Primary PBL Educator and Homeroom Teacher - UK Years 1–2

Years 1–2 / Grades K–1 / Ages 5–7

Full-time | Starting between August and December 2026 | Budapest, Hungary

Are you a passionate, patient teacher of young children who knows that the early years quietly do the most important work — the years where children learn to read, to belong, to wonder out loud, to fall in love with the natural world, and to see themselves as people who can do things? Do you want to teach in a school where one full day a week is spent outdoors, in all weathers, and where nature is treated as a co-educator rather than a field trip? If so, read on.

The role

You will lead a group of Year 1 and Year 2 children (ages 5–7) through their first formative years of primary school — teaching early reading and writing with rigour and warmth, building strong number sense, and bringing the awe and wonder of science, the natural world, and the arts to life through immersive, play-rich project-based learning. You are the person who teaches a child to read. You are also the person who teaches them that learning is something they can love.

As Homeroom Educator, you are the primary adult in your children's school day — the one who knows each child best, holds their growth across the whole person, and is the main point of contact for their families.

This is not a role where you teach from a textbook. Last term, our children learned kombucha making, food fermentation, made sandwiches for the homeless, designed a hedgehog-friendly neighbourhood, and created fermentation booklets to document their discoveries. That's the kind of learning you'll be leading — anchored in real questions, real making, and real audiences, but always paced and scaffolded for five- and six-year-olds.

You do not need to be a PBL expert. We will train you. What you must bring is excellent early literacy and numeracy teaching, a deep understanding of how young children learn, a genuine love of being outdoors, and the patience and warmth this age group needs and deserves.

A day a week in nature

Every Wednesday, you and your children spend a full day outdoors — not weather permitting, not when it's convenient. In sun, rain, mud, cold, and snow. We dress for it, plan for it, and treat it as one of the most important days of the school week.

For five- and six-year-olds, this is where so much re

al learning happens — vocabulary in the forest, mathematics in the garden, science in the seasons, social skills around a fire, resilience in the rain. We are looking for someone who genuinely loves being outdoors and wants to pass that on.

About REAL School Budapest

REAL School Budapest is an international school for changemakers — about 100 students from over 25 nationalities, ages 5–14, learning through real-life projects and real relationships. We follow the English National Curriculum for academic mastery, and our Dream-to-Reality (D2R) programme puts that knowledge to work: students identify real problems, design real solutions, and present them to real audiences.

We describe ourselves as a regenerative school — education that doesn't just sustain the world as it is, but actively works to repair and improve it. Inspired by Green School Bali, we've built something distinctly urban and European in the heart of Budapest. We run as a TEAL organisation, with distributed leadership, high trust, and very little hierarchy. If you've been waiting for a school where your voice actually shapes things, this is it.

A tech-free classroom

Lower primary at REAL School is deliberately tech-free for children. No screens, no tablets, no devices. At this age, what children need is human attention, physical materials, real conversation, books, time in nature, and play.

For you as an educator, the picture is different. We use AI thoughtfully behind the scenes — for planning, differentiated materials, and sharpening assessment — so that the time you spend with children is fully theirs. You don't need to arrive as an AI expert; you need to arrive open to learning how to use these tools well in your own preparation.

Key responsibilities

Teaching and learning

• Teach early reading with rigour — systematic synthetic phonics, decoding, fluency, and a deep love of stories — so that every child becomes a confident reader
• Teach early writing building composition, transcription, and the physical craft of handwriting in step with each child's developmental readiness
• Teach early mathematics with strong concrete-pictorial-abstract progression, building secure number sense, mathematical language, and curiosity
• Design and lead immersive, play-rich PBL experiences integrating literacy, numeracy, science, the natural world, and the arts
• Use careful observation, diagnostic assessment, and conversation — not tests — to know each child as a learner
• Plan and lead the weekly excursion day, treating the outdoors as a core teaching environment
• Weave outdoor and nature-based learning into the rest of the week — gardening, walks, observation, seasonal work
• Use restorative, relationship-first approaches to behaviour, holding high expectations through warmth and consistency
• Plan using the UbD framework and UDL principles

