of benefits including:
Generous holiday entitlement - 25 days holiday each year plus bank holidays - rising to 30 days after 5 years’ service and 33 days after 10 years' service, with the option to buy additional leave
A wide range of flexible working opportunities
Modern working environment at the Civic Offices in the heart of Reading
Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS)
Life Assurance - three times your annual salary (for members of the LGPS)
On-site day nursery (Kennet Day nursery) rated outstanding by Ofsted
Season Ticket Loan - a loan to help with the cost of your rail or bus journey, to and from work
Lease car salary sacrifice scheme allowing you to lease a brand new, greener car for three years. The monthly fee includes insurance, servicing and road tax
Closing Date:Sunday 5th April 2026
Interview Date: Thursday 16th – Friday 17th April
Interview Process: To be confirmed
At Reading, our early years work is driven by the shared vision that every child deserves the very best start in life. We believe all children should have access to high-quality early education, inclusive support, and opportunities that help them thrive regardless of background or circumstance.
Our Early Years, Childcare and SEND advisory teams work in partnership to provide coordinated support, guidance, and professional development to early years providers across the borough. Together, we are committed to strengthening education, care, reducing inequalities, and improving outcomes for Reading’s youngest children.
We seek the best talent from the widest pool of people as diversity and inclusion is the key to our success. Reading Borough Council is a Disability Confident Employer and is committed to the recruitment and continued employment of people with disabilities.
About the role
As an Early Years Advisor, you will play a pivotal role in driving quality improvement across Reading’s early years sector:
Provide targeted support to early years settings to strengthen EYFS curriculum design, sequencing and delivery.
Support high‑quality transitions into primary school through coordinated partnership working.
Help settings develop inclusive environments that build strong foundational skills for all children.
Prioritise support for children facing disadvantage, ensuring early identification and timely intervention.
Deliver and contribute to training programmes, including curriculum development and foundational skills.
Provide modelling, coaching and mentoring during visits to strengthen practitioner confidence.
Promote the effective use of EYPP, DAF and other funding to maximise impact on children’s outcomes.
Use data, observations and feedback to monitor progress and contribute to impact reporting.
Promote strong safeguarding across all settings and uphold the highest standards of professional practice.
About you
We’re looking for an early years professional with extensive experience of supporting children under five and their families, someone who truly understands child development and the power of early intervention. You will bring leadership experience from a high‑quality early years setting, a track record of delivering successful support programmes, and the confidence to work collaboratively with a wide range of professionals.
You’ll be part of a team that relies on each individual to play their part to the best of their ability. As well as the colleagues that you work closely with every day, you’ll also be part of Team Reading, playing your personal part in making Reading a successful and vibrant place.
Our vision is to ensure that Reading realises its potential as a great place to live, work and play, and that everyone shares the benefits of this success. Our values and behaviours guide how we will achieve this:
Work Together as one team - work collaboratively, with each other and with our partners, and demonstrate the Team Reading values in everything we do
Drive Efficiency - show initiative, be adaptable to change and put forward ideas to help improve delivery and efficiency. Take responsibility for our own learning and development and for reaching our potential
Be Ambitious - be demanding of our own performance – striving to be even better – and be prepared to engage with and challenge leaders in a constructive and positive way
Make a Difference to Reading - maintain the highest levels of customer service and be flexible and willing to provide the services needed at the time they are needed
Our offer
We offer a supportive environment to grow and develop your career with the opportunity to put your ideas across. Innovation and ambition is strongly encouraged, and you’ll get a great feel for that working in our friendly and collaborative environment.
A competitive salary alongside a range of benefits including:
Generous holiday entitlement - 25 days holiday each year plus bank holidays - rising to 30 days after 5 years’ service and 33 days after 10 years' service, with the option to buy additional leave
A wide range of flexible working opportunities
Modern working environment at the Civic Offices in the heart of Reading
Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS)
Life Assurance - three times your annual salary (for members of the LGPS)
On-site day nursery (Kennet Day nursery) rated outstanding by Ofsted
Season Ticket Loan - a loan to help with the cost of your rail or bus journey, to and from work
Lease car salary sacrifice scheme allowing you to lease a brand new, greener car for three years. The monthly fee includes insurance, servicing and road tax
Closing Date:Sunday 5th April 2026
Interview Date: Thursday 16th – Friday 17th April
Interview Process: To be confirmed
Proud member of the Disability Confident employer scheme
Disability Confident
About Disability Confident
A Disability Confident employer will generally offer an interview to any applicant that declares they have a disability and meets the minimum criteria for the job as defined by the employer. It is important to note that in certain recruitment situations such as high-volume, seasonal and high-peak times, the employer may wish to limit the overall numbers of interviews offered to both disabled people and non-disabled people. For more details please go to Disability Confident.