Early Years Educator

Most early years jobs ask you to do more with less. We built ours the other way round.

At Young Friends, we've deliberately stripped away the things that make this work tiring elsewhere — the daily paperwork, the observation quotas, the relentless commercial calendar, the frantic setting-up before children arrive. What's left is the work you came into early years to do: being present with children, in a calm, child-led setting where the day is allowed to unfold naturally.

We're looking for a warm, imaginative Level 2 or 3 educator to join our woodland-based, sustainable kindergarten in Hove.

What makes a day here different

The day flows rather than runs to a timetable. No staged sessions, no herding children between activities. Children set up alongside the adults and help with everything, so there's no early-morning scramble.

Paperwork is light and purposeful — photos to families, the statutory two-year check, three assessments a year and one before school. Nothing comes home. No planning at weekends, no catching up in the evenings. Your own time stays yours.

Because the space is calm and settled, so are the children — which means your days are spent connecting and supporting, not correcting.

Sustainability sits at the heart of the role
This is the part that makes us different, and it's central to what we'll ask of you. Sustainability isn't a theme we add on — it shapes how we teach, what we use, and how we help children understand the world. You'll bring it to life every day: natural and recycled materials, loose-parts play, outdoor learning, composting, caring for our animals, and teaching children to care for their environment in age-appropriate ways.

You don't need to arrive knowing all of this. You do need to want to. We have a dedicated sustainability lead and a team around you who'll support and share their practice, and we'll expect you to research, learn and grow into it. A genuine curiosity about sustainability and the natural world matters more to us than existing expertise.

What the role involves
You'll offer meaningful learning experiences rooted in our sustainable approach, and support children's development in a safe, nurturing, natural setting — including trips to the beach, local parks and our kitchen garden.

As a key person, you'll care for a small group of children as their familiar, trusted adult — settling them in, getting to know them well, sharing the small moments and milestones with their families, and being the face they and their parents come to rely on. Alongside this, you'll share in the everyday care that young children need: mealtimes, nappies and sleep, all handled with the same calm attentiveness as everything else.

Because we're open-plan and free-flow, you'll work closely with the wider team throughout the day, moving with the children as their curiosity takes them and supporting your colleagues as they support you. Like everyone here, you'll share responsibility for keeping children safe and following our safeguarding practices.

We're looking for someone with a Level 2 or 3 Early Years qualification (or above), a good understanding of the EYFS and how to adapt it thoughtfully, confidence carrying out dynamic risk assessments, and above all a genuine love of outdoor learning and the natural world.

How we look after you
•   Pay above the sector. £29,708–£30,995 depending on qualification, on a clear, transparent pay structure where you can always see how your pay can grow — including a genuine route up to leadership.
•   A team designed to prevent burnout. Everything here is built to lighten the load, not add to it.
•   Real trust and flexibility. A drink whenever you like, a break when you need one, and the freedom to bring your own talents — music, yoga, whatever you love — into the day.
•   Come as you are. No uniform, and no covering up tattoos.
•   Beautiful spaces. A woodland garden, kitchen garden and calm, well-designed rooms that are a genuine pleasure to spend the day in.
•   A genuinely kind culture. A warm, supportive team with a flattened hierarchy where every voice is heard — plus paid CPD, mentorship, staff socials, a wellbeing support package with confidential counselling, fresh fruit each week, and a company pension.
In short
Calm adults make calm rooms, and a settled, well-supported team is the foundation of everything we do. If you want to work somewhere that genuinely does early years differently — and to grow into the sustainability that sits at its heart — we'd love to hear from you.