Forest School Teacher

We are looking to employ a full time Forest School Programs Coordinator to join our middle management team, coordinating and delivering our Weekday and Saturday programs. To know more about Valencia Forest School you can visit

**YOUR PROGRAMS**

We are an inclusive project that adheres to the UK Forest School Association’s six principles of best practice. All our sessions are outdoors with a ratio 1:8. Parents do not take part in the sessions. Our groups are mixed-age with a specialist provision focus for the following age brackets: 3-6, 7-9, 10-12.

**Weekday Programs**

Our weekday programs run between September and July and are divided between the Play School (term-time) and the Holiday Programs (September, Easter and Summer). Sessions run 9.00 to 15.30 at Cabecera Park in Valencia. These programs currently have 2 guides and 16 spots going up to 3 guides (including you) and 24 spots once you join us.

**Saturday Program**

Our Saturday programs run two Saturdays a month between September and June (term-time) with a total of 18 Saturday sessions a year. Sessions run 10.00 to 14.00 at Cabecera Park in Valencia. The program currently has 3 guides and 24 spots going up to 4 guides (including you) and 32 spots when you join us.

**YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES**

**Team Management**

You will be in charge of a small team of Forest School Guides. You will oversee, evaluate and guide the team with a special focus on safety standards, behaviour management, session evaluation and quality of delivery. You will also ensure that all members of your team adhere to Valencia Forest School’s policies at all times. As a member of the middle management team, you will be in regular communication with the directors.

**Family Liaison**

You will represent Valencia Forest School in front of our clients, making sure they are satisfied with our high standards of service and preventing discontent amongst the families. You will be able to discuss with them all aspects of our work method in both formal and informal conversation. You will give face-to-face feedback to the families regarding their children’s progress and coordinate the process of resolving any issues raised by them.

**Session Coordination**

You will be in charge of coordinating both families and the team. Most communications will take place through the ClassDojo app. You will carry out relevant risk assessments and monitor the weather, implementing the weather policy when appropriate. You will be responsible for the smooth running of sessions including time management and lead the team in case of an emergency.

**Contents Delivery**

As a Forest School Guide, you will deliver engaging and inspiring forest school sessions including adult-led content (songs, stories, STEAM activity), community times (lunch, siesta, reflection) and free play enrichment while managing behaviour and safety at all times. You will have strong practical forest school skills alongside your teaching abilities.

**Program Evaluation**

You will carry out a daily evaluation for every session. You will also carry out continuous individual progress evaluations for the children attending the Play School program. Your evaluations will be meaningful and relevant showing the professional ability to interpret children’s total behaviour, developmental needs and personal interests. Based on these interpretations you will propose next steps both for the program and the individuals. You will write termly individual reports based on your individual evaluations.

**ABOUT YOU**

**Experience**
- 2 years + teaching in a Primary School or EYFS setting
- Managing a small team
- Liaising with clients
- Coordinating a project
- Evaluating children’s learning

**Qualifications**
- Relevant teaching qualification
- Level 3 Forest School Leader
- Paediatric First Aid

**Knowledge**
- C1 + English
- Conversational Spanish
- Outdoors / practical bushcraft
- Arts and crafts

**You are**
- Fun and dynamic
- Creative and inventive
- Assertive and respectfully direct
- A fan of nature and adventure
- Brave and decisive
- A team worker
- Someone who likes to play
- A problem-solver
- Flexible and committed
- A supporter of equality and inclusivity

**A DAY IN YOUR LIFE AS A PROGRAM COORDINATOR**

Before the session, you check the weather before the session in case you need to do anything about it. You check the app, too, in case someone in the team needs your support, maybe someone is sick or will be late... You pack your forest school kit on the trolley and walk to the site to carry out a simple safety-check. You connect your app to check if there are any messages from parents. From the site, you walk to the meeting point and welcome everyone. You take the register and organise the children, once the parents leave you are in charge of their supervision Talk to your team and once everyone is ready, start walking. During the session you will be delivering content while making sure everyone in your team is ok, communication is