Visa sponsorshipHome Office sponsor register · Skilled Worker route
This role is listed by an employer that holds a live Home Office sponsor licence on the Skilled Worker route.
Salary for this role£39,482 – £42,123 a year
Health and Care route minimum£25,000 a year
Pay basisNational pay scales (NHS bands)
NHS roles fall under the Health and Care Worker route. Salaries set by national pay scales (NHS bands) at or above the relevant band rate typically meet the occupation's requirement.
Closest occupation match: SOC 3222, Child and early years officers. Home Office going rate for this occupation: £33,400 a year.
Individual eligibility depends on personal circumstances. These figures are public reference information, not advice or a verdict on this job.
Role description
Job summary
Foundation Years Advisory Officer
Join Oxfordshire County Council's Foundation Years Team and help shape the quality of early years education and childcare across Oxfordshire.
As a Foundation Years Advisory Officer, you will work directly with childminders, nurseries, pre-schools, out of school childcare providers and schools with nursery provision to support continuous improvement and high-quality practice. Using your expertise in early childhood development and the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), you will provide advice, challenge and professional support that helps providers improve outcomes for young children.
You will deliver visits, create and develop resources, deliver high-quality training and professional development opportunities, and contribute to communications that support the wider early years sector. Working collaboratively with colleagues and providers, you will help strengthen practice, promote innovation and ensure children receive the best possible start in life.
We are looking for a highly successful Early Years leader with experience as a childminder running a successful business or as a manager within a nursery or pre-school setting. A strong understanding of child development, the statutory EYFS framework and quality improvement is essential, alongside excellent communication, organisational and digital skills.
This is an exciting opportunity to use your expertise to influence practice across Oxfordshire and make a lasting difference to children's learning and development.
Main duties of the job
As a Foundation Years Advisory Officer, you will support and challenge early years providers to improve the quality of education and childcare for children from birth to age five. Through visits, training, resource development and professional guidance, you will help strengthen practice and improve outcomes for young children across Oxfordshire.
About us
Oxfordshire County Council's Foundation Years Team works alongside early years providers across Oxfordshire to ensure children receive high-quality early education and childcare during the most important stage of their development. As part of the Education Service within the Children and Families Directorate, the team supports continuous improvement across childminders, pre-schools, nurseries, out of school childcare providers and schools with nursery provision.
Through specialist advice, professional development, quality improvement support and sector-wide engagement, the team helps providers create outstanding learning environments where children can thrive, develop confidence and build strong foundations for future learning.
Details
Date posted
18 September 2026
Pay scheme
Other
Salary
£39,482 to £42,123 a year
Contract
Fixed term
Duration
18 months
Working pattern
Full-time
Reference number
VP89A97AF7
Job locations
Countywide
OX1 1ND
United Kingdom
Job description
Job responsibilities
About Us
We are a small advisory team working with early years providers to ensure high quality early education and childcare across Oxfordshire. We are part of the education team within Children and Family's Directorate.
About the Role
To support and challenge Early Years (EY) providers to improve their provision for all children from birth to 5. Please note EY providers includes childminders, Out of School Clubs (Childcare), day nurseries, preschools and schools with nursery provision.
You will do this through:
visits
development of resources including online resources
delivering high quality CPD to upskill the workforce
contributing to communications e.g. newsletters; briefings; networks
About you
We are looking for well-qualified and highly successful Early Years Leaders who are working as a childminder running their own successful business or a manager of a nursery or pre-school. A good knowledge of how young children learn and develop, and the Statutory EYFS Framework, is essential. Applicants should be able to work effectively within a team and should be competent in ICT; meeting deadlines; have their own car and be able to work from home.
Rewards and benefits
This post is rewarding in terms of the impact that you can have working with a provider. Oxfordshire County Council is a supportive employer and there are a range of benefits that employees can access.
Your office base may be subject to change as we are currently transitioning between temporary and permanent office locations due to the closure of County Hall. If this is applicable to you, you will be notified, but no reimbursement will apply in respect of travel.
Ourcommitment to:Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
At Oxfordshire County Council we are proud of our diverse workforce. Everyone is accepted for who they are, regardless of age, disability, gender identity, marital status, race, faith or belief, sexual orientation, socioeconomic background, or on maternity or family leave. We have a number of staff network groups which provide peer support, education and safe spaces for all.
Our commitment to:Guaranteed Interview Schemes
As a Disability Confident employer, we guarantee an interview for disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the job. We also guarantee interviews to care leavers who have completed further education and who meet the essential criteria for the job. For those leaving care without any further education, we guarantee an interview for our apprenticeships. We are also committed to helping and supporting those transitioning from HM Armed Forces to civilian life and guarantee an interview for those demonstrating the essential criteria for the role, within three years of leaving the service.
Our commitment to:Safeguarding
Oxfordshire County Council are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and adults. We expect all employees, workers and volunteers to share this commitment. We will ensure that all our recruitment and selection practices reflect these commitments.
Our commitment to:Flexible Working
We are open to discussions about flexible working, which can include flexi-time, full time and part time working, job sharing, nine-day fortnights and annualised hours, depending on the requirements of the role and the service.
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If you encounter any issues with the application system, please contact:Gillian.Frost@Oxfordshire.gov.uk
Person Specification
General Requirements
Essential
Please refer to job description above
Desirable
Please refer to job description above
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Certificate of Sponsorship
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website.
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants.
