Play Leader

The Downley School, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, HP13 5AL

13 days remaining to apply

• Closing date

  1 December 2025 at 10:59pm

• Date listed

  17 November 2025

Job details

• Job role:
  • Other support roles
• Visa sponsorship: Visas cannot be sponsored
• Working pattern: Part time
• Contract type: Permanent
• Full-time equivalent salary: £23,797.00 Annually (FTE) Please note that salary advertised is for the full time role. The actual salary will be pro rata for hours and week per year worked (39 weeks per year). 10 hours per week term time only (+ INSET days)

Play Leader job summary

Working as a member of the play team, you will ensure that all our children have meaningful lunchtime play every day. You will work as a member of the play team to create a safe and stimulating outdoor environment providing social, active and creative play experiences for all.

Hours of work all be 11.30 - 1.30

About the role

• Work as part of the play team to cover all lunchtime tasks daily. This will include sessions outside, and if required in the dining hall.

• Work with the play coordinator to ensure all children have access to exciting age-appropriate play opportunities every lunch time.

• Facilitate play opportunities and act as an ambassador for play.

• Work with the site Manager, play coordinator, and play team members to ensure that all our children have a safe site for play.

• Coordinate and communicate between play zones and the dining hall to ensure all children visit the dining hall and eat their lunch.

• Assess play areas for risks daily and communicate/implement any changes required.

• Assist with putting out and packing away of play equipment/kit.

• Record and report incidents of note that occur during lunchtime - eg site issues, behaviour, first aid.

• Assess and deliver first aid to pupils (if trained). Assist with first aid reporting.

• Coordinate and communicate with the play coordinator, play colleagues and the catering team to ensure that all children visit the dining hall in a scheduled manner, to minimise queuing and maximise play time outside.

• Offer care, support and advice for children during lunchtime.

• Contribute ideas and suggestions to improve the team practices and performance.

• Promote and safeguard the safety and welfare of children in accordance with school child protection and behaviour management policies.

• Support and uphold the school’s values system and school rules and reward pupils with verbal praise for positive attitudes and behaviours.

The benefits of joining The Downley School

The Downley School (TDS) is a great school to work at (Staff survey 2024) and over 90% of parents would recommend the school (Parent survey 2024).

Do NOT believe what you read in the March 2022 Ofsted report!

We are a much-changed school with new leadership, vision and direction. We are on a school development journey and would love for you to come and be an instrumental part to our improvement story and the next chapter for TDS.

Our curriculum offer is enhanced and enriched with the following facilities and resources:

• A bespoke Art and DT room that promotes our creative skills
• Food technology kitchen to refine our culinary skills
• An Imagination Studio that creates an immersive experience
• A drama teacher and costume cupboard to produce any given performance
• A Scandinavian yurt with log burner
• Private woods and nature areas including a pond
• Extensive fields for outdoor learning
• Well-resourced library
• Air conditioning throughout the school
• Coming soon...An additional all-weather playground, purpose indoor sport hall, and purpose dining area!

We support staff to perform at their best and progress in their careers by providing:

• Leadership opportunities - we believe in all staff contributing to school improvement
• Excellent professional development - Experienced and talented staff both from within the school and the trust support in developing staff
• IT equipment provided
• Supportive staff that are working together and are proud of the changes they are making to this unique school
• Customisable planning completed for all curriculum
• A fun, friendly and sociable team

T The benefits of joining the Oxford Diocesan Bucks Schools Trust:

The ODBST family consists of 13 primary schools across Buckinghamshire, and we are delighted you are considering joining The Downley School for the next step in your career.

Being part of a Trust, makes you part of the family and this comes with many opportunities from CPD training and networking to in-house support and career development.

Whether your role is as a leader, local governing body member, teacher, learning support, school business manager or any another role at one of our schools, your contribution to our organisation and therefore to the lives and outcomes of our pupils will be very much valued.

We are committed to our staff and offer benefits which include:

• Employee Assistance Programme
• We follow Teachers Terms and Conditions
• Graded Pay Scales for Support Staff
• Extensive CPD, Coaching and Mentoring course and opportunities in-house and external.
• Networking for not just our Headteachers but our Office teams, Leaders, ECT’s, Subject leads, DSL’s and SENCO’s.
• Inspection updates
• Pension for both support and teaching staff
• Term time only working for many of our roles
• Finally, by being part of ODBST, you are becoming part of and impacting children’s futures, and we look forward to welcoming you to the team.

The Downley is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff to share this commitment. All post holders in regulated activity are subject to appropriate vetting procedures and a satisfactory Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) Enhanced check.

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 The Downley School

• School type: Academy, ages 4 to 11
• Education phase: Primary
• School size: 380 pupils enrolled
• Age range: 4 to 11
• Ofsted report: View Ofsted report
• School website: The Downley School website
• See more jobs: teaching-vacancies.service.gov.uk/organisations/the-downley-school-high-wycombe

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