Forest School Leader: Level 4
Prestley Wood Academy, Alconbury Weald, Cambridgeshire, PE28 4BL20 days remaining to apply
Job start date
1 September 2025
Closing date
3 July 2025 at 11:59pm
Date listed
10 June 2025
Job details
Job role
- Teaching assistant
Visa sponsorship
- Visas cannot be sponsored
Subject
- Special Education Needs (SEN)
Working pattern
- Full time
Contract type
- Permanent
Full-time equivalent salary
- £23,090.00 - £24,641.00 Annually (Actual)
Forest School Leader: Level 4 job summary
Forest School Leader: Level 4 – Point 12 to 16 - £27,711 pro-rata (actual salary £23,090) to £29,572 pro-rata (actual salary £24,641), 32.5 hours a week, term time only plus training days
Start Date: 1st September 2025
Job Purpose:
To plan, lead and review high quality, adapted, risk assessed and challenging outdoor learning to groups across the school.
To assess pupils’ skills, knowledge and progress using the current assessment system, identify gaps, celebrate their successes and identify next steps.
To supervise teaching assistants using agreed protocols for health and safety and individual plans.
Contribute to raising standards of achievement for all pupils.
Principal Accountabilities:
1. Support for children
Plan and prepare learning activities and develop resources in relation to the Forest School curriculum map.
Promote the values of Forest School across the school, linking it to Eco Schools and working in a sustainable way.
Take account of Eco School principals when leading Forest School learning, so that the school environment is not depleted, but maintained, sustained and improved.
Provide specialist support (requiring in-depth knowledge and experience) to children with a range of severe special needs.
Deploy teaching assistants in class teams to ensure safe environments and that care plans are followed in line with good practice standards.
Establish and maintain supportive, positive and professional relationships with individual pupils, whole class groups and parents/carers.
2. Support for the curriculum
Understand and follow Forest School sequenced curriculum providing additional support for classes as agreed.
Plan engaging multisensory activities to ensure pupils develop key skills and knowledge over time.
Work with T&L TLR to provide targeted support for pupil learning pathway objectives and improve attainment.
Record and evaluate pupil progress and development against Forest School learning objectives (on Earwig).
Contribute to the development of learning journeys and support plans as appropriate.
Provide feedback on learning activities and contribute to school review and development planning.
Organise the safe learning environment and develop appropriate resources as required.
Contribute to behaviour management within the school and take charge of situations within Forest School sessions.
3. Support for the school
Develop and maintain effective working relationships with other staff and parents or carers.
Provide support to Senior Leadership Team in ensuring that the whole school provides a safe, healthy and learning environment.
Attend and actively participate in staff meetings and training.
Provide advice and guidance to teaching assistants on best practice and practical problem-solving.
Person Specification:
Experience of effective working with special needs children is essential.
The successful candidate must be prepared to work towards Level 3 – Forest School Leader, supported by the school, and the entry criteria for the course is; you must be over 21, with at least two years of experience working with children and a Level 2 certificate or above in child care or teaching.
Ability to work professionally and independently is essential.
Experience in outdoor education delivery and planning is desirable.
The successful candidate would need to understand and use ICT systems.
All appointments are subject to satisfactory references, health and DBS check. The school has an Induction Programme and an ongoing commitment of staff professional development.
Closing date for applications: We reserve the right to close this advert if we receive sufficient applications ahead of this. Previous applicants need not apply.
Prestley Wood Academy is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. All staff are required to promote a school team protective ethos and record all concerns about a child’s safety and welfare using MyConcern and immediately notify the DSL or DDSL’s.
For and on behalf of Horizons Education Trust www.horizonsedt.org.uk
Commitment to safeguarding
Our organisation is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. We expect all staff, volunteers and trustees to share this commitment.
Our recruitment process follows the keeping children safe in education guidance.
Offers of employment may be subject to the following checks (where relevant):
childcare disqualification
Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS)
medical
online and social media
prohibition from teaching
right to work
satisfactory references
suitability to work with children
You must tell us about any unspent conviction, cautions, reprimands or warnings under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975.
Applying for the job
This school accepts applications through their own website, where you may also find more information about this job.
CVs are not accepted.
About Prestley Wood Academy
- School type
- Free School, ages 4 to 19
- School size
- Up to 150 pupils
- Age range
- 4 to 19
- Ofsted report
- View Ofsted report
- School website
- Prestley Wood Academy website
School location
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