Forest School / Outdoor Learning Leader

Required – January 2025

Salary: Scale 6 points 18-22 (Currently £29,269 - £31,364 FTE)

Pro-rata Term time + 4 weeks

Salary scale negotiable for trained and experienced wilderness therapist

Closing Date: 12th January 2025 at 5pm

Are you a passionate or aspiring Forest School Leader who is committed, energetic and enthusiastic, looking to play your part in transforming the lives of children and young people with autism? There are few schools in the country where an outdoor leader’s ability to change lives is so evident.

The Cavendish School (TCS) is an Autism Specialist school, newly opened in September 2021 as part of Eastern Learning Alliance. The school has excellent facilities for academic progression with fully equipped Specialist rooms, which include a science laboratory as well as bespoke designed facilities, such as a sensory integration room to support the therapeutic needs of the pupils. Through our mission of enabling-the-self, our aim is to be an outstanding and inspiring learning community that is truly inclusive, innovative, impactful, and international. You can find more information about us on our website: https://thecavendishschool.org.uk/

We are looking for passionate and enthusiastic Forest School Leader to be a part of our team. This position allocates responsibilities for amazing resources including a shared site Orchard and Specialist Horticulture room, as well a specific outdoor learning budget. As a trauma informed practice school, we would welcome applications from therapeutically minded practitioners who either hold or are willing to work towards therapeutic qualifications, such as wilderness therapy. Passionate people with a thirst to support neuro-diverse young people and a desire to do this through nature is what we are looking for.

Our ideal candidate will be an aspirational, creative, innovative, and caring practitioner who share our vision and core values. 

You will be:

∞     Eager to challenge yourself to deliver the excellent progress and development for our students.

∞     A forward thinking, innovative practitioner.

∞     Proactive in the development of relationships with parent and carers to involve them in the education and learning community of their children.

∞     Open minded, resilient and with a good sense of humour that you want to contribute to a close-knit team.

∞     Able to effectively risk assess and ensure all health and safety requirements are met.

∞     Compassionate, considerate, and hardworking.

We offer you:

∞    A minimum of 15% non-contact time (equivalent to 2/3 of a day) and an additional supervision session for therapeutic work.

∞    A vibrant and supportive community of staff and parents.

∞    Support from a wide therapeutic team and close working relationships with our colleagues in health.

∞    A Well-being directory for all staff offering financial supports and to improve wellbeing and work-life balance.

∞    Free school meals are provided for dining with our pupils.

∞    A 50% discount to our trust sports centre membership

∞    A brand new and autism-friendly innovative learning environment

∞    A forward looking, evidence informed, CPD programme with Trust wide CPD which includes reduced contact time and collaborative time for teachers (every Friday afternoon).

∞    Being part of a forward thinking, supportive and collaborative trust.

∞    Opportunities for sponsorship on university or professional qualifications.

∞    An additional bookable holiday “Eastern Family Day” for you to take when you require.

TCS is a place where you will be valued supported and have the opportunity to achieve success. We are confident that when joining TCS and the ELA Trust you will feel welcomed from the outset. We welcome and encourage visits from any prospective applicant, these can be booked via Steph Smith: HR@tcs.tela.org.uk

Closing Date: 12th January 2025 at 5pm. Interviews to be held during January.

We reserve the right to closing applications early and interview prior to the closing date for strong applicants.

Visits to the school are encouraged and welcomed.

Applicants must complete a Trust application form: we cannot accept CVs. Completed applications should be sent to HR@tcs.tela.org.uk by the closing date.

Our Trust is wholly committed to equal opportunities, to safeguarding and the promotion of the welfare of children and young people. All staff are expected to share this commitment and we ensure all our recruitment and selection processes share this commitment. This position is subject to satisfactory references and enhanced DBS checks.