Learning Facilitator

Leeds City Council; Leeds; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Part time

Job summary

A local council is seeking Learning Facilitators to deliver engaging workshops at Leeds museums. Successful candidates will have a degree or relevant vocational qualification and strong facilitation skills. Responsibilities include setting up, leading, and evaluating informative sessions for schools, with a focus on accessibility and engagement. Join a dynamic team dedicated to making learning meaningful through creative museum experiences and contribute positively to educational outcomes in Leeds.

Benefits

Competitive sessional rate

Annual leave entitlement

Flexible working arrangements

Clear career pathway

Qualifications

• Skilled facilitator able to deliver engaging workshops for schools.
• Educated to degree level or professional vocational qualification.
• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal.

Responsibilities

• Deliver engaging, high-quality workshops based on the National Curriculum.
• Ensure accessibility and inclusivity in workshops.
• Capture performance/evaluative information through feedback forms.

Skills

Facilitation skills

Interpersonal and communication skills

Understanding of National Curriculum

Ability to work with diverse audiences

Education

Degree level qualification or equivalent

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

As the Learning Facilitators you will deliver the popular KS1‑4 school workshops at Leeds Industrial Museum (2 roles), Leeds Discovery Centre (1 role), Lotherton Hall (1 role), Temple Newsam House (1 role), or Leeds Art Gallery. The workshops are high quality, creative, differentiated and accessible, collection and exhibition focussed and interactive. You will set up the workshop, meet and greet the school group, lead the group through a child‑centred 1.5‑2 hr workshop (teaching to the workshop plan developed by the Learning and Access Officer, whilst being responsive to the children and teacher's needs), give out evaluation forms to the teachers and students, close down the activity and pack away. You will be qualified to degree level, or a similar vocational qualification, with hands‑on teaching or museums experience. We provide full training on workshop content, venue collections, Health and Safety and Safeguarding. Learning is at the heart of Leeds Museums and Galleries. We welcome, inspire and engage diverse audiences with collections and exhibitions and enable people to build their own interpretations. We are a strong Learning and Access team, who are leaders in the field of museum and gallery learning. We develop innovative ways of celebrating material culture using object and artwork learning and robust, research‑oriented practices. As a team, we focus on the three C’s: Curiosity, Creativity and Conversation.

Benefits

• Competitive sessional rate and annual leave entitlement
• Flexible working arrangements subject to service requirements
• Clear career pathway and continuing professional development opportunities
• Range of staff benefits to help you boost your wellbeing and make your money go further; Leeds Museums and Galleries is the largest local‑authority museum service in the country with 1.3 million objects and over 48,000 schoolchildren per year through our learning programmes. Our reach is local, regional, national and international.