Curriculum and collaboration

• Participate actively in Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) to review children's work, refine practice, and develop curriculum
• Collaborate across D2R, Regeneration, Wellbeing, and Literacy programmes and with the primary team
• Contribute to the ongoing development of our progressive curriculum

Homeroom and community

• Lead your homeroom group, holding each child's social, emotional, and academic growth as one connected thing
• Build warm, proactive relationships with parents and caregivers — at this age, the home–school partnership is everything
• Model REAL School's regenerative ethos through how you live, teach, and reflect

Qualifications and experience

Essential

• Bachelor's degree in education or a related field, plus a Master's or teaching qualification (PGCE, QTS, or equivalent)
• At least three years of full-time classroom teaching, with significant experience in the 5–7 age range
• Demonstrable expertise in early reading, including systematic synthetic phonics
• Strong early mathematics teaching and a clear understanding of how young children build number sense
• A deep understanding of child development (ages 5–7) — emotional, social, cognitive, and physical
• Experience with the UbD framework and PLCs, or a clear readiness to work this way
• Strong classroom management built on restorative practices, clear routines, and loving boundaries
• Commitment to inclusive, student-centred, experiential learning
• Warmth, patience, strong communication skills, and genuine care for young children and their families
• A genuine love of the outdoors and the readiness to teach outside one full day a week, in all weathers
• Alignment with our school values, including support for our plant-based meal approach and commitment to equity

Desirable

• PBL planning and delivery experience, particularly with early primary age groups
• Montessori, Reggio Emilia, or other progressive child-centred training
• Forest school training or regular outdoor teaching experience
• Music, art, or storytelling skills
• Experience with EAL learners or culturally diverse classrooms

Personal qualities

• You live the values of Passion, Equity, Authenticity, Care, and Excellence (PEACE)
• You have deep patience and genuine delight in young children — the kind that doesn't wear thin in the third week of November
• You can hold high expectations and unconditional warmth at the same time
• You are calm under noise, mess, big feelings, and the productive chaos that 5- to 7-year-olds bring
• You feel at home in nature — you notice the seasons, you don't mind mud, and you light up when a child shows you a beetle
• You are an empathetic, reflective communicator who builds real trust with children, families, and colleagues
• You are adaptable, growth-oriented, and excited to co-create something new

Safeguarding and inclusion

REAL School Budapest is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. Applicants must be willing to undergo child protection screening, including references from previous employers. An International Child Protection Certificate or equivalent will be required.

We champion Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Justice, and Belonging (DEIJB) and welcome applications from all qualified candidates regardless of race, gender, nationality, religion, disability, or sexual orientation.

What we offer

• A genuine opportunity to co-create progressive early primary education in an ambitious, values-driven school
• Fair compensation in a city where the cost of living is significantly lower than in Western Europe or the Gulf
• Free plant-based meals every day from The Planteen, our on-site canteen
• A working culture built on trust, distributed leadership, and professional autonomy
• Ongoing development in PBL, early literacy and numeracy, and regenerative education
• A small, international team of educators who are here because they believe in this

Why Budapest?

In 2024, the Economist Intelligence Unit named Budapest the most liveable city in Central and Eastern Europe and one of the top five most improved cities on the planet. Rich cultural life, excellent food, easy access to the rest of Europe, a vibrant arts and tech scene, and a warmth that surprises most newcomers. Safe, beautiful, and endlessly interesting. Many of our team came for a year and are still here.

How to apply

Click Apply Now, upload your CV, and share an unlisted YouTube or Vimeo link to a short video (up to 3 minutes) telling us why this role excites you and what you would bring to it. It doesn't have to be polished. It just needs to be you.

Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis. The closing date is when the position is filled.

For questions, reach out to us at careers@realschool.hu