Playworker (Early Years)

We are looking for an enthusiastic Playworker to join our nursery team, supporting young children through play, learning and exploration in a safe, nurturing and stimulating environment. The ideal candidate will have a passion for working with young children, demonstrating strong interpersonal skills and the ability to communicate effectively with both children and parents. This role is essential in supporting children's development through play-based learning and age-appropriate activities within our nursery provision.

Duties

• Support the day-to-day running of the nursery, ensuring a safe, stimulating and inclusive environment for all children.
• Communicate effectively with children, encouraging their participation in play and learning activities.
• Supervise children throughout the day, ensuring their safety, wellbeing and development at all times.
• Plan and deliver engaging activities that promote children's physical, social, emotional and cognitive development.
• Support children's independence, curiosity and confidence through play-based learning opportunities.
• Foster positive relationships with children, parents and colleagues to create a supportive and welcoming community.
• Maintain the cleanliness and organisation of the nursery environment, ensuring all equipment and resources are safe and suitable for use.
• Collaborate with other staff members to support the overall objectives of the nursery and academy.

About You

• Have an understanding of child development and the varied needs of young children and families.
• Have an appropriate First Aid qualification or be willing to undertake training.
• Have strong interpersonal skills, demonstrating empathy, patience and active listening.
• Be able to manage challenging behaviour in a calm and non-judgemental manner, following academy policies and procedures.
• Be patient, caring and able to work effectively under pressure.
• Have a genuine passion for supporting young children's learning, development and wellbeing.

We aim to remove any barriers to employment, ensuring everyone can compete on equal terms. Job share, part-time and flexible working opportunities will be considered.

About The Redstart Primary School: Redstart Primary School is a two-form entry primary academy, located in Chard, Somerset, taking children from Nursery to Year 6. We aim to develop a love of learning in our children to last through their lives. We believe passionately in our children having the highest aspirations and are committed to providing a broad and balanced curriculum with exciting opportunities including access to a rich programme of after school activities. We want to enable all our children to realise their full potential, their talents and their interests in all areas.

Why work at CLF? We are a diverse and inclusive community of 36 academies across five cluster regions in the South West that is committed to excellence and making a positive impact. Our people bring unique perspectives, but we’re all driven by a shared moral purpose and a passion for making a positive impact, whether in a teaching, leadership or support role. We’re proud to foster a culture where everyone can thrive, feel valued, and make a meaningful difference to the lives of others. We are an equal opportunity employer and proud to serve a diverse student population and our communities. We strongly believe that representation matters and so encourage applications from underrepresented and global majority groups including ethnicity, gender, transgender, age, disability, sexual orientation or religion.

What we can offer you:

• Access to a generous pension through the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS).
• Generous annual leave.
• A comprehensive induction and ongoing commitment to wellbeing and career progression, through a range of training, apprenticeships and in-role/wider-trust development opportunities.
• Well-being support through an Employee Assistance Programme.
• Health benefits, including wellness sessions, gym discounts, and flu jabs.
• A range of generous family leave options, including above industry average occupational maternity pay.
• Additional benefits like cycle to work scheme, on-site parking plus many more!

Recruitment timeline:

• Closing Date: 09 August 2026 @11.59pm
• Shortlisting Date: 10 August 2026
• Interviews: To be confirmed

We welcome visits from potential candidates. If you would like to arrange a school visit prior to the closing date, please contact the academy directly to arrange a suitable appointment. As a Disability Confident Committed Employer, we are dedicated to equity and inclusion and commit to interviewing applicants with a disability who meet the essential criteria. We aim to provide an inclusive and accessible recruitment process, and support employees throughout their employment. If you have a disability, are neurodivergent, or require any adjustments to support you through the application or interview process please let us know how we can assist.