Responsibilities

• Audience:
  • Have a good understanding of the National Curriculum for England and how the workshop/teacher expectations fit with the National Curriculum
  • Be a skilled facilitator and actively deliver engaging, differentiated, accessible 45 min‑2 hr workshops for schools to the workshop plan developed by the Learning and Access Officer, fulfilling the teaching objectives
  • Be responsive and adaptable to pupil needs and interests
• Access:
  • Working alongside the Learning and Access Officer, ensure accessibility and inclusivity within our spaces and workshops (including intellectual, physical and sensory, attitudinal and emotional, cultural and financial access)
• Management:
  • Set up and clear away the workshop resources and the workshop space (tables, chairs, art materials, museum objects) as required for the workshop
  • To meet and greet the school group, and sign them into the building (for safety and performance data)
  • Comply with venue risk assessments to ensure the safety of the young people and adults participating in the workshops and convey H&S information to the school group
  • Manage the learning environment (classroom and resource management) for a safe and high‑quality experience
  • Capture performance/evaluative information through evaluation forms to pupils and teachers, or through other mechanisms as appropriate, and give completed evaluation forms to the Learning and Access Officer at the end of each workshop
  • Feedback developmental comments or changes regarding the workshop to the Learning and Access Officer
  • Deliver accurate and timely timesheets for casual payments
• Relationships:
  • Liaise with the Learning and Access Officer, site management team and with regards to bookings and availability
• Personal Development:
  • Attend training relating to H&S, safeguarding, the venue, object and collection handling, and the delivery of school workshops
  • Be curious. Be open to new experiences, working creatively and being reflective. Be passionate about the power of object learning, and innovative in its uses with audiences. Be resilient and proactive.
  • Develop excellence in object learning through programmes, projects, action research and training
• Leeds City Council:
  • Promote an outward looking, positive image of the service at all times
  • It’s everyone’s responsibility to keep people safe. Promote, adhere to and apply consistently the Leeds Safeguarding Boards and Leeds City Council Safeguarding, Equality and Diversity and Health and Safety policies and procedures with colleagues, partners and members of the public. Be responsible for your own H&S at work
  • Champion Leeds as a Child and Age Friendly City
  • Leeds wants to have a strong economy and to be a compassionate city. Promote and adhere to the Leeds City Council values of: working as a team; being open, honest and trusted; working with communities; treating people fairly and spending money wisely
  • To undertake any other duties as commensurate with the grade
• What You Will Be:
  • Skilled facilitator able to work with different ages of pupils from school settings.
  • Highly organised and able to juggle the practicalities, differentiation and accessible requirements of a group visit to a museum.
  • Ability to work colleagues from the venue team and the Learning and Access Officer.
  • Curious, responsive and adaptable to existing and new audience needs and interests.
  • Based in the UK. Home Office guidance states that candidates must evidence their right to work in the UK prior to commencing employment, either as a UK or Irish citizen, under the EU Settlement scheme or having secured any other relevant work visa.
  • Educated to degree level or professional vocational qualification within a relevant subject/area, or equivalent teaching experience.
  • Excellent interpersonal and communication skills (written and verbal).
  • Track record of facilitating a range of learning audiences, individually and in groups (differentiation and accessibility) using object or artwork based learning.
  • Maintenance of excellent working relationships with colleagues and partners (eg, teachers and school staff).
  • Track record of delivering work programmes (eg. workshops, learning programmes or projects) to specific deadlines.
  • Ability to work effectively as part of a team.
  • Ability to manage, motivate and develop teams and individuals.
  • Track record of using Microsoft Office, Outlook.
  • Working knowledge of the primary National Curriculum for England.
  • Experience of delivering learning activities to a range of audiences, or teaching, within a heritage or education context.
  • Experience of maintaining relationships and direct contact with customers/stakeholders (eg. teachers, pupils, schools).
  • Experience of managing a learning environment (eg. workshop setting).
  • Commitment to own CPD and personal development.
  • Willing to work creatively and innovatively, and open to new ideas.
  • Passionate about the power of learning using museum collections.
  • Self‑motivated, independent learner, with the ability to use own initiative.
  • Demonstrate a strong interest in the work of Leeds Museums and Galleries.
  • Flexible approach to working hours.
  • Willing to abide by the Council’s Equality and Diversity policy.
  • Willing to carry out all duties having regard to an employee’s responsibility under the Council’s Health and Safety Policies.
• Desirable Requirements:
  • Knowledge of current theory, policy and practice in museum/gallery learning, and of best practice in object‑based learning.
  • Knowledge of learning styles and theories in a museum/gallery learning.
• Venue Details:
  • Leeds Industrial Museum (LS12) – a Woollen processing mill and houses the wider Leeds industrial collections.
  • Leeds Discovery Centre (LS10) – accessible museum store with around 1 million objects.
  • Lotherton Hall (LS25) – home of the Gascoigne family.
  • Temple Newsam House – Tudor manor house with ever‑changing history.
  • Leeds Art Gallery – collection of Victorian artworks and changing contemporary art exhibition programme.
• Application Instruction:
  • Please state which venue you are applying for at the start of your application.
  • If you do not have the right to work in the UK, you must consider your own eligibility for sponsorship for a particular role through the Skilled Worker visa route before applying. To be eligible for sponsorship you’ll usually need to be paid the standard salary rate of at least £41,700 per year or meet one of the other eligibility criteria. Ensure you are eligible before applying.