Early Childhood Teacher — Where Mud, Wonder and Belonging Grow Side by Side

Seedlings & Co | Full-time or part-time, permanent | Flexible days for the right person

Some teachers count down to the weekend. You count puddles, birds' nests, and the slow unfurling of a child who's just been seen for the first time.

If your idea of a good day involves wet boots, a child-led project that took a turn nobody expected, and a quiet moment helping a little one find the words for a big feeling, keep reading. We think we've been waiting for you.

Who we are

At Seedlings & Co, we believe children learn best in relationship — with each other, with their educators, and with the natural world. Our philosophy is built on nature play, child-led inquiry, and a deep respect for every child exactly as they are. Indoors flows to outdoors and back again, because we don't believe learning has walls. If the rhythm of indoor-outdoor learning lives in your bones, you'll feel at home here on day one.

The teacher we're dreaming of

You've spent at least five years in early childhood, and that experience shows up as calm, not control. You read a room, you read a child, and you trust the process.

You see working with children with additional needs as your superpower — not a challenge to manage, but the part of the job that lights you up. Every child belongs in your room, and you make sure they know it.

You understand that behaviour is communication, a message about an unmet need, never a problem to be punished. (If the Phoenix Cups framework already shapes how you see children, we'll be nodding along.)

You don't just tolerate the outdoors, bush kindy is a love. You know what nature play really means: risk, mess, awe, and the kind of deep, unhurried learning you can't fake indoors.

What you'll bring

• A genuine, lived understanding of nature play and outdoor pedagogy

• The belief that all behaviour is an expression of an unmet need

• A love of child-led projects — you follow the children's curiosity, you don't override it

• Excellent documentation and warm, authentic engagement with families and community

• Bush kindy experience (or a real hunger to build it)

Why you'll stay

This isn't a place you clock in and out of. It's a learning community, one that mentors, stretches and grows its people on purpose. You'll be surrounded by leaders and mentors who advocate for growth and rich learning.

And we put our money where our philosophy is: you'll have access to exceptional professional development, including mentoring and conferences with the Phoenix Cups team as well as internal mentorship. We invest in your growth because the children deserve a teacher who's still learning too.

The details

Full-time or part-time, permanent.
Hours: 8.30-3.30 Monday- Friday, with the option of school holidays off for the right candidate.

Ready to put your boots on?

Tell us about the child who changed the way you teach. We'd love to hear your story.

Apply now, or reach out for a confident, confidential chat.

Seedlings & Co is committed to child safety and to building a team as diverse as the families we serve. We strongly encourage applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and people of all backgrounds.