School Programme Practitioner in Oldbury

We are looking for Assistant and Lead Practitioners to help young people across the West Midlands feel understood, build confidence and thrive in school. At Football Beyond Borders, we use young people’s passion for football to build trusted relationships and support their development. Our practitioners deliver engaging sessions in the classroom and on the pitch, alongside pastoral support that helps young people navigate school life. Our programmes work with both girls and boys. We want young people to build relationships with trusted adults who bring different backgrounds, experiences and perspectives, and who believe in what they can achieve.

You might bring experience from youth work, teaching, mentoring, pastoral support, community sport or football coaching. You might be ready to lead a programme, or looking for a supported route into this work. We’re interested in how you connect with young people, respond to challenges and learn from your experiences. Before you skim the job description, please remember you don’t have to tick all the boxes to apply. We all experience a bit of imposter syndrome, including the staff here at FBB. If this work matters to you and you believe you could make a difference, we’d love to hear from you.

Football Beyond Borders is an education charity supporting young people to thrive in school through their passion for football. Established in 2014, we now work with 3000 students across 130 secondary school programmes in Greater Manchester, Birmingham, Liverpool, Lancashire, Yorkshire, London, Kent and Essex. Alongside this, we have built strong partnerships with brands such as Nike. Young people are at the heart of everything we do. Their experiences shape our decisions, our programmes and our partnerships. We’re working in a system that too often limits their potential, and we know that making a difference means working hard and differently. We place relationships at the heart of our work. That applies to our colleagues as much as our young people. FBB can be fast-paced and intensive at times, so our working culture, opportunities for reflection and the support we give our staff matter. We’re also BIG on learning. You will join colleagues who are developing their practice, sharing ideas and learning from each other. Our focus on collaboration creates opportunities to understand and contribute to different parts of FBB as your experience grows.

The roles involve working directly with young people in partner secondary schools, building relationships over time and helping deliver the FBB Schools Programme.

• Assistant Practitioner - trainee level: You will work alongside a Lead Practitioner, supporting sessions and young people’s wider experience of the programme. You will develop your confidence in group work, football-based activities and pastoral support through practical experience, training and feedback.
• Lead Practitioner: You will take responsibility for leading programmes, coordinating delivery with colleagues and managing relationships with school staff and families. You will plan and deliver sessions, oversee participants’ progress and provide additional pastoral support including 1:1s, working closely with FBB’s specialist teams.

What the work involves:

Our programme combines football-themed classroom learning, activities on the pitch and support beyond the sessions, including 1:1 therapeutic mentoring, parental engagement and exciting transformational experiences. You will work with young people who may be disengaged from school or facing challenges that affect their learning, relationships and wellbeing. The work calls for consistency, patience and good judgement. Some days will be challenging. You will need to maintain clear boundaries, reflect on your responses and work closely with colleagues to find ways forward. You will also see the difference that showing up each week can make: a young person beginning to trust you, finding their voice in a group or approaching a difficult situation differently.

Key responsibilities:

• Building trusted relationships: Build consistent, supportive relationships with young people, taking time to understand their strengths, interests and experiences.
• Help create an environment where participants feel included, can contribute and are supported to learn from mistakes.
• Support young people’s engagement in school through the programme and appropriate pastoral support outside sessions.
• Maintain professional boundaries and follow FBB’s safeguarding procedures, raising concerns promptly.
• Delivering the FBB Schools Programme: Deliver or support engaging classroom and football sessions that develop young people’s social and emotional skills.
• Adapt activities and your approach to participants’ different learning needs, working with colleagues and school staff.
• Contribute to planning, preparation and reflection so sessions respond to the group and remain purposeful.
• Support trips, projects and other programme activities as required.
• Working with schools, families and colleagues: Build positive working relationships with colleagues and school staff, sharing relevant information and following through on agreed actions.
• Contribute to parental engagement and communication appropriate to your role.
• Work with FBB’s specialist therapeutic team and other colleagues to support participants who need additional help.
• Take part in training, supervision and reflective practice, using feedback to develop your work.

Responsibilities specific to Assistant Practitioners:

• Support the Lead Practitioner with session preparation, delivery and follow-up.
• Work with individuals and smaller groups during activities, helping participants engage and contribute.
• Share observations about participants’ progress and needs, and contribute to programme records and evaluation.
• Build your skills through supported practice, asking for help when needed and taking increasing responsibility as your confidence and capability develop.

Responsibilities specific to Lead Practitioners:

• Lead the delivery of your allocated FBB Schools Programmes, including sessions and additional pastoral support such as one-to-ones and parental engagement.
• Coordinate the staff working on your programmes, providing clear direction and supporting colleagues’ development.
• Manage programme relationships with partner teachers, school leadership teams and participants’ parents or carers.
• Lead ongoing monitoring and evaluation of sessions, participant progress and programme outcomes.
• Track, draft and submit participant progress reports, keeping records accurate and up to date.
• Work closely with FBB’s specialist therapeutic team to design and develop appropriate interventions for participants who need additional support.

Who you’ll be working with: Your work will centre on relationships with young people, alongside colleagues, school staff and families. Your key relationships within FBB will include fellow practitioners, working together to prepare, deliver and reflect on the programme, and School Programme Managers, who support programme quality, help you work through challenges and guide your development.

Development in the role: Learning is part of the job at FBB. You will develop through practical experience, structured training, feedback and opportunities to reflect with colleagues. Our practitioner development programme covers areas such as group facilitation, mental health, special educational needs, football coaching and approaches to supporting young people. Training will reflect your stage of development and the responsibilities you hold.

Perks of the job:

• A significant Learning & Development Budget for training opportunities and qualifications.
• A generous wellbeing budget for activities outside work that support your wellbeing.
• Access to exclusive events and merch through our partnerships with Nike and others.
• Generous annual leave with a minimum of 35 days leave per year, including a Christmas shutdown.
• Access to free, confidential support through our Employee Assistance Programme.
• Staff away days and regular opportunities to connect with colleagues.

Person specification: Important things about you:

• You are committed to supporting young people who face barriers to thriving in school, and can recognise their strengths and potential.
• You have experience supporting young people through work, volunteering, coaching or community activity.
• You can build relationships by listening, showing interest and following through on what you say you will do.
• You enjoy working with others and can develop positive relationships with colleagues and school staff.
• You can respond thoughtfully when situations are challenging, maintain boundaries and seek support when you need it.
• You understand that young people have different learning needs and experiences, and are willing to adapt your approach.
• You are interested in using football as a way to engage young people and support their development.
• You are organised, reliable and able to follow agreed processes.
• You are keen to learn, reflect on your practice and act on feedback.

For Lead Practitioner applicants: Alongside the qualities above, you will be able to demonstrate:

• Experience planning and facilitating sessions or interventions for young people.
• The ability to take responsibility for a group or programme, adapting your approach when something is not working.
• Experience working with other adults to support young people, communicating clearly and coordinating agreed actions.
• The ability to keep useful records, review progress and use what you learn to improve your work.

Experience we would also welcome: You may bring experience or qualifications in one or more of the following areas:

• Youth work, mentoring or pastoral support.
• Working in schools, including teaching or learning support.
• Supporting young people with special educational needs or social, emotional and mental health needs.
• Counselling or mental health support for young people.
• Football coaching or community sport.

You do not need experience in every area listed. Please tell us what you would bring and whether you are applying for an Assistant or Lead role.

Recruitment process: Football Beyond Borders aims to be representative of the communities we work with. We recognise that having the strongest workforce possible means hiring and developing the best people across all races, ethnicities, religions, age groups, sexual orientations, gender identities and abilities. We’re not just committed to being an equal opportunity employer; we actively celebrate diversity in all its forms. We welcome applications from people of all genders and backgrounds. Let us know if we can do anything to make the application or interview process more accessible. If you are invited to interview, we will ask about any accessibility requirements or preferences. FBB is committed to adopting a safe recruitment process and follows the NSPCC safer recruitment procedures that have safeguarding at their heart. The appointment will undergo an enhanced DBS check.

Shortlisting and interviews: Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, and applicants will be contacted regarding the outcome of their application. Our recruitment process includes:

• An initial online conversation to get to know you, explore your experience and talk more about the role.
• A selection day to explore your approach to working with young people, collaborating with colleagues and putting FBB’s values into practice.
• A practical delivery session with an FBB group at one of our partner schools.

We will explain what each stage involves and how to prepare when inviting you to take part. Candidates will be assessed against the requirements of the role they are being considered for. References from previous and current employers may be taken up for shortlisted candidates. Please let us know about any sensitivity around contacting your referees.