Nursery Teacher Assistant

Nursery Teacher Assistant

Job Reference: schooltalent/TP/33365/2423

Positions: 1

Contract Type:
Fixed Term, Full Time, Term Time

Contract Details:
Temporary from March (subject to satisfactory pre‑employment checks) until 26 June 2026

Salary: £17,718 to £20,067 per annum (dependent on skills and experience)

Working Hours:

31.25 hours per week (Monday to Friday 8:15 am to 3 pm, 30 minutes unpaid lunch)

Location:

Edinburgh

Closing Date: 12/03/2026

Department:
Early Years/Nursery

Region / Division: ESMS

Job Role:

Operational/Professional Services

The Nursery at Erskine Stewart Melville Schools is recruiting a Nursery Teacher Assistant to join the Nursery on a full‑time, temporary basis from March 2026 until 26 June 2026. The purpose of this role is to support the Class Teachers, Senior Lead Practitioner and Early Years Practitioners. Key duties include supporting individual and groups of children within the Nursery room, supporting children with their learning and providing pastoral care to the children.

• Support Class Teachers and Senior Lead Practitioners.
• Assist individual and group activities for children in the Nursery room.
• Support children’s learning and development.
• Provide pastoral care to children.

• Experience working with children.
• Recognised childcare qualification.
• Strong organisational skills.
• Kind, enthusiastic, responsible, with a focus on children’s interests.

ESMS cannot sponsor international workers. Applicants must have an alternative right to work in the UK.

• Generous holiday allowance.
• Enhanced sick pay.
• Family‑friendly policies.
• Use of the schools’ swimming pool and fitness room outside school hours.
• Membership of the ESMS Discount and Benefits Scheme (discounts at 130 000 retail and entertainment locations).
• Fee remission from Nursery to S6.
• Free school lunches.
• Free sports‑club membership.
• Generous pension.
• Death‑in‑service benefit.
• Employee Assistance Service.
• Cycle‑to‑work scheme.
• Car‑leasing salary‑sacrifice scheme.
• Annual professional review process.
• Regular salary reviews.
• Funding towards professional qualifications.

We are looking for individuals who embody and promote the ESMS values of Kindness, Confidence, Resilience, Integrity, and Curiosity while role‑modeling behaviours in line with our school pillars of Ambition, Innovation, and Community.

ESMS is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. Applicants must undergo child‑protection screening, including checks with past employers and Disclosure Scotland. All staff working at ESMS have direct access to young people, so all posts are exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974.

Welcome to the ESMS, a vibrant family of independent schools set in beautiful grounds in the heart of Edinburgh. We offer a co‑educational nursery and junior school, single‑sex but closely twinned secondary education, and a co‑educational sixth form. Our school is consistently award‑winning and has a legacy of more than 300 years. We are pioneers of rounded education, valuing kindness, confidence, resilience, integrity, and curiosity.

From virtual‑reality headsets in the classroom to developing one of the first outdoor learning programmes in Scotland, we are always searching for new ways to develop the whole child. The people that work for us are passionate, pioneering, and strive for excellence in everything they do.

Please apply for this job via the provided link. For any enquiries, contact the Recruitment Team at

• Nursery Teacher Assistant - JD