Community Sports Development Officer

Active Herefordshire and Worcestershire; Rotherham; Hybrid; GBP 33,000 - 36,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Pension scheme

Health & wellbeing benefits

Professional development

Job summary

Wickersley Partnership Trust is recruiting for a Community Development Officer to lead inter- and intra-school activity programmes and help deliver high‑quality physical activity opportunities for children and young people across the borough.

You will work closely with the Community Development Manager and partners to move the Moving Rotherham vision forward, increasing activity levels and reducing inequalities while creating positive experiences for all young people.

Qualifications

• Experience in school or community sport, youth work, physical activity development, or similar settings.
• Understanding of how physical activity supports wellbeing.
• Experience engaging with schools, clubs, or community groups.
• Confidence gathering and using pupil voice.
• Awareness of participation barriers and a commitment to reducing inequalities.
• Good communication and organisational skills.
• Proactive, solution-focused approach.
• Ability to work flexibly and manage multiple tasks.
• Motivation to make a difference locally.

Responsibilities

• Lead on inter and intra school programmes and projects – Plan, coordinate, and deliver engaging inter-school competitions, festivals, and intra-school initiatives across participating schools.
• Support school and community partnerships – Maintain strong relationships with schools, clubs, community organisations, and local partners.
• Help build sustainable exit routes – Connect young people to opportunities beyond the school day with local sports clubs and activity providers.
• Gather and respond to pupil voice – Collect insights to shape provision and reflect learners' needs and motivations.
• Assist with programme planning and delivery – Co-design and deliver inclusive, accessible, community-focused programmes.
• Identify and reduce barriers to participation – Address cost, confidence, access and awareness in partnership with others.
• Support externally funded projects – Assist with delivery, monitoring, and reporting for Sport England-aligned programmes.
• Help create pathways into lifelong activity – Encourage sustained participation with schools, families and partners.
• Contribute to monitoring and evaluation – Collect data and stories to inform investment and outcomes.
• Provide operational and administrative support – Assist with coordination, logistics and day-to-day delivery.
• Support the Creative Active Schools Framework adoption – Gather insights, coordinate activities, and promote creative movement approaches.

Skills

Community sport experience

Wellbeing understanding

School/community partnerships

Pupil voice collection

Inequality awareness

Communication skills

Organisational skills

Proactive problem solver

Flexibility and multi-tasking

Motivation to make a local impact

Job description

The Community Development Officer will play a key role within the Rotherham Schools Development Team, leading on inter and intra school programmes and projects while helping to deliver high-quality physical activity opportunities for children and young people across the borough. Working closely with the Community Development Manager and wider partners, the post holder will contribute to the Moving Rotherham vision by increasing activity levels, reducing inequalities, and creating positive experiences for all young people.

Salary £33,119 to £35,570 WPT Band 6 £33,119 - £35,570 Hours Full Time Contract Contract/Temporary (18 months fixed term contract) Placed On Wed 14th October, 2026 Closes 12:00pm - Wed 28th October, 2026 Interview Date Thu 5th November, 2026

About Community Sports Development Officer

ROLE: Community Development Officer

SCHOOL: Wickersley Partnership Trust (Central Team)
SALARY: WPT Band 6 £33,119 - £35,570 CONTRACT: 18 months fixed term contract
HOURS: 37 hours per week, Full Time

About the role

The Community Development Officer will play a key role within the Rotherham Schools Development Team, leading on inter and intra school programmes and projects while helping to deliver high-quality physical activity opportunities for children and young people across the borough. Working closely with the Community Development Manager and wider partners, the post holder will contribute to the Moving Rotherham vision by increasing activity levels, reducing inequalities, and creating positive experiences for all young people. This post is initially offered on an 18-month basis due to external funding arrangements; however, based on performance and future funding availability, the contract may be extended.This role is ideal for someone passionate about community engagement, school-based physical activity, and supporting inclusive programmes that make a tangible difference locally.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead on inter and intra school programmes and projects – Plan, coordinate, and deliver engaging inter-school competitions, festivals, and intra-school physical activity initiatives across participating schools.
• Support school and community partnerships – Assist in maintaining strong relationships with schools, clubs, community organisations, and local partners.
• Help build sustainable exit routes – Work with local sports clubs and activity providers to connect young people to opportunities beyond the school day.
• Gather and respond to pupil voice – Support the collection of insight from children and young people to shape provision and ensure activities reflect their needs and motivations.
• Assist with programme planning and delivery – Contribute to the co-design and delivery of inclusive, accessible, community-focused programmes.
• Identify and reduce barriers to participation – Work with partners to address issues such as cost, confidence, access, and awareness.
• Support externally funded projects – Assist with delivery, monitoring, and reporting for programmes aligned to Sport England outcomes and borough priorities.
• Help create pathways into lifelong activity – Work with schools, families, and community partners to encourage sustained participation.
• Contribute to monitoring and evaluation – Collect data, capture stories of impact, and support reporting to demonstrate outcomes and inform future investment.
• Provide operational and administrative support – Assist with coordination, communication, logistics, and day-to-day programme delivery.
• Support the delivery of the Creative Active Schools Framework – Assist schools in adopting CASF principles by helping to gather insight, coordinate activities, and promote creative approaches to increasing movement. Contribute to system change work by supporting schools to embed the framework into everyday practice and whole-school culture.

About You (Person Specification)

You will bring enthusiasm, reliability, and a commitment to improving opportunities for children and young people. Ideally, you will have:

• Experience in school or community sport, youth work, physical activity development, or similar settings
• An understanding of how physical activity supports wellbeing
• Experience engaging with schools, clubs, or community groups
• Confidence gathering and using pupil voice
• Awareness of participation barriers and a commitment to reducing inequalities
• Good communication and organisational skills
• A proactive, solution-focused approach
• Ability to work flexibly and manage multiple tasks
• Motivation to make a difference locally

We are committed to building a team that reflects the diverse communities we serve and welcome applications from individuals of all backgrounds.

In return, we offer a supportive working environment with a strong emphasis on collaboration, professional development, and work-life balance. Flexible and hybrid working arrangements may be available depending on the needs of the role. Travel across the borough will be required, so access to transport is essential.

Why Join Us?

• Generous Local Government (support staff) and Teacher Pension Schemes
• Health and Wellbeing, including a Westfield Health subscription
• Professional Growth and Development

Interviews taking place Thursday 5th November 2026***

For more information about Wickersley Partnership Trust, including the benefits of working for us, please visit our main website: https://www.wickersleypt.org

In line with our commitment to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of our students, the appointment will be subject to an enhanced criminal record check and satisfactory references. Further information about the Disclosure Scheme can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/disclosure-and-barring-service

To be successful in your application, you will need to demonstrate an effective and creative approach to education, a passion for your subject and a commitment to supporting the development of the department.