Apprentice Play Worker

Love working with children? Join us as a playworker apprentice. Earn while you learn, run exciting clubs and activities, and make a real difference every day. If you're kind, enthusiastic and a team player, we want you!

What you'll do at work

The playworker apprentice role generally incorporates:

• Working directly with pupils across all key stages in playwork related activities
• Supporting the delivery of Ofsted registered wraparound care provision in schools, understanding the legislation that governs this type of work
• Delivering breakfast club, after-school clubs and lunchtime activities
• Facilitating a range of engaging play, crafts and sports activities for children
• Delivery of a range of interventions to support targeted pupil learning
• Supporting holiday camp programmes and activities (where necessary)
• Offering support to children in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS)
• Arranging and setting-up equipment and resources to create effective learning environments
• Conducting risk assessments to ensure a healthy, safe, and secure environment
• Planning and delivering high-quality play activities in a safe and caring setting
• Ensuring the environment is inclusive and caters to all children’s needs, including SEN
• Seeking children’s views and involving them in planning activities, respecting their preferences
• Facilitating child-centered play, allowing safe risks and challenges
• Helping prepare nutritious snacks, promoting independence and self-choice
• Safeguarding Children: understanding and applying safeguarding procedures, reporting concerns immediately. Maintaining confidential records such as accident forms and safeguarding disclosures
• Providing care for children, including safe collection from classes and delivery to parents/carers
• Meeting the needs of EYFS children, understanding additional roles

Where you'll work

You can select which locations you want to apply for in your application on Find an apprenticeship. This apprenticeship is available in these locations:

• Amyruth Road, London, SE4 1HQ
• Ashmead Primary School, Ashmead Road, London, SE8 4DX
• Brockley Rise, London, SE23 1NH

Training provider

ASPIRE TRAINING SOLUTIONS (UK) LIMITED

Training course

Playworker (level 2)

What you'll learn

Course contents

• Observe and reflect on play behaviours.
• Communicate sensitively using relevant language and behaviour.
• Promote diversity and inclusion in Playwork practice.
• Identify ways to remove barriers which can prevent some children and young people playing.
• Undertake reflective observations to improve own practice and the quality of the provision for children and young people.
• Contribute to play audits.
• Promote the value and benefits of play for all children and young people.
• Assist with planning, creating and identifying loose parts to encourage and inspire sustainable practices, including recycling, reusing, reducing and repairing.
• Recognise the benefits of risk taking in play and contribute to dynamic risk-benefit assessment.
• Recognise that children and young people communicate with a range of different types of behaviour and may need Playworker support.
• Support children and young people to understand and manage their emotions, feelings and actions.
• Manage interactions with parents/caregivers professionally.
• Recognise the importance of respecting professional boundaries when lone working or conducting intimate care with children and young people and using social media with children, young people and families.
• Contribute to health and safety checks.
• Follow emergency incidents or common illness/infections policies and procedures, administering first aid and completing records when required.
• Use active listening and communication techniques when interacting with children and young people playing, identifying any potential concerns if they occur.
• Contribute to recording and reporting procedures as required by the play setting.
• Contribute to administrative and financial record keeping.
• Promote healthy eating and an active lifestyle, ensuring specific dietary and cultural needs are met.
• Maintain a clean environment according to local and national policies and procedures.
• Contribute to ensuring security arrangements are followed, such as children’s arrival and departures from the setting.
• Work as part of a team to support and supervise children and young people on off-site trips, complying with formal risk assessment of venues visited.
• Apply Playwork approaches in own role, incorporating new and emerging themes.
• Reflect on own practice to create a personal development plan with supervisor.
• Recognise the boundaries of own self and other Playworkers’ interaction with children, and when it is necessary to report incidents to the appropriate safeguarding lead and Local Authority Designated Officer – LADO if appropriate when a Playworkers’ behaviour towards a child may pose a risk of harm.
• Apply the play work approach depending on the individual need.
• Observe and reflect on play behaviours.
• Communicate sensitively using relevant language and behaviour.
• Promote diversity and inclusion in Playwork practice.
• Identify ways to remove barriers which can prevent some children and young people playing.
• Undertake reflective observations to improve own practice and the quality of the provision for children and young people.
• Contribute to play audits.
• Promote the value and benefits of play for all children and young people.
• Assist with planning, creating and identifying loose parts to encourage and inspire sustainable practices, including recycling, reusing, reducing and repairing.
• Recognise the benefits of risk taking in play and contribute to dynamic risk-benefit assessment.
• Recognise that children and young people communicate with a range of different types of behaviour and may need Playworker support.
• Support children and young people to understand and manage their emotions, feelings and actions.
• Manage interactions with parents/caregivers professionally.
• Recognise the importance of respecting professional boundaries when lone working or conducting intimate care with children and young people and using social media with children, young people and families.
• Contribute to health and safety checks.
• Follow emergency incidents or common illness/infections policies and procedures, administering first aid and completing records when required.
• Use active listening and communication techniques when interacting with children and young people playing, identifying any potential concerns if they occur.
• Contribute to recording and reporting procedures as required by the play setting.
• Contribute to administrative and financial record keeping.
• Promote healthy eating and an active lifestyle, ensuring specific dietary and cultural needs are met.
• Maintain a clean environment according to local and national policies and procedures.
• Contribute to ensuring security arrangements are followed, such as children’s arrival and departures from the setting.
• Work as part of a team to support and supervise children and young people on off-site trips, complying with formal risk assessment of venues visited.
• Apply Playwork approaches in own role, incorporating new and emerging themes.
• Reflect on own practice to create a personal development plan with supervisor.
• Recognise the boundaries of own self and other Playworkers’ interaction with children, and when it is necessary to report incidents to the appropriate safeguarding lead and Local Authority Designated Officer – LADO if appropriate when a Playworkers’ behaviour towards a child may pose a risk of harm.
• Apply the play work approach depending on the individual need.