Forest School Leader

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Job Title: Forest School Leader

Location: The Greater Horseshoe School, Heathfield TQ12 6RH

Salary: £22,000.00 per annum

Hours: 37.5 hours per week, Monday to Friday

Contract: Permanent, Term Time only

UK applicants only. This role does not offer sponsorship.

As part of our continued growth, we now have a fantastic opportunity for a Forest School Leader to join our close-knit team at The Greater Horseshoe School, part of Acorn Education.

About the Role

At the Greater Horseshoe School, we place great value on outdoor learning and we are fortunate to have acres of beautiful grounds and established Forest School areas.

As Forest School Leader, you will take overall responsibility for the planning, teaching and assessment of the subject 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 pupils to develop their knowledge, skills and understanding in the subject of forest school, and to facilitate their enjoyment of the great outdoors. You will be working under the direction/instruction of the Outdoor Education Head of Faculty.

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, because the qualification is vital to fulfil this role. The applicant should have experience of working with pupils, a love of being outdoors and resilience to all weathers.

Although this role requires the ability to support our pupils primarily in Forest School lessons, the successful applicant will also support our students at GHS to interact effectively with the world around them, express themselves and communicate confidently. Your timetable may contain lessons other than Forest School.

Main duties and responsibilities:

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

• Attending to the welfare and care of pupils
• Delivering learning/care/support programmes
• Taking responsibility for the planning cycle
• Undertaking general clerical/administrative support for the department
• Developing the Forest School area.

About Us

The Greater Horseshoe School is an independent special school for pupils aged 8 to 18 years old. The school is situated in a peaceful woodland setting near Newton Abbot in Devon. Our school facilities are complemented by our nearby care farm, where we offer animal care, horticulture and a wide range of outdoor educational activities alongside academic and vocational programmes.

We are committed to providing the best education for pupils with complex needs. We offer a unique tailored programme for every pupil, combining a therapeutic approach, outdoor learning and individual academic and vocational programmes to suit each student. Everything that we do is based on thoroughly understanding the needs of our students and how we can best support them in achieving positive outcomes.

Our approach is caring, positive and adaptable, and is underpinned by a thorough theoretical knowledge. Our staff come from relevant educational and therapeutic backgrounds and have extensive experience of supporting students with a range of needs.

Acorn Education is the UK's leading independent provider of specialist education. 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.

Why join Acorn Education?

Benefits

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 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 safeguarding and promoting the welfare of pupils. All applicants will be subject to social media checks and successful applicants to a fully enhanced DBS.