Assistant Instructor Apprentice
Sayers Croft Outdoor Activity Centre
Surrey (GU6 7SS)
Closes in 17 days (Sunday 7 June 2026)
Posted on 20 May 2026
Contents
Summary
As an Assistant (Apprentice) Outdoor Instructor, you can make your own powerful contribution to people across Westminster. Based on a 56-acre site in the beautiful Surrey Hills, you’ll work towards an Outdoor Activity Instructor level 3 apprenticeship whilst being trained to run outdoor activity sessions for groups visiting the centre.
- Wage
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£14,976 for your first year, then could increase depending on your age
National Minimum Wage rate for apprentices
Minimum wage rates (opens in new tab)
£14,976 per annum for first 12 months, increasing to the national minimum wage (depending on age bracket) including London Weighting.
- Training course
- Outdoor activity instructor (level 3)
- Hours
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36 hours a week - including some evenings and weekends. Days and shifts TBC. You will be working at living on site at Sayers Croft.
36 hours a week
- Start date
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Saturday 1 August 2026
- Duration
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1 year 5 months
- Positions available
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4
Work
Most of your apprenticeship is spent working. You’ll learn on the job by getting hands-on experience.
What you'll do at work
From climbing and raft building to historical studies and archery, you’ll grow and develop your skills under the supervision of some of the UK’s best instructors.
Your other responsibilities might include:
- Assisting the Grounds person with conservation and grounds management tasks,
- Undertaking risk assessments to ensure the safety and security of people on-site, and attending training events, workshops and tutorials.
This is a ‘live-in’ role, so you’ll benefit from free accommodation and will take part in an evening working rota.
Where you'll work
Sayers Croft
Cranleigh Road
Ewhurst
Surrey
GU6 7SS
Training
Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.
Training provider
WESTMINSTER CITY COUNCIL
Training course
Outdoor activity instructor (level 3)
Understanding apprenticeship levels (opens in new tab)
What you'll learn
Course contents
- Find information on: the activity type and timings; outcome requirements; participant age; medical information; equipment and resourcing allocation; venue; weather conditions.
- Prepare sessions to achieve the required outcomesg. enjoyment, thrill seeking, personal or team challenges, acquisition of new knowledge or skills.
- Select methods to meet all participant needs g. visual impairment, mental and physical ability.
- Select methods to respond to potential changes in the environmentg. wind increasing in a sailing session or rain making conditions slippery underfoot.
- Collect appropriate equipment and resources.
- Ensure the venue is set-up and ready to be used.
- Maintain self and group safety when delivering the session.
- Deliver an effective session briefing with clear instruction and following organisational procedures.
- Perform a competent demonstration of the skills required for the activity or subject at the appropriate level for the session.
- Provide on-going instruction to encourage learning and progression.
- Follow organisational operating procedures to adapt to changes in the environment. E.g. thunderstorm, a wind shift to offshore in a surfing session.
- Select and implement organisational procedures to deal with routine problems.g. broken equipment.
- Provide basic First Aid to respond to accidents in a safe, prompt and effective manner. e.g. injured participant.
- Initiate organisational procedures to summon support in the case of incidents or accidents.
- Use the organisations set approaches for learning delivery.
- Support individual and group engagement and participation in the session g. energisers, sharing responsibilities, appropriate pace.
- Change the pace of the session to match participants’ speed of learning.
- Identify and support the individual participants’ needs g. give personal attention, active listening, allow additional time, encouragement.
- Apply simple techniques to deal with conflict and challenging behaviour g. redirection, increasing responsibility.
- Use simple review techniques to check the achievement of required outcomes e.g. thumbs up; rounds; memorable moments.
- Signpost participants to progression routes.
- Complete a session within time, including the restoration of the venue, return of equipment and resources and any logging or recording requirements.
- Use participant feedback and own reflection to suggest improvements to sessions.
- Communicate with customers and colleagues in a clear, concise and effective manner.
- Handle information in a way that conforms to policy and protects data.
- Assist with the development and preparation of resources and support colleagues delivering sessions
- Actively encourage whole group participation and promote equality and diversity.
- Undertake activities to further develop knowledge and personal skills.
- Reflect on own performance and make refinements.
Training schedule
You will gain practical, real‑world experience while working towards a recognised Level 3 Outdoor Activity Instructor Apprenticeship qualification.
You’ll receive full training across all aspects of the role, through a mix of a structured induction and hands‑on experience.
You will be given 20% off the job learning to study and complete your apprenticeship.
The training provider is Westminster Adult Education Service and the college you will be attending is located at:
Westminster Adult Education Service
219 Lisson Grove
London NW8 8LW.
For more information see: https://www.waes.ac.uk/about-us/why-study-at-waes/.
You will be taught onsite at Sayers Croft, your place of work.
Requirements
Desirable qualifications
GCSE in:
- English (grade C or above)
- Maths (grade C or above)
Share if you have other relevant qualifications and industry experience. The apprenticeship can be adjusted to reflect what you already know.
Skills
- Communication skills
- IT skills
- Attention to detail
- Organisation skills
- Customer care skills
- Problem solving skills
- Number skills
- Analytical skills
- Logical
- Team working
- Creative
- Initiative
- Non judgemental
- Patience
- Physical fitness
Other requirements
The job includes working outside in all weather, some evening or weekend work is involved, and the work will be mainly with children of school age.
About this employer
Sayers Croft Outdoor Learning Centre is a beautiful residential site at the foot of the Surrey Hills. We have 56 acres of woodlands, meadows, ponds and streams to explore, as well as a great range of adventure activities including wall climbing, caving and rope courses. Our six cosy dormitories, each with their own common room, make the ideal base for groups to plan and relax at either end of a busy day.
https://active.westminster.gov.uk/sayers-croft/
https://active.westminster.gov.uk/sayers-croft/ (opens in new tab)
Company benefits
This is a ‘live-in’ role so you’ll benefit from free accommodation and will take part in an evening working rota. You will have a shared flat with a private room, no bills and the vast majority of food supplied.
Disability Confident
A fair proportion of interviews for this apprenticeship will be offered to applicants with a disability or long-term health condition. This includes non-visible disabilities and conditions.
You can choose to be considered for an interview under the Disability Confident scheme. You’ll need to meet the essential requirements to be considered for an interview.
After this apprenticeship
On completion, Outdoor Activity Instructors may be eligible to apply to be Registered Members of the Institute for Outdoor Learning to support their career development and progression.
Ask a question
The contact for this apprenticeship is:
WESTMINSTER CITY COUNCIL
Emily Carr
emily.carr@sayers-croft.org.uk
The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC2000030640.
Apply now
Closes in 17 days (Sunday 7 June 2026)
After signing in, you’ll apply for this apprenticeship on the company's website.