Forest School/Outdoor Learning Lead

Berrow Primary Church Academy, Burnham-on-Sea, Somerset, TA8 2LJ

11 days remaining to apply

• Job start date

  31 August 2026

• Closing date

  28 June 2026 at 11:59pm

• Date listed

  17 June 2026

Job details

• Job role:
  • Teaching assistant
• Visa sponsorship: Visas cannot be sponsored
• Key stage: Early years, Key stage 1, Key stage 2
• Working pattern: Part time
• Contract type: Permanent
• Full-time equivalent salary: TPLTSS3 £5,322 - £5,407 (actual salary)

Forest School/Outdoor Learning Lead job summary

Contract type: Fixed term contract until 31 August 2027, subject to external funding linked to your allocated student 

FTE/Hours: 9 Hours per week

Working weeks: Term Time Only 

Salary: TPLTSS3 £5,322 - £5,407 (actual salary)

Location: Berrow Primary Church Academy, TA8 2LJ

Closing Date: 28th June 2026

Proposed Interview Date: W/C 29th June 2026 

Proposed Start Date: 1st September 2026

Are you passionate about outdoor learning and helping children connect with nature? Do you believe that learning outdoors can encourage children's curiosity, awe and wonder? 

Berrow Primary Church Academy is looking for an enthusiastic, inspiring, and qualified (or willing to train) Forest School/Outdoor Learning Leader to join our nurturing school community. In this role, you will design and deliver high-quality outdoor learning experiences that foster confidence, resilience, and a deep respect for the natural world in our children. 

As part of this role, you will:

• Plan & Deliver: Design and lead a progressive, safe, and engaging Forest School/Outdoor learning curriculum and sessions tailored to different primary age groups.
• Foster Growth: Use the outdoor environment to develop children’s self-esteem, independence, social skills, and emotional well-being.
• Manage the Site: Maintain and develop our dedicated Forest School area, ensuring it remains a rich, bio-diverse, and safe learning environment.
• Safety First: Undertake dynamic risk assessments for all outdoor activities, tools, and campfire uses, adhering strictly to health and safety, safeguarding and other school policies.
• Safety First: Undertake dynamic risk assessments for all outdoor activities, tools, and campfire uses, adhering strictly to health and safety, safeguarding and other school policies.
• Support Our Ethos: Embed our school's core values into outdoor sessions, encouraging collaboration, empathy, and a community spirit.

About you 

• We are looking for someone who loves being outdoors in all weathers and brings a sense of wonder to the role. Ideally, you will have:
• A Level 3 Forest School Leader qualification (or Outdoor Learning alternative, or the willingness to undergo training).
• A current Outdoor First Aid qualification (or willingness to train).
• Experience working with primary-aged children, with a strong understanding of child development and positive behavior management.
• Some knowledge of tool use, fire safety, and environmental conservation principles.
• Great communication skills and a collaborative approach to working alongside class teachers and teaching assistants.

About us:

Berrow Primary Church School is currently part of The Priory Learning Trust, a group of like-minded schools whose shared ambition is to provide A Great Education for Every Child. Whilst Berrow retains its own unique identity and ethos, being part of a family of schools brings additional support as well as opportunities to share expertise, provision and costs across our schools.

From September, we will be part of the newly formed Pathway Trust. Our new trust brings together two existing organisations, Castle School Education Trust and The Priory Learning Trust who have been working closely together over the last few years with great success. Pathway Trust will comprise seven secondary and thirteen primary schools across Somerset, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire. We educate children from 2-18 years old. We have a strong track record of school improvement and a positive trend of improved outcomes. We are bringing together the complementary strengths and values of both trusts, with the sharing of resources and expertise across an extended network of schools enabling us to further invest in leadership and teaching for the benefit of all.

As a trust, our ambition is to enable every child to experience a great education. We have a compelling vision for each of our schools based on a deep understanding of each community we serve. Many of the challenges facing school leaders are common to all schools. Our approach to school improvement enables staff and pupils to benefit from the sharing of resources and expertise whilst remaining true to their unique identity and context. The Trust has employee development as a key priority.

We can offer you: 

• Local Government Pension Scheme: You will benefit from generous employer contributions with built in peace of mind, including a tax-free Death in Service lump sum, it ensures that your long term financial well-being is as robust as your professional legacy. 
• Enhanced Sick Pay: enhanced sick pay scheme during illness or unexpected sickness related emergencies, so you can focus on what matters most- your recovery. 
• Family Friendly: Enhanced leave packages to support your work-life balance. 
• Great team dynamics: Become part of a highly collaborative professional community, working with inspiring senior leaders and colleagues and sharing ideas, resources, and best practice across our family of schools. 
• Central partnership support: You will benefit from access to high-quality central services and specialist expertise, providing strategic support to enable you to focus on leading teaching, learning and school improvement. 
• Continuous Service: Full recognition of prior service for benefits which protects and enhances employment entitlements including sick pay entitlement, job security and protection of employment rights and access to family friendly leave. 
• Exceptional CPD: Dedicated budget and time for your professional development. 
• Diversity & Inclusion: A proactive commitment to creating a workspace where diversity is celebrated.

To find out more about Berrow Primary and our trust, please refer to our job description attached. 

In order to apply for this role please complete an application form via the link above. Please let us know if you require any adjustments as part of the process.

Early applications are encouraged as we reserve the right to close the vacancy early.

Join us in Providing a Great Education for Every Child

The trust is committed to equal opportunities and encourages applicants from all backgrounds and communities, as we recognise the importance and benefit this has for our pupils.

The Priory Learning Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people. All roles across the trust have a varying level of responsibility for ensuring safeguarding practice, with some roles holding significant responsibility and involving working with children on a daily basis in regulated activity. Regardless of the level of responsibility and involvement in each role, we expect all staff, visiting professionals and volunteers to share this commitment.

This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (ROA) 1974. Successful candidates will be required to provide a disclosure of any unspent convictions and cautions, as well as any spent convictions or cautions that are not ‘protected’ (i.e. filtered) under the Amendments to the Exceptions Order 1975 (2013 and 2020).

All appointments are subject to a comprehensive pre-employment checking process. This includes an Enhanced DBS check (including a Children’s Barred List check), satisfactory references, medical fitness, Right to Work in the UK, and where applicable, a prohibition from teaching/management check. In line with KCSIE guidance, we will also conduct online searches on all shortlisted candidates. 

Our full Recruitment and Selection policy is available on our website.

Further information about the job

The candidate will be required to undergo a full enhanced DBS check and must be eligible to work in the UK.

Visas cannot be sponsored.

If you're interested in teaching or training to teach in England as an international citizen, we can help you understand your next steps.

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 will not be accepted for this application.

About Berrow Primary Church Academy

• School type: Academy, Church of England, ages 2 to 11
• Education phase: Primary school
• School size: 143 pupils enrolled
• Age range: 2 to 11
• Ofsted report: View Ofsted report
• School website: Berrow Primary Church Academy website
• See more jobs: teaching-vacancies.service.gov.uk/organisations/berrow-church-of-england-primary-school-burnham-on-sea

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