Playleader

E-ACT Pathways Academy, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, S5 7NA

32 days remaining to apply

• Start date details

  ASAP

• Closing date

  5 January 2026 at 9am

• Date listed

  21 November 2025

Job details

• Job role:
  • Pastoral, health and welfare
• Visa sponsorship: Visas cannot be sponsored
• Working pattern: Full time
• Contract type: Fixed term
• Full-time equivalent salary: £4,523.54 - £4,594.50 Annually (Actual) NJC2-3 - £4,523.54 - £4,594.50 - FTE: 24,413 - £24,796.00 - 8 hours per week, 38 weeks per year. Fixed Term - 17.07.2026

Playleader job summary

Job Title: Playleader - Fixed Term

E-ACT Pathways Academy | Respect, Determination, Opportunity, Success

E-ACT Pathways Academy is built on the principles of respect, determination, opportunity, and success. With a focus on providing equal opportunities and fostering a culture of perseverance, we empower our students to overcome obstacles and achieve their goals.

Join our community committed to unlocking potential: https://pathwaysacademy.e-act.org.uk

Want to make a difference to young people?

Are you ready to embark on a rewarding journey within an educational community that values diversity, encourages collaboration, and celebrates excellence?

We are looking for a Playleader to help create a safe, inclusive, and engaging environment for children during playtimes by organising activities, encouraging positive behaviour, and supporting social interaction. To promote cooperative play, help resolve minor conflicts, and ensure that all pupils—especially those who may be shy or less confident—feel included.

Key responsibilities:

• Ensure safe and supervised play - Monitor children during lunchtime to maintain a safe environment, manage risks, and ensure school policies are followed.
• Facilitate inclusive play - Organise and lead age-appropriate games and activities that encourage participation from all pupils, including those who may be reluctant or have additional needs.
• Promote positive behaviour - Model and reinforce good behaviour, encourage cooperation and kindness, and help children develop social skills.
• Support conflict resolution - Help pupils manage disagreements calmly, use restorative approaches, and guide them in developing problem-solving skills.

Pay range: NJC2-3 - £4,523.54 - £4,594.50 - FTE: 24,413 - £24,796.00 - 8 hours per week, 38 weeks per year. Fixed Term - 17.07.2026

Qualifications and Skills:

• Understanding of child development and how children learn through play, including social, emotional, and physical development.
• Current First Aid qualification (or willing to work towards
• Experience working with children of different ages and abilities
• Ability to Manage behaviour and promote positive interactions
• Strong communication skills

What are we about?

Join a trust that is going places!

At E-ACT, we believe every child deserves opportunity. Our ‘Opening Minds, Opening Doors’ strategy breaks down barriers and builds pathways to success; driven by purposeful leadership, collaboration, and innovation. We champion diversity, encourage a people-first culture, and ensure every voice is heard.

We are proud to lead system-wide change both locally and national - providing sector-wide support while transforming futures. Our achievements are recognised through winning MAT of the Year 2023 at the MAT Excellence Awards and National School Awards, and also the TES Trust Leadership Award 2024. E-ACT is recognised for shaping bold educational outcomes. Most recently, two of our Birmingham academies were selected by the Department for Education as RISE Regional Hubs, in recognition of their outstanding work on inclusion and behaviour, a testament to the impact of our people-first culture and relentless drive for excellence.

With 38 academies and over 25,000 pupils, our dedicated staff make excellence possible. We prioritise wellbeing, tackle workload, and continuously raise the bar. We don’t just educate, we inspire ambition and empower every child to thrive.

Want to be a part of something extraordinary? Find out more at www.e-act.org.uk

Benefits:

Financial and Lifestyle

We offer a strong financial package including access to defined benefit pension schemes (LGPS or TPS), life cover at three times pensionable pay, and 31 days of annual leave for year-round employees. Staff can also benefit from the Cycle to Work scheme, promoting healthy and sustainable commuting.

Professional Growth and Development

We invest heavily in staff development through tailored INSET days and high-quality CPD opportunities. Teaching staff benefit from automatic TLR progression, a structured 9-point pay scale (M1 to UPS3), and full TLR payments for part-time colleagues fulfilling full responsibilities.

Culture and Wellbeing

Our people-first culture values every colleague. We support wellbeing through the Wisdom app and a free Employee Assistance Programme offering counselling and financial advice. Collaboration is at the heart of our Trust, encouraging shared learning and collective success.

Please look at our 'Work for Us' page and Recruitment Pack for more information.

How to apply:

Please read the supporting documentation carefully before completing your application.

E-ACT is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of young people and vulnerable adults, and all appointments are subject to enhanced Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) checks and satisfactory references.

E-ACT is also committed to promoting equality, challenging discrimination and developing community cohesion. We welcome applications from all sections of the community.

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 E-ACT Pathways Academy

• School type: Academy, ages 3 to 11
• Education phase: Primary
• School size: 379 pupils enrolled
• Age range: 3 to 11
• Ofsted report: View Ofsted report
• School website: E-ACT Pathways Academy website
• See more jobs: teaching-vacancies.service.gov.uk/organisations/e-act-pathways-academy

E-ACT Pathways Academy is a calm and caring primary academy in Sheffield. From nursery to Year 6 we ensure that every child is valued, respected and given the opportunity to experience success. We are a two and three form entry school with provision from ages 3-11 with a diverse pupil population. We are committed to providing the best education for all our pupils as we believe that every child can, and should, excel academically and socially.

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