Residential Gap Year Assistant (Sports & Key Stage 3 Focus)

About Buckswood School Set in the beautiful East Sussex countryside at Broomham Hall, Buckswood School is a vibrant international day and boarding senior school hosting over 40 nationalities. Guided by our motto, "Learners Today, Leaders Tomorrow," we refuse to recognize the concept of an "average pupil". We instill a can-do spirit of adventure in our scholars, blending traditional classroom study with a wealthy array of co-curricular opportunities. Our Gap Assistants are crucial to this mission, injecting energy into campus life while gaining invaluable experience for their own futures. This role offers an exciting, fast-paced opportunity to work at the heart of our senior school community starting this January. You will primarily support our Key Stage 3 (Years 7-9) students, acting as a mentor and guide as they navigate their crucial early senior school years. A significant portion of your daytime role will involve sports coaching, working alongside our physical education staff and sports academies. In the evenings and at weekends, you will transition to supporting our international boarding houses, helping to create a welcoming "home away from home" for our global student body.

Key Responsibilities

• Sports Coaching: Actively assist in delivering our dynamic sports programme. You will help coach and supervise core school sports (such as football, rugby, netball, hockey, and tennis), utilize our top-tier facilities (including our 4G AstroTurf, indoor pool, and gym), and support teams during fixtures.
• Key Stage 3 Mentorship: Work closely with younger senior school scholars in Key Stage 3. You will provide classroom support, assist with break-time supervision, and help students manage their daily schedules and build confidence.
• Boarding House Support: Work alongside our Resident Tutors to support evening routines. Responsibilities include supervising mandatory prep (homework) sessions, organizing fun evening activities, and maintaining a safe, structured residential environment.
• Site & Event Assistance: Help facilitate weekend excursions, manage school transport bounds, and assist with general site tasks as required to keep our thriving campus operating smoothly.

What We Are Looking For

• An enthusiastic, mature, and proactive individual taking a gap year before university or career next steps.
• A strong background or passionate interest in sports coaching (experience playing or coaching football, rugby, netball, or hockey is highly desirable).
• The ability to connect with and motivate Key Stage 3 teenagers, serving as an energetic and responsible role model.
• A flexible "can-do" attitude, ready to tackle a diverse range of operational and pastoral tasks across the school site.
• Cultural awareness and excellent communication skills, perfect for collaborating within a highly international school community.

Benefits

• Accommodation & Meals: Free on-site residential accommodation (including utilities) and all meals provided during term-time.
• Facilities Access: Free access to Buckswood's exceptional on-site facilities, including the indoor swimming pool and gym.
• Location: Live and work in a scenic countryside setting, just a short distance from the historic seaside town of Hastings and 90 minutes from London by train.
• Training: Comprehensive induction training.

Due to the age range of pupils in their care, we cannot accept applications from anyone under the age of 21 for this vacancy. We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications for the role. The school is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and applicants must be willing to undergo child protection screening appropriate to the post, including checks with past employers and the Criminal Records Bureau now the Disclosure and Barring Service. You must also have the right to work in the UK with appropriate Visa if necessary. If you have not lived/worked in the UK for the past 5 years you will need to provide a Police check from the country in which you have been living and working.