Join the team

Level 3 Forest School Leader

Salary

£22,300 - £25,350

Full time 37.5 hrs/wk

Location

Various - including:

• schools in Greater Manchester and Lancashire
• sites in Greater Manchester including Bury Grammar, Summerseat, Turton Tower and Dunham Massey

Key relationships – Internal

• Reporting to the Director
• Marketing Manager
• Forest School Leaders
• Forest School Assistants
• Play Assistants

Key relationships – External

• Teachers / school staff
• Parents
• Site partners
• Community groups

Main Duties and Responsibilities

• Promote and provide Forest School experiences which adhere to and apply the 6 principles of the Forest School ethos
• Reflect on your own practice, undertake continued professional development
• Lead Forest School and outdoor education sessions for a maximum of 35 children per day
• Lead in the logistics including daily running, equipment and resources
• Responsible for risk assessments prior to every Forest School session on site
• Monitoring the impact of Forest School on the children’s behaviour, emotional and mental wellbeing
• Ensure the Health and Safety, of all children attending these sessions
• Responsible for clear up, packing and fully ending the session

Responsibilities of all CommuniTree Staff

• Maintain an awareness of own and others health and safety and comply with CommuniTree’s health and safety procedures
• Adhere to CommuniTree Outdoor Education values, policies and procedures
• Comply with all relevant CommuniTree safeguarding policies
• A commitment to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and young people
• Attend staff training and meetings

Person Specification

Attitude and behaviour

• Excellent planning, organisational skills and reliability
• Creative, adaptable and self-motivated with great energy
• Excellent attention to detail and observation skills
• Strong verbal and non verbal communication skills
• The ability to work well under pressure and work to deadlines
• Building strong rapport with the children in a warm and caring manner; whilst maintaining firm boundaries and our safeguarding policies
• A real passion for nature play and engaging children with the outdoors
• Enthusiasm for creating new and exciting learning environments
• Commitment to own personal development and progression
• Strong relationship building skills, with experience of doing this in schools and community groups
• Ability to adapt quickly to changes, is flexible and uses initiative
• Brilliant teamwork and able to work effectively in a small team

Your knowledge

• Understanding of the therapeutic aspects of Forest School
• Understanding of the National Curriculum
• Understanding of safeguarding procedures
• Understanding of health and safety requirements

Your skills and experience

• Level 3 Forest School Leader certificate
• Level 3 childcare qualification or equivalent with a minimum of 2 years working within a childcare setting
• Experience working with 5- 11 year-olds
• Experience of working with children in an outdoor or wellbeing setting
• Experience of working with children with special educational needs
• Full clean UK driver's license - required to drive company van

Desirable

• Ability to play an instrument (guitar/drums/flute)
• Interest in crafts (ceramics, weaving, metalwork, woodwork)
• Ability in the arts (dance/drama/story-telling)
• Experience working in ecology or environmental science

How to apply

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our organisation. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, colour, national origin, sex, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status. We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable adjustments to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment.

Please complete the application form below and send it to recruitment@communitree.co.uk by the closing date 1st March 2025 11.59pm

Application pack

• Application form (docx)
• Request for reference form (for information only)
• Disclosure form (for information only - we will only ask you to complete this if you are invited for interview).
• Safeguarding policy
• Safeguarding statement

Shortlist and Interviews 

Applicants will be shortlisted on the application form (CVs will not be accepted) submitted against the above person specification.

The shortlisting panel will not have access to any of your personal information that identifies you. This means we can recruit based on your knowledge and skills, and not background, gender or ethnicity. This includes:

• name/title
• educational institutions
• age
• gender
• email address
• postal address
• phone number
• nationality/immigration status

Interviews will focus on the application form and the person specification. You will be assessed on your attitude, behaviour, knowledge, skills and experience.

Feedback will provided if you attend an interview.

Security

• Successful candidates must pass an enhanced disclosure and barring security check
• Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed