Class Teacher

Job description

Role: Class Teacher (maternity cover), full-time

Required from November 2026

• Salary: M1 £32,916 - U3 £51,048, depending on experience
• Contract:Temporary maternity cover, full time
• Start date:16 November 2026, with paid transition and handover days prior to this date
• Contract end:Minimum until the end of the Spring Term 2027, with the potential for the role to continue until November 2027, depending on the duration of the maternity leave.

Join Our Wonderful School Community

Balfour Primary School is seeking an enthusiastic, skilled and nurturing teacher to join our team as a Year 1 Class Teacher on a temporary maternity cover contract.

We are looking for someone who is passionate about providing high-quality teaching and creating a warm, inclusive classroom environment where every child feels they belong and can thrive. The successful candidate will share our commitment to whole-child development, recognising that academic achievement, wellbeing, relationships and personal growth are intrinsically linked. We are particularly keen to appoint a teacher who values learning through continuous provision and purposeful play-based experiences, and who understands the importance of fostering children's independence, curiosity and love of learning throughout Key Stage 1. We use Read Write Inc. (RWI) as our systematic synthetic phonics programme.

Balfour Primary School is a thriving and inclusive school community where children and adults are encouraged to flourish. We are proud members of the Thrive Together Schools Alliance, a partnership of like-minded schools from across Brighton & Hove committed to inclusion, equity and securing the very best outcomes for all children. Through this collaboration, staff benefit from opportunities to work alongside colleagues across the city, share best practice and contribute to innovative approaches that improve children's life chances.

The successful candidate will:

• Be an excellent classroom practitioner with high expectations for all children.
• Have a strong understanding of early reading, phonics and effective Key Stage 1 practice. Experience of delivering Read Write Inc. (RWI) phonics is desirable
• Be committed to a child-centred approach that promotes whole-child development and values learning through continuous provision, exploration and meaningful experiences.
• Be committed to inclusion and meeting the needs of every learner.
• Build positive relationships with children, families and colleagues.
• Work collaboratively as part of a supportive staff team.
• Contribute positively to the wider life of the school.

In Return, We Offer

• Wonderful children who are eager to learn and enthusiastic about school.
• A welcoming, supportive and experienced staff team.
• A strong commitment to professional development and staff wellbeing.
• An inclusive school community where relationships matter and every child is known and valued.
• The opportunity to work in a school that is continually developing its approach to continuous provision and child-centred learning, placing children's wellbeing, independence and achievement at the heart of its curriculum.
• Opportunities to contribute to school improvement and innovation.
• Access to professional networks, leadership development and collaborative practice through the Thrive Together Schools Alliance.
• The opportunity to work in a school that places belonging, inclusion and achievement at the heart of everything it does.

Visits Welcome

We warmly encourage prospective applicants to visit the school and see Balfour in action. Visits can be arranged by contacting the school office and are highly recommended.

• Closing date:Thursday 1 October 2026
• Shortlisting:Friday 2 October 2026
• Interviews:Week beginning Monday 5 October 2026

To arrange a visit, please contact the school office on 01273 507722 or email the school office.

Safeguarding

Please note that this post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974, and is subject to a Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) Check.

Balfour Primary School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. The successful candidate will be subject to an enhanced DBS check and online search. We welcome applications from all parts of our community as we aspire to have a staff body that matches the social and cultural diversity of our student intake. Please be aware that online searches may be used if shortlisted for interview. Our safeguarding policy can be found here: Safeguarding policy .

We look forward to receiving your application and welcoming a new member to our dedicated team at Balfour Primary School.

For further details, please contact: Lisa Collington at [email protected]