Playworker apprenticeship

Train as a Playworker, supporting children through play while gaining hands-on experience in wraparound care, breakfast clubs, after-school clubs, and holiday provision. Ideal for someone who is enthusiastic, caring, and passionate about helping children learn and develop through play.

We are seeking a motivated, enthusiastic, and caring individual to join our organisation as a Playworker Apprentice. This role sits within our childcare team and plays an important part in creating a safe, engaging, and inclusive environment where children can learn, develop, and enjoy play before school, after school, and during holiday provision.

The successful candidate will work closely with the premier line manager, school staff, and the wider childcare team to support children through a range of structured and child-led play activities.

The role combines practical workplace experience with structured apprenticeship training, enabling the apprentice to develop the skills, knowledge, and confidence needed to build a career in childcare and playwork.

Responsibilities of a Playworker Apprentice

• Support the planning and delivery of fun, engaging, and inclusive play activities for children.
• Encourage children to participate in a wide range of indoor and outdoor activities.
• Promote children's physical, social, emotional, and creative development through play.
• Help create a safe, welcoming, and stimulating play environment.
• Build positive relationships with children, parents, carers, and colleagues.
• Support children's well-being, independence, and confidence.
• Supervise children during activities, snack times, and transitions.
• Assist with preparing, setting up, and tidying away play equipment and resources.
• Follow safeguarding, health and safety, and company policies at all times.
• Maintain confidentiality and professional standards.
• Engage fully with apprenticeship training, mentoring, and professional development opportunities.

Most of your apprenticeship is spent working. You’ll learn on the job by getting hands-on experience.

Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.

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 Playworker's 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 Playworker's behaviour towards a child may pose a risk of harm.
• Apply the play work approach depending on the individual need.