PE and Forest School Instructor

JR United Kingdom; North East; On-site; GBP 24,000 - 27,000; Full time

Job summary

A new school is opening in County Durham looking for a PE and Forest School Instructor to inspire students through physical education and outdoor learning. This fixed-term role emphasizes creating engaging outdoor activities and requires relevant teaching qualifications, while offering an excellent benefits package.

Benefits

Life Assurance

Pension scheme

Mental health support services

Cycle to Work Scheme

Electric Car Purchase Scheme

Enhanced maternity and paternity leave

Qualifications

• Passionate about outdoor learning and physical education.
• Resilience to various weather conditions.
• Experience in ASC desirable.

Responsibilities

• Plan, teach and assess PE, focusing on outdoor learning.
• Develop and manage the Forest School area.
• Deliver engaging activities for students.

Skills

Sport coaching qualifications

Experience working with students in an outdoor education or environmental setting

Knowledge and understanding of child development

Education

Level 3 Forest School Leader Qualification or equivalent

D1 license (or willingness to work towards it)

Job description

Social network you want to login/join with:

At OFG, we work smarter so you can spend more time doing what makes you happy!

Are you an innovative PE and Forest School Instructor committed to improving the lives of pupils and young people?

We are excited to announce the opening of two brand-new Options Autism schools in County Durham, designed to provide exceptional education and support for pupils with a variety of needs, including Autism.

Strawberry Lane School, also located in Durham, will accommodate 60 pupils aged 11 to 19 years. We are looking for a passionate PE and Forest School Instructor to contribute to the growth and success of this new school.

Job Title: PE and Forest School Instructor

Location:Strawberry Lane School - Durham,DH6 5BE

Salary: Up to £27,000 per annum depending on experience (not pro rata)

Hours: 37.5 hours per week; Monday to Friday

Contract: Fixed Term - 12 month contract, Term Time only

Start Date: September 2025

UK Applicants only. This role does not offer sponsorship.

About the role

At Strawberry Lane School we place significant value on physical education and outdoor learning and its importance in a therapeutic ASC environment. We are fortunate to have beautiful grounds and are in the process of establishing a Forest School area.

In this role, you will take overall responsibility for the planning, teaching and assessment of PE, with a particular emphasis on Forest Schools within our setting, which will include working with small groups and/or delivering 1:1 learning.

You will be required to create engaging activities to support students to develop their knowledge, skills and understanding in the subject, and to facilitate their enjoyment of the great outdoors.

The applicant should have experience of working with children, a love of being outdoors and resilience to all weathers. Sport and Outdoor education qualifications are essential with forest school qualifications are desirable but not essential to apply for this role. If you do not already hold the qualification, you will be given the opportunity apply for and complete the Level 3 Forest School Leader Qualification over a 12-month period.

Although this role requires the ability to support our students primarily in PE, the successful applicant will also support our young people at Strawberry Lane School to interact effectively with the world around them, express themselves and communicate confidently. Your timetable may contain other lessons to provide additional cover within the school where necessary.

The specific nature and balance of these responsibilities will vary according to the needs of the school and may be shared.

Main duties and responsibilities:

To work under instruction/guidance to enable access to learning by:

• Attending to the welfare and care of students
• Delivering learning/support programmes
• Taking responsibility for the planning cycle
• Developing the Forest School area.

Qualifications and Experience

• Sport coaching qualifications
• Level 3 Forest School Leader Qualification or equivalent (or willingness to work towards it).
• D1 license (or willingness to work towards it).
• Experience working with students in an outdoor education or environmental setting.
• Knowledge and understanding of child development and the ability to plan appropriate learning experiences in an outdoor environment:
• Experience working with students in an ASC setting desirable.
• Experience of risk assessment, health and safety, and safeguarding.

If you want a phone call with the headteacher for further information please email [emailprotected]

Why join Options Autism?

For over 16 years Options Autism have provided care and education to pupils, young people and adults with autism, complex needs and learning difficulties. We are a leading provider of education for neurodivergent young people and young adults. As part of Outcomes First Group, we are leading our sector in setting and delivering new approaches that provide measurable outcomes for those in our care

We are really proud to say that in 2024, Outcomes First Group were officially certified as a ‘Great Place to Work’ for the fifth year running.

Your health and wellbeing are important to us, so you’ll get an exceptional reward package including:

• Life Assurance
• Pension scheme with options to increase your contributions
• “Your Wellbeing Matters” – access to a wide range of first-class mental health support services and physical health checks

And a market-leading benefit offering through our Flexible Benefits Platform, Vista, enables you to choose the package that’s right for you, including:

• A wide range of health, wellbeing, and insurance benefits
• 100’s of discount options valid in the UK and abroad
• Cycle to Work Schemes
• Electric Car Purchase Scheme
• Critical illness cover
• Family Growth Support - inclusive benefits package covering enhanced maternity and paternity leave, along with paid fertility treatment support.

And that’s not all, we place the outcomes of the pupils and vulnerable young adults in our services at the heart of everything we do, so you’ll wake every day in the knowledge that your role will have a significant positive impact on the lives of others.

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.

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