Forest School Instructor

Hillingdon Manor School; Frome; On-site; GBP 23,000 - 29,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Life Assurance

Pension scheme with options toincrease

Wellbeing support

Discount platform

Cycle to Work Scheme

Critical illness cover

Maternity/paternity leave

Job summary

Wessex Lodge School is seeking a Forest School Instructor to lead outdoor learning experiences across three sites. You will design and deliver therapeutic Forest School activities, adapting for pupils with additional needs and safeguarding responsibilities.

Join a dedicated team to foster confidence, resilience and a lifelong connection with nature while upholding high safety standards and collaborative practice with staff and volunteers.

Qualifications

• Experience with children and young people in educational or SEND settings preferred.
• Ability to plan and deliver Forest School sessions that support wellbeing and development.
• Capable of managing risk and maintaining safety in outdoor learning environments.

Responsibilities

• Plan and deliver engaging Forest School sessions
• Encourage resilience, independence, creativity and problem-solving
• Support pupils with additional needs to access meaningful learning outdoors
• Lead and coordinate support staff and volunteers
• Complete and review risk assessments for safe practice
• Maintain tools, equipment and outdoor resources
• Monitor pupil engagement and progress, provide feedback
• Develop Forest School provision across multiple sites

Skills

Outdoor education

Child engagement

Behaviour management

Communication

Team leadership

Risk management

Driving licence

Job description

Wessex Lodge School

• Frome
• Permanent

Salary: From £26,000 per annum depending on experience

Hours: 37.5 Hours per Week, Monday to Friday

At OFG we allow for greater work life balance and extra time to do the things you love outside work

Job Title: Forest School Instructor
Location: Wessex Lodge School, Frome, Somerset BA11 4LA
Hours: 37.5 hours per week | Monday - Friday
Salary: From £26,000 per annum (depending on experience, not pro rata)
Contract: Permanent | Term Time Only
Start: September 2026 - ASAP
UK applicants only - no sponsorship available

About the Role

Do you believe the best lessons happen around a campfire, beneath the trees, and through hands-on experiences in the great outdoors?At Wessex Lodge School, we're looking for an enthusiastic and inspiring Forest School Instructor to help our pupils discover confidence, resilience and a lifelong connection with nature.

This is far more than an outdoor education role. It's an opportunity to ignite curiosity, nurture wellbeing and help children and young people realise what they're truly capable of.

As our Forest School Instructor, you'll plan and deliver engaging, therapeutic and child-centred Forest School experiences that support pupils' emotional, social and educational development.You'll work closely with pupils with a range of additional needs, adapting activities to ensure every child can access and enjoy the outdoors safely and successfully.

This is an exciting opportunity to shape and develop Forest School provision across three school sites, with the potential to take on lead responsibility for the continued growth and development of outdoor learning within Wessex Lodge School.

Whether it's den building, woodland crafts, tool work, nature exploration or problem-solving challenges, you'll help pupils discover strengths they never knew they had.

What You'll Be Doing

• Planning and delivering engaging Forest School sessions that inspire curiosity and confidence
• Encouraging resilience, independence, creativity and problem-solving through outdoor experiences
• Supporting pupils with additional needs to access meaningful learning opportunities in nature
• Leading and coordinating support staff and volunteers during Forest School activities
• Completing and reviewing risk assessments to ensure safe and effective practice
• Maintaining tools, equipment and outdoor resources to the highest standards
• Monitoring pupil engagement, wellbeing and progress, providing feedback to colleagues
• Championing the growth and development of Forest School provision across the school community

About You

We're looking for someone who is:

• Passionate about the transformative power of Forest School and outdoor learning
• Experienced in working with children and young people, ideally within educational or SEND settings
• Skilled at engaging pupils of different ages, abilities and confidence levels
• Creative, adaptable and committed to ensuring every child can succeed
• Calm, fair and confident in managing behaviour positively
• An excellent communicator who thrives both independently and as part of a team
• Organised and confident in managing risk and maintaining high standards of safety
• Enthusiastic about developing and leading Forest School provision across multiple sites
• Full UK Driving Licence

About Us

Learning at Wessex Lodge goes far beyond the classroom. Our outdoor spaces across all three sites offer meaningful opportunities for pupils to regulate, connect and engage. These environments, whether it be out in the the community or time with animals, are key to helping our children feel calm, confident and curious.

Acorn Education offers rewarding careers and meaningful challenges while making a real difference in young people’s lives. As a leading UK provider of specialist education for children and young people with special educational needs, and part of Outcomes First Group, we deliver innovative, evidence-based approaches that support measurable progress and lasting impact.

We are really proud to say that in 2025 Outcomes First Group were officially certified as a 'Great Place to Work' for the sixth year running.

Why Join Us?

We place pupils and vulnerable young adults at the heart of everything we do, so every day brings the satisfaction of making a real difference.We are committed to the safeguarding and promoting the welfare of pupils and young people. All applicants will be subject to social media checks and successful applicants to a fully enhanced DBS.

• Life Assurance
• Pension scheme with options to increase contributions
• "Your Wellbeing Matters" - mental health support and physical health checks
• Flexible Benefits Platform (Vista), including:
• Health, wellbeing and insurance benefits
• Hundreds of UK and international discounts
• Cycle to Work Scheme & Electric Car Purchase Scheme
• Critical illness cover
• Family Growth Support, including enhanced maternity/paternity leave and paid fertility treatment support

We reserve the right to close the vacancy early if we receive a high volume of suitable applications.

Outcomes First Group is committed to carrying out a fair, thorough and efficient recruitment process in line with Keeping Children Safe in Education. Whilst we aim to keep applicants informed throughout, Outcomes First Group does not accept liability for any loss of earnings or other associated costs incurred by applicants as a result of delays or changes in the compliance process. All stages of the compliance process are subject to necessary safeguarding checks and compliance with statutory requirements, which may affect timescales

Wherever you work - whether in a city location or one of our more rural settings - you'll be part of one dynamic family, aiming high and dreaming big, and helping the people we work with achieve their own personal goals

Salary: From £38,000 per annum (depending on experience)

Hours: 40 hours per Week, Monday to Friday

With amazing teams working across our family of brands - Acorn Education, Options Autism, Momenta Connect and Blenheim Schools- we offer a huge range of exciting career opportunities. Take a closer look and discover how fulfilling your career could be.

Meeting the social and emotional needs of pupils who have faced trauma or adversity, equipping them for life’s important steps.

Supporting autistic pupils to value their uniqueness and access the world in their own way.

At Momenta Connect we support young people to overcome barriers and engage with education.

We are committed to enabling outstanding futures for all children through a portfolio of inclusive, high-quality independent and international schools.