Activity Leader

Summer Boarding Courses; City Of London; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading summer education provider in London is seeking Activity Leaders to create a safe and engaging environment for students. Responsibilities include designing activities, ensuring student safety during excursions, and maintaining a positive atmosphere in boarding houses. Ideal candidates should have experience in leading groups of children and possess strong communication and interpersonal skills. Full training, accommodation, and competitive salary will be provided. This role offers an enriching experience working with motivated young people in a vibrant setting.

Benefits

Full DBS check cost covered

Paid on-site training

Accommodation included

Access to Employee Assistance Programme

Qualifications

• Experience in leading or coaching groups of children in a professional capacity.
• Strong communication skills and the ability to work under pressure.
• Qualifications in leading young people in various activities.

Responsibilities

• Design, prepare, and lead activities and events.
• Ensure students' safety at all times during excursions.
• Adhere to Health and Safety measures.

Skills

Leadership

Communication

Empathy

Flexibility

Education

First Aid qualification

Experience in leading children

Job description

Overview

Activity Leaders play a vital role in creating a safe, engaging, and supportive environment for students during their time at the school. They design, prepare, and lead a range of activities and events, accompany students on excursions, and ensure their safety at all times. Their responsibilities extend to safeguarding, where they build positive yet professional relationships with students and maintain vigilance around their welfare, adhering strictly to all safeguarding policies. Activity Leaders assist with student transfers to and from airports and provide guidance within the boarding houses, fostering a welcoming atmosphere and helping students develop independence, confidence, and social skills. They actively interact with students during meals, breaks, and free time, supporting a balanced combination of supervision and encouragement. Flexibility is key, as is a real enthusiasm for working with young people. The Site Appealing to motivated students seeking early exposure to some of the world's most competitive career paths, our brand-new Career Discoveries Summer Camp 2026 offers an authentic first step into future professional success. Across an exciting two‑week programme, students will delve into a series of dynamic, hands‑on simulations in Medical Sciences, Finance, Business, Computing, AI & Robotics, and Engineering, gaining a genuine insight into what it means to work and excel in these fast‑paced fields. Working in small, focused groups, participants explore each discipline through practical challenges and real‑world scenarios, complemented by two dedicated days of interview preparation and career‑skills development delivered at London's prestigious University College London (UCL). This balanced academic and professional curriculum sits alongside the wider camp experience, enabling students to collaborate, build confidence, and enjoy a vibrant and supportive learning environment.

Responsibilities

• Design, prepare and lead activities and events.
• Lead groups of students on excursions, following the pre‑planned itinerary.
• Ensure that students are safe at all times during an activity or on an excursion.
• Assist the management in the effective day‑to‑day running of the school.
• Be committed to the safeguarding and welfare of students in your care.
• Adhere to all Health and Safety measures (including COVID safety measures, risk assessments and other policies and procedures).
• Help with student transfers to and from the airport for any arrivals and departures.
• Be on call/overnight duty.

General Duties

• Maintain the welfare and order within the boarding house, including house duty schedule.
• Support a welcoming and positive atmosphere in the boarding houses.
• Transfer students to and from the airport when needed.
• Actively supervise and interact with students during meal and break times.
• Empower students to successfully engage in the programme while developing independence, confidence and social skills.
• Assure that students do not breach the school rules and maintain friendly but professional interaction at all times.
• Respond to any emergency situation and assist on duty.

Safeguarding Responsibilities

• Commit to the safeguarding and welfare of students in your care.
• Attend on‑site safeguarding training during induction week.
• Carry out SBC's safeguarding policy and ensure others do the same.
• Develop positive relationships with students, earning their trust whilst maintaining proper professional boundaries (e.g., no sharing of personal contact details or social media).
• Listen to students and remain vigilant regarding potential indicators of abuse.
• Report any potential concerns to the school's Designated Safeguarding Officer.

Additional Requirements

Please see the attached Job description for a more complete list of the duties associated with the Activity Leader role.

• Provide details of two recent and relevant referees who can confirm your suitability to work with children.
• Undergo a Disclosure and Barring Service check (DBS) and equivalent if you have lived outside the UK.
• State that you have no known reason why you cannot work with children.
• Provide official identification and certificates for our records.
• Be aware that SBC may conduct online searches for shortlisted candidates as part of our legal duty to meet safeguarding responsibilities.

Key Qualities

• Approachable and empathetic to the needs of students.
• Enthusiastic and engaging.
• Diplomatic, responsible and motivated.
• Flexible within the summer school environment.
• Communicate effectively with students using an appropriate level of language.
• Demonstrate patience, empathy and emotional awareness towards students.
• Take control of students and manage discipline and behavioral issues in a firm, positive and constructive manner.

Essential Qualifications & Experience

• Experience in leading or coaching groups of children in a professional capacity.
• Experience of, and genuine enjoyment of, working with children.
• Strong communication skills, ability to work under pressure, flexibility.
• Ability to take control of and lead a group of children on activities and during excursions.
• Qualifications and experience in leading young people in tennis, dance, performing arts, music or arts & crafts.
• First Aid or Lifeguard qualification.
• Experience and qualifications in coaching other sports.
• Experience of residential international boarding.

Benefits & Support

• Full DBS check cost covered for the first contract.
• Extensive, paid, on‑site training prior to student arrival.
• Accommodation included.
• CPD and appraisals.
• Staff wellbeing initiative.
• Access to Employee Assist Programme (EAP).
• Continual support from the Head Office Team both on the ground and via phone/email.
• Online safeguarding and prevention training.
• Professional, fun and supportive environment.

Remuneration & Working Hours

Salary: £675 per week (including 12.07% holiday allowance, £72.70) with board and accommodation provided at the summer site. Working hours: up to 53 hours per week over six working days.

About Summer Boarding Courses (SBC)

Founded in 2008, Summer Boarding Courses have united students from around the world through education. Delivering award‑winning, future‑focused courses that strike the perfect balance between academic and social enrichment. Our residential summer courses take place at some of the UK's top boarding schools and university college campuses, including Eton College, Oxford University Colleges and Headington School. We carefully select our campuses to ensure they provide the perfect environment for our students to live and study. Over 15,800 students from 152 nationalities have been welcomed to study with us to date. Whether it's preparing for future studies, developing 21st‑century skills or building confidence, the knowledge gained on an SBC course allows students to go forward and apply what they have learnt to other areas of their education and beyond; giving them the necessary skills to achieve their future goals. SBC is the only multi‑campus summer school provider in the UK to have achieved a perfect 15/15 areas of strength by the British Council.