Playleader

Job Title: Play leader

Actual Annual Salary: £5,569 - £6,070 (Based on hours and working weeks)

Full Time Equivalent Salary: £25,941 - £28,275 (CLF Grade

B). Based on 37 hours per week, all year round.

Contract Type: Permanent

Hours: Part Time, 9.5 hours per week (Monday to Friday), Term Time Only

Provisional

Start Date:

01 September 2026

Your opportunity to support student wellbeing and engagement through high-quality play provision:

We are looking for a passionate Play Leader to join our supportive and talented team at Walls court Farm School on a permanent basis.

As a Play Leader, you will support the delivery of high-quality play provision for students outside of academy hours. Working under the guidance of senior staff, you will supervise and motivate a small team to ensure the smooth day-to-day running of the provision. You will help create a safe, welcoming, and stimulating environment that supports student wellbeing, encourages positive social interaction, and enables all children to thrive.

You will take a lead role in planning, preparing, and delivering a varied programme of activities designed to meet the intellectual, creative, physical, emotional, and social needs of the students. You will work collaboratively with colleagues across the academy, building positive relationships with students, staff, and parents/carers to ensure a consistent and high-quality experience.

This is a fantastic opportunity to make a meaningful impact on students’ wellbeing and engagement beyond the classroom.

• Experience working with young people, ideally in a play-based, youth work, or educational setting.
• The ability to lead, supervise, and support a small team, ensuring consistent and high-quality delivery of provision.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to build positive relationships with students, staff, and parents/carers.
• A calm, empathetic approach and the ability to respond effectively to a range of situations, including behavioural or pastoral needs.
• A good understanding of safeguarding, health and safety, and behaviour management practices.
• Experience (or willingness to develop) in planning engaging activities that meet a wide range of student needs and interests.
• Basic food hygiene knowledge and a willingness to undertake relevant training such as first aid or medication administration.
• A strong commitment to inclusion, equity, and promoting the wellbeing and success of all students.

We are an equal opportunity employer and proud to serve a diverse student population and our communities. We strongly believe that representation matters. Over 41% of the pupils who attend Walls court Farm Academy are from global majority groups, so we particularly encourage applicants from those groups in order to represent the pupils we serve, as well as wider underrepresented groups including gender, transgender, age disability, sexual orientation or religion.

We aim to remove any barriers to employment, ensuring everyone can compete on equal terms. Job share, part-time and flexible working opportunities will be considered.

As part of our commitment to Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE), we do not accept CVs – a full education and employment history must be provided through our application form.

Please note we are not able to offer visa sponsorship for this role.

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early, should we receive a high level of interest in the role. Therefore, candidates are advised to apply at their earliest convenience to avoid missing out.

• Access to a generous pension through the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS).
• Generous annual leave.
• A comprehensive induction and ongoing commitment to wellbeing and career progression, through a range of training, apprenticeships and in‑role/wider-trust development opportunities.
• Well‑being support through an Employee Assistance Programme.
• Health benefits, including wellness sessions, gym discounts, and flu jabs.
• A range of generous family leave options, including above industry average occupational maternity pay.
• Additional benefits like cycle to work scheme, on‑site parking plus many more.

As a Disability Confident Committed Employer, we are dedicated to equity and inclusion and commit to interviewing applicants with a disability who meet the essential criteria. We aim to provide an inclusive and accessible recruitment process, and support employees throughout their employment. If you have a disability, are neurodivergent, or require any adjustments to support you through the application or interview process please let us know how we can assist.