Opal Play Lead (fixed term)

St Thomas More Catholic Primary School, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, GL51 0HZ

14 days remaining to apply

• Start date details

  As Soon As Possible

• Closing date

  14 October 2025 at 12:59am

• Date listed

  26 September 2025

Job details

• Job role:
  • Other support roles
• Visa sponsorship: Visas cannot be sponsored
• Working pattern: Part time
• Contract type: Fixed term
• Full-time equivalent salary: £25,185.00 - £25,989.00 Annually (FTE) Grade 3 - working hours 11.30am to 1.30pm five days a week for 38 weeks of the year

Opal Play Lead (fixed term) job summary

We are looking for an Opal Play Lead to join St Thomas More Catholic Primary School. This is a fixed term contract until July 2026 with the possibility of this being extended into next academic year. The working hours are 11.30am to 1.30pm for five days a week, 38 weeks of the year.

In this role you will:

• Be part of the strategic development of play across the school through the Opal programme to assure alignment with the school development.

• Work closely with SLT, Staff, Governors and Parents to embed a play culture that reflects Opal's principles.

• To oversee day to day play provision ensuring resources, zones, routine's are maintained effectively.

• To lead lunchtime staff in high quality inclusive play.

• Monitor and evaluate play regularly, ensuring improvements are evidence based and responsive to children's needs.

• To develop and manage risk benefit assessments for play areas, ensuring safety while enabling challenge and freedom.

• Promote play as a vehicle for developing social interaction, problem solving, resilience and executive function skills.

• Seek opportunities for funding, donations and resource development to maintain and grow play provision.

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 St Thomas More Catholic Primary School

• School type: Academy, Roman Catholic, ages 4 to 11
• Education phase: Primary
• School size: 181 pupils enrolled
• Age range: 4 to 11
• Ofsted report: View Ofsted report
• School website: St Thomas More Catholic Primary School website
• See more jobs: teaching-vacancies.service.gov.uk/organisations/st-thomas-more-catholic-primary-school-gl51-0hz

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