PLAY TEAM MEMBER

Lancashire County Council; Lytham; On-site; GBP 2,000 - 2,400; Part time

Job summary

Lytham Hall Park Primary School and Nursery is seeking a caring Play Team member to supervise lunchtime activities for children aged 3–11. The role is part-time (12:00–13:10, Monday–Friday during term time) with potential to become permanent. The Play Team supports wellbeing through safe, engaging play across the grounds.

We prioritise an OPAL approach to play, helping children build independence, confidence and positive social skills while ensuring safeguarding is at the heart of all we do.

Qualifications

• Must enjoy working with children and have a warm, caring and positive approach.
• Able to build positive relationships with children and listen to their needs.
• Enthusiastic about play and helping children enjoy lunchtime.
• Able to encourage participation in a wide range of activities.
• Confident in supporting children to develop independence and manage risks.
• Reliable, responsible and committed to safeguarding children.

Responsibilities

• Oversee lunchtime supervision in the dining hall and supervise children outside.
• Support and promote engaging play across the school grounds.
• Support the OPAL approach to play to develop independence and risk awareness.
• Work effectively as part of a team and contribute to a positive school community.

Job description

Location Lytham Hall Park Primary School, South Park, Lytham St Annes, Lancashire, FY8 4QU (383 on roll)

Tel: [phone]

School website: www.hallpark.lancs.sch.uk

Summary Lytham Hall Park Primary School and Nursery is a happy, caring and vibrant community school for children aged 3–11. We are looking for an enthusiastic, caring and reliable person to join our Play Team and help make lunchtimes a happy, safe and enjoyable part of the school day.

This appointment is a part-time, temporary post, working five days per week during term time only, with the potential to become permanent. The hours for the post are 12 noon until 1.10pm, Monday to Friday.

Our Play Team plays a vital role in supporting children throughout the lunchtime period. The role is varied and includes supervision in the dining hall, supporting children outside and encouraging positive, engaging play across our school grounds.

About our approach to play: We have developed our approach to play considerably in recent years through the implementation of OPAL (Outdoor Play and Learning). Children have access to a huge variety of structured and unstructured play opportunities, enabling them to develop their independence, creativity, confidence and ability to manage appropriate risks.

We are proud of the increased engagement we have seen through our approach to play. We are looking for an adult who will embrace this philosophy and help children make the most of their lunchtime.

Most importantly, we want our children to feel that the adults around them support them, listen to them and care about their experiences. Our Play Team members make an important contribution to children's wellbeing and help ensure that every child has a happy and positive experience at school.

Our 2025 Ofsted report recognised the positive culture we have created: “At breaktimes, pupils know that they must put on their wellingtons if they want to play on the wet grass. They are far too sensible to need reminding. Pupils are confident that if any bullying ever happened, it would be dealt with quickly and effectively by staff.”

We are looking for someone who:

• Enjoys working with children and has a warm, caring and positive approach.
• Can build positive relationships with children and listen to their needs.
• Is enthusiastic about play and helping children to enjoy their lunchtime.
• Can encourage children to participate in a wide range of activities.
• Is confident supporting children to develop independence and manage appropriate risks.
• Can work effectively as part of a team.
• Is reliable, responsible and committed to safeguarding children.
• Can contribute positively to our busy and vibrant school community.

What we can offer

• The opportunity to work in a friendly, caring and supportive school.
• The chance to be part of our developing OPAL approach to play.
• A varied and rewarding role where you can make a real difference to children's school experience.
• The opportunity to work alongside a committed and enthusiastic team. Lytham Hall Park Primary School and Nursery is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people. All staff and volunteers are expected to share this commitment. The appointment process will therefore include appropriate safeguarding questions and pre-employment checks. Please note that in line with Keeping Children Safe in Education 2026, an online search will be carried out as part of our due diligence on shortlisted candidates. The closing date is 12 noon 30/09/2026

Proposed Interview Date: 05/10/2026

An Equal Opportunities Employer welcoming applications from all sections of the community

The County Council is committed to equality of opportunity for all people in terms of recruitment, selection and employment, and is a Disability Confident employer, which means that all disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria in the person specification will be interviewed. However, commitment to this standard is on an individual school basis and, therefore, if you are applying for a position within a school, you will need to check with the school whether they have made the decision to comply with this standard.

Please note that we can only consider applications from candidates who are legally entitled to work in the UK.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

Rehabilitation Rehabilitation The post you are applying for is covered by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (as amended in 2013). If successful you will be required to apply to the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) for a 'disclosure'. Information provided by you or the Disclosure and Barring Service will be dealt with in a confidential manner in accordance with the DBS's Code of Practice. You may view the Code of Practice on the DBS website at www.gov.uk/dbs or alternatively a copy is available on request. Lancashire County Council has a Handling of DBS Certificate Information Policy and a Policy Statement on the Recruitment of Ex-offenders this is available from the recruiting manager to applicants who are asked to complete a DBS application.