Job Title: Breakfast Playworker
Actual Annual Salary: £2,804 - £2,886 Based on hours and weeks worked. (Equ. £12.86 per hour)
Full Time Equivalent Salary: £24,819 - £25,548 (CLF Grade Aii) Based on 37 hours per week, All year round.
Contract: Permanent, Part Time, Term Time Only
Hours: 5 hours per week
Working Pattern: 8:00am - 9:00am Monday to Friday
Provisional Start Date: 20th April 2026 or as soon as possible
Are you available to work before the school day begins? Perhaps you have children at school and would like a role that fits around their school hours?
Woodlands Academy are seeking a dedicated and enthusiastic playworker to join our team, providing a safe and engaging environment for children. The ideal candidate will have a passion for working with young children, demonstrating strong leadership skills and the ability to communicate effectively with both children and parents. This role is essential in supporting children's development through play and structured activities in a primary setting.
Duties
- Manage daily activities and routines to ensure a safe and stimulating environment for children.
- Communicate effectively with children, encouraging their participation in play and learning activities.
- Supervise children during playtime, ensuring their safety and well-being at all times.
- Plan and implement engaging activities that promote physical, social, and emotional development.
- Foster positive relationships with children, parents, and colleagues to create a supportive community.
- Maintain cleanliness and organisation of the play area, ensuring all equipment is safe and suitable for use.
- Collaborate with other staff members to support the overall objectives of the nursery.
About you:
You will:
- have an understanding of the varied needs of children and families
- have an appropriate First Aid qualification or willingness to undertake training
- have strong interpersonal skills, in particular demonstrates empathy and active listening
- be able to deal with inappropriate behaviour in a calm and non-judgemental way, following academy guidance
- be patient, calm and able to work under pressure
Applicants are advised to refer to the full requirements of the role in the attached job description and person specification, prior to submitting an application.
About Woodlands Academy:
Woodlands Academy is a single form entry primary school, with a nursery provision situation in Stockwood, Bristol. Our school is hidden off the main road, but has amazing school grounds with extensive field space, a forest area, a garden and three ponds.
At Woodlands, children are at the centre of everything we do. We aim to offer our pupils an education which supports and challenges every child to reach their full potential. We want children to leave Woodlands ready for the next stage of their education with age-appropriate life skills; respectful of others, their community and of themselves and resilient being able to face challenges bravely and confidently. They should be proud of their behaviour and their attitude towards learning.
We pride ourselves on being a friendly and caring school with a family feel, who work in partnership with families and agencies to support children to make sure that they try their best, feel happy and safe and achieve well. All of the staff at Woodlands are proud of our school and the children who attend it.
Why work at CLF?
We are a diverse and inclusive community of 36 academies across five cluster regions in the South West that is committed to excellence and making a positive impact. Our people bring unique perspectives, but we’re all driven by a shared moral purpose and a passion for making a positive impact, whether in a teaching, leadership or support role. We’re proud to foster a culture where everyone can thrive, feel valued, and make a meaningful difference to the lives of others.
What we can offer you:
- Access to a generous pension through the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS).
- Generous annual leave.
- A comprehensive induction and ongoing commitment to wellbeing and career progression, through a range of training, apprenticeships and in-role/wider-trust development opportunities.
- Well-being support through an Employee Assistance Programme.
- Health benefits, including wellness sessions, gym discounts, and flu jabs.
- A range of generous family leave options, including above industry average occupational maternity pay.
- Additional benefits like cycle to work scheme, on-site parking plus many more!
Recruitment timeline:
- Closing Date: 9 March 2026 @11:59am
- Shortlisting Date: 10 March 2026
- Interviews: 16 March 2026
We welcome visits from potential candidates. If you would like to arrange a school visit prior to the closing date, please contact the academy directly to arrange a suitable appointment.
As part of our commitment to Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE), we do not accept CVs, a full education and employment history must be provided through our application form.
Please note we are not able to offer visa sponsorship for this role.
We reserve the right to close this vacancy early, should we receive a high level of interest in the role. Therefore, candidates are advised to apply at their earliest convenience to avoid missing out.
As a Disability Confident Committed Employer, we are dedicated to equity and inclusion and commit to interviewing applicants with a disability who meet the essential criteria. We aim to provide an inclusive and accessible recruitment process, and support employees throughout their employment. If you have a disability, are neurodivergent, or require any adjustments to support you through the application or interview process please let us know how we can assist.
The Cabot Learning Federation 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.
All successful candidates will undergo a comprehensive pre-employment checking process, including an enhanced DBS check (including a further check against the appropriate barred list), references from current and previous employers, health, right to work in the UK, child disqualification (where applicable), prohibition from teaching/management and online checks. You must also tell us about any unspent conviction, cautions, reprimands or warnings under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975.