Apprentice Play Worker
TEACHSPORT LEWISHAM LTD
London (3 available locations)
Closes on Monday 15 June 2026
Posted on 22 April 2026
Contents
Summary
Love working with children? Join us as a Playworker apprentice. Earn while you learn, run exciting clubs and activities, and make a real difference every day. If you're kind, enthusiastic and a team player, we want you!
- Wage
-
£10,400 for your first year, then could increase depending on your age
National Minimum Wage rate for apprentices
- Training course
- Playworker (level 2)
- Hours
-
Monday to Friday term times, generally 2.00pm - 6.00pm. School holiday camps may vