CÁRA FLYNN
Queens Park,London
Summary
Passionate and dedicated EYFS leader and educator with extensive experience in fostering the development of young children across all stages, abilities, and backgrounds. Committed to maximizing every child's potential through a rich, play-based curriculum that nurtures emotional, social, and cognitive growth.
Having worked in various roles within the early years sector, I have developed a flexible and child-centered approach that caters to the individual needs of all learners, ensuring that each child's unique developmental journey is supported.
My pedagogy is grounded in continuous reflection and development, keeping children at the heart of my practice. I am adept at creating an inclusive, stimulating environment where children thrive through meaningful, hands-on learning experiences.
Skilled in working with EYFS and SEND children, I understand the importance of individualised learning, with a strong focus on positive behaviour management and the principle that all behaviour is communication. A creative and forward-thinking professional, I am deeply committed to staying informed and adapting to the ever-evolving landscape of the early years foundation stage.
Overview
10
10
years of professional experience
8
8
years of post-secondary education
Work history
EYFS Lead and Class Teacher
Oasis Academy South Bank Primary
09.2024 - 03.2025
- Company Overview: Lambeth Council
- Lead and manage the EYFS team, fostering a positive and collaborative environment
- Ensure the delivery of high-quality early years education in line with EYFS statutory requirements
- Act as a role model for best practices in teaching and learning
- Provide guidance, support, and professional development for EYFS staff
- Oversee the planning and delivery of a rich, engaging curriculum tailored to the developmental needs of young children
- Monitor and assess the effectiveness of the EYFS curriculum and make improvements as necessary
- Ensure that the EYFS framework is followed and that all children's learning is based on the principles of play-based learning, child-led exploration, and guided activities
- Organise parent workshops, meetings, and events to support their understanding of the EYFS curriculum
- Coordinate staff readiness by providing guidance on inspection expectations and supporting any necessary pre-inspection OFSTED training
- Collaborate with senior leaders to discuss the EYFS provision's strengths and areas for improvement
- Lambeth Council
Reception Class Teacher
St. Michaels's C of E School Highgate
11.2023 - 07.2024
- Company Overview: Haringey Council - London (Maternity Cover)
- Ensured smooth transition of class teacher
- Planned and carried out bespoke and differentiated activities to ensure children learn and develop inline with Development Matters and the statutory Early Learning Goals
- Created a safe and stimulating classroom environment consisting of both an indoor and outdoor classroom
- Build a positive rapport with parents and carers to ensure the best interests of children are being met
- Used professional judgement and assessment of children's learning and development through Tapestry, Read Write Inc and Maths No Problem and Jigsaw
- Provided learning interventions where applicable to fill in any gaps of learning
- Haringey Council - London (Maternity Cover)
Reception Class Teacher
Alpha Plus Group - St. Anthony's School for Boys
09.2022 - 07.2023
- Company Overview: Hampstead London
- Marked and provided constructive feedback on homework tasks and class projects
- Established strong, supportive relationships with families, encouraging parental involvement to boost children's achievement
- Utilised visual aids and classroom displays to support engaging lesson delivery and enhance student understanding
- Supported children's development with learning-through-play activities, aiding social, emotional and educational growth
- Created safe and stimulating outdoor learning environments
- Applied Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) framework knowledge to drive curriculum attainment
- Used phonics to build reading and writing skills
- Co-ordinated out of classroom experiences in line with the curriculum to provide the pupils with rich experiences
- Hampstead London
Reception Class Teacher
Newton Farm Primary School
09.2019 - 07.2022
- Company Overview: Harrow Council - Harrow, London
- Supported children's development with learning-through-play activities, aiding social, emotional and educational growth
- Created safe and stimulating outdoor learning environments
- Thoroughly cleaned and disinfected play areas to control health risks
- Implemented Safeguarding Procedures to monitor and protect children
- Applied Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) framework knowledge to drive curriculum attainment
- Coordinated age-appropriate activities to enhance learning development, including art, music and physical pursuits
- Gave direct instructions to manage behaviour, maintaining positive learning environments
- Increased number of children to achieve Early Learning Goals by 10%
- Transformed and upgraded learning environment to increase and maximise earning opportunities and outcomes
- Established new in house exceeding judgements to measure against gifted and talented and more able/higher achieving pupils
- Monitored interactions within group settings, encouraging sharing and cooperation to facilitate positive socialisation
- Harrow Council - Harrow, London
Youth Leader
Flying Futures
06.2019 - 07.2019
- Company Overview: York, Yorkshire
- Oversaw special retreats and team-building events
- Devised and implemented a strategic plan to engage youth in social action projects and campaigns
- Administered programme budget and completed required documentation
- Held duty of care for group
- Communicated and enforced health and safety procedures
- York, Yorkshire
Camp Counsellor and High Ropes Instructor
Camp Lenox
05.2018 - 09.2018
- Company Overview: Otis, Massachusetts, USA
- Built positive relationships with clients to encourage continued class attendance
- Duty of care for 10 year old girls during non-activity times
- Communicated and enforced health and safety procedures
- Planned fun exercise classes for varying ages, abilities and fitness levels
- Coordinated groups to comply with set schedules of times and locations
- Acted professionally and responsibly to demonstrate core camp values
- Otis, Massachusetts, USA
Teaching Assistant and Afterschool Club practitioner
Heymann Primary
02.2016 - 09.2016
- Company Overview: Nottingham City Council
- Supported students with additional needs, continually improving their development and confidence
- Helped teachers with lesson plan development, class preparation and student mentoring
- Supervised students to maintain adherence with health and safety requirements, inside and outside classroom environments
- Tutored students individually and in small groups to reinforce learning concepts from core subjects
- Offered reliable assistance to teachers through administrative support and classroom management
- Safeguarded student health and wellbeing within educational settings, taking appropriate action when needed
- Ensured individual pupils and groups received additional required support, appropriate to developmental needs
- Nottingham City Council
Nanny
Carey Family
08.2015 - 08.2016
- Company Overview: West Bridgford, Nottinghamshire
- Duty of care for 6 month old and 4 year old boys
- Prepared healthy and nutritious meals to specific dietary requirements
- Safely transported children to and from school, events and activities, maintaining adherence to schedules to establish reliability and trust
- Established effective after-school routine by preparing meals in advance, maximising time for play and homework
- Supervised children's play at home and in external settings, ensuring their physical safety at all times
- Performed cooking, washing, ironing and laundry to maintain home order
- Maintained secure, child-friendly environments with engaging activities and outdoor play
- Developed strong bonds with children through compassionate verbal and physical interaction
- West Bridgford, Nottinghamshire
Level 3 Pre-school nursery room leader and practitioner
The Wolds Day Nursery
09.2015 - 01.2016
- Company Overview: Nottinghamshire
- Providing high-quality care and education to children aged 0-5
- Planning and delivering engaging, age-appropriate activities in line with the EYFS framework
- Observing and assessing children's progress and development
- Supporting children's emotional, social, and cognitive development
- Building positive relationships with parents and carers
- Providing daily feedback on children's activities, meals, and progress
- Attending meetings and offering support to families as needed
- Working collaboratively with other staff members
- Keeping up to date with childcare best practices and attending relevant training
- Following all nursery policies and procedures
- Nottinghamshire
Education
Bachelor of Arts - Primary Education & SEND with QTS
Liverpool Hope
Liverpool 09.2016 - 07.2019
BTEC Level 3 - Children's Care, Learning and Development
Central College Nottingham
Nottingham 09.2013 - 2015
GCSEs -
The Becket School
Nottingham 09.2008 - 07.2013
Skills
- Excellent classroom manager with ability to inspire, motivate and facilitate children to learn and develop holistically
- SEND inclusion strategies and skills in how different groups of children learn and develop
- Careful, meticulous lesson planner with skills to keep all records and planning presentable and up to date
- Experience leading change and innovation in early years practice, adapting to new policies, and ensuring smooth transitions during periods of change
- Skilled in leading, motivating, and supporting a team of EYFS practitioners, fostering a collaborative and positive working environment
- In depth expertise and sound understanding of the EYFS curriculum, Development Matters, Birth to 5 and ELGs, and how to assess children for the EYFSP
- Ability to extend more able children beyond the Early Learning Goals
- Specialist knowledge on teaching phonics and how to utilise this for children's reading and writing outcomes
- Credible, empowering, approachable line manager with pragmatic and forward thinking style, who carefully delegates tasks for best possible outcomes
- Possessing a ‘Growth mindset' to both achieve personal goals and lead by example to my pupils and colleagues demonstrating a reflective, resourceful, resilient and reciprocal approach
- Hunger and passion for challenge, able to overcome them being creative, curious, divergent and lateral thinker due to having Dyslexia
- Capacity to deliver training to colleagues and other professional teachers on various subjects/topics
- Ability to project manage new school initiatives egfacilitating children to plan and carry out social action projects on current issues that resonates with the cohort
- Warm, caring and enthusiastic, emotionally intelligent person, passionate about working with children with a positive upbeat outlook on life and highly developed interpersonal skills
- Grade 5 flute (Trinity 2012) and Grade 5 Drama (LAMDA 2012) Gold Certificate in Figure Skating and Ice Dance (2010) Certificate in ropes and zip line instruction (2018)
- Passion for health, nutrition and fitness, keen runner, regular at the gym fitness classes and cooking healthy dishes
- Trinity Grade 5 Flute (Distinction)
- LAMDA Grade 5 Drama (Distinction)
- TEFL Level 3 Certificate (2017)
- Certificate in Ropes and Zipline instruction (2018)
- Paediatric First Aid 2023 (St John's Ambulance)
- An Introduction to Attachment 2016 (Heymann Primary school)
- Teaching English as a Foreign Language certification 2017 (English For Fun, TESOL/TEFL)
- Essential Mental Health training 2018 (ROAR Liverpool)
- Makaton Taster certificate 2019 (The Makaton Charity)
- Annual safeguarding training
- An introduction to Forest school (Woodland Adventure Forest School Harrow, September 2020)
- An introduction BSL (Newton Farm School June 2021
- Interfering or interacting? An introduction to quality adult interaction in the Early Years (Julie Fisher)
- Read, Write, Inc Phonics (Ruth Miskin) February 202
- Talk for writing (Pie Corbett) 2019
- Google Educator Level 2 Certificate
CERTIFICATIONS
Affiliations
- Gym
- Nutrition
- Running
- Cooking
- Cricket
- Fashion
References
References available upon request.
Timeline
EYFS Lead and Class Teacher
Oasis Academy South Bank Primary
09.2024 - 03.2025
Reception Class Teacher
St. Michaels's C of E School Highgate
11.2023 - 07.2024
Reception Class Teacher
Alpha Plus Group - St. Anthony's School for Boys
09.2022 - 07.2023
Reception Class Teacher
Newton Farm Primary School
09.2019 - 07.2022
Youth Leader
Flying Futures
06.2019 - 07.2019
Camp Counsellor and High Ropes Instructor
Camp Lenox
05.2018 - 09.2018
Bachelor of Arts - Primary Education & SEND with QTS
Liverpool Hope
09.2016 - 07.2019
Teaching Assistant and Afterschool Club practitioner
Heymann Primary
02.2016 - 09.2016
Level 3 Pre-school nursery room leader and practitioner
The Wolds Day Nursery
09.2015 - 01.2016
Nanny
Carey Family
08.2015 - 08.2016
BTEC Level 3 - Children's Care, Learning and Development
Central College Nottingham
09.2013 - 2015
GCSEs -
The Becket School
09.2008 - 07.2013
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