Playworker

Minerva Primary Academy; West of England; On-site; GBP 26,000 - 27,000; Part time

Benefits offered by this job

LGPS pension

Generous annual leave

Induction & training

Wellbeing support

Health benefits

Maternity pay

Cycle to work

On-site parking

Job summary

Minerva Primary Academy in Bristol is seeking a dedicated Playworker to oversee lunchtime play, creating safe, engaging and inclusive outdoor activities for pupils. This role supports risk-aware play, builds positive relationships and contributes to a thriving play environment within an OPAL framework.

The position is term-time, permanent, part-time (8.75 hours/week) with a start date in November 2026, and offers opportunities for CPD and professional development within a supportive school

Qualifications

• Excellent relationship-building skills to engage positively with children, colleagues and families.
• Strong interpersonal skills, including empathy, active listening, and effective communication.
• The ability to promote positive behaviour and support children in resolving conflicts and developing healthy friendships.
• A passion for providing safe, stimulating, and inclusive play opportunities for all children.

Responsibilities

• Supervise and facilitate lunchtime play, ensuring safe, engaging activities.
• Set up and manage playground zones and support child-led play.
• Contribute to risk-benefit assessments and monitor play equipment and spaces.
• Promote safeguarding, inclusion and wellbeing during outdoor play and interactions.

Skills

Relationship-building

Empathy

Active listening

Communication

Behaviour support

Inclusion

Risk awareness

Teamwork

Job description

Job Title: Playworker

Actual Annual Salary: £5,131 - £5,218 (£13.45 - £13.68 per hour)

Full Time Equivalent Salary: £25,949 - £26,392 (Grade Aii)

Contract Type: Permanent, Part Time, Term time only

Hours: 8.75 hours per week

Additional role info: Working 8 hours 45 minutes per week during lunchtime periods (11:30am to 1:15pm Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday; 11:45am to 1:30pm Wednesday).

Provisional Start Date: November 2026 (Subject to completion of pre-employment checks)

Are you passionate about creating engaging play opportunities and helping children thrive through outdoor play?

We are looking for an enthusiastic, proactive, and caring Playworker to join our dedicated team. This exciting role is at the heart of our lunchtime provision, where you will support children to enjoy safe, creative, and meaningful play experiences while promoting positive relationships, wellbeing, and inclusion.

As a proud Outdoor Play and Learning (OPAL) School, we are committed to providing high-quality play opportunities that enrich children's social, emotional, and physical development. As a Playworker, you will work as part of a collaborative team to develop and maintain exciting play environments, including setting up and managing different playground zones, supporting child-led play, and encouraging positive pupil interactions.

You will play an active role in shaping our outdoor provision by contributing to risk-benefit assessments, helping children learn through challenge and exploration while ensuring a safe environment. You will also monitor and manage playground resources, making informed decisions about when equipment should be repaired, removed, replaced, or repurposed to maximise play opportunities.

We are committed to investing in our staff and offer weekly CPD and training opportunities, enabling you to develop your skills, share ideas, and contribute to the continued improvement of our play provision.

Whether you are looking to begin a career working with children or already have experience supporting play and learning, we would love to hear from you.

About You

You will have:

• Excellent relationship-building skills and the ability to engage positively with children, colleagues, and families.
• Strong interpersonal skills, including empathy, active listening, and effective communication.
• The ability to promote positive behaviour and support children in resolving conflicts and developing healthy friendships.
• A passion for providing safe, stimulating, and inclusive play opportunities for all children.
• The confidence to make informed decisions regarding play resources and playground environments.
• The ability to contribute positively to risk-benefit approaches that encourage challenge, creativity, and exploration.
• Patience, resilience, and the ability to remain calm in a busy and active outdoor environment.
• A positive attitude and commitment to being an excellent role model for children.
• The ability to work effectively both as part of a team and using your own initiative.
• A commitment to safeguarding, inclusion, and the wellbeing of all children.

Applicants are advised to refer to the full job description and person specification before submitting an application.

About Minerva Primary Academy:

Minerva Primary Academy is a happy and successful school. We are a popular two-form entry primary school located in Fishponds, Bristol with a committed staff and a purpose-built modern building and unique playground. Our school ethos is 'Learning, Believing, Growing, Achieving' and everything we do is underpinned by our high expectations and a love of lifelong learning. To support our children to understand themselves as effective learners, we explicitly teach and promote seven learning dispositions: self-agency, growth mindset, perseverance, being curious and creative, making connections and collaborating.

We are committed and passionate about providing our children with the best possible start to their education. We encourage all children to be Minerva Global Citizens who are safe, responsible, respectful and an active citizen within our community. We value creativity and the arts and have strong links with Bristol Beacon.

Why work at CLF?

We are a diverse and inclusive community of 37 academies across five cluster regions in the South West that is committed to excellence and making a positive impact. Our people bring unique perspectives, but we’re all driven by a shared moral purpose and a passion for making a positive impact, whether in a teaching, leadership or support role. We’re proud to foster a culture where everyone can thrive, feel valued, and make a meaningful difference to the lives of others.

We are an equal opportunity employer and proud to serve a diverse student population and our communities. We strongly believe that representation matters and so encourage applications from underrepresented and global majority groups including ethnicity, gender, transgender, age, disability, sexual orientation or religion.

We aim to remove any barriers to employment, ensuring everyone can compete on equal terms. Job share, part-time and flexible working opportunities will be considered.

What we can offer you:

• Access to a generous pension through the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS).
• Generous annual leave.
• A comprehensive induction and ongoing commitment to wellbeing and career progression, through a range of training, apprenticeships and in-role/wider-trust development opportunities.
• Well-being support through an Employee Assistance Programme.
• Health benefits, including wellness sessions, gym discounts, and flu jabs.
• A range of generous family leave options, including above industry average occupational maternity pay.
• Additional benefits like cycle to work scheme, on-site parking plus many more!

Recruitment timeline:

• Closing Date: 27 September 2026 @ 11.59pm
• Shortlisting Date: 28 September 2026
• Interview Date: 05 October 2026

As part of our commitment to Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE), we do not accept CVs – a full education and employment history must be provided through our application form.

Please note we cannot offer sponsorship with this role.

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early, should we receive a high level of interest in the role. Therefore, candidates are advised to apply at their earliest convenience to avoid missing out.

As a Disability Confident Committed Employer, we are dedicated to equity and inclusion and commit to interviewing applicants with a disability who meet the essential criteria. We aim to provide an inclusive and accessible recruitment process, and support employees throughout their employment. If you have a disability, are neurodivergent, or require any adjustments to support you through the application or interview process please let us know how we can assist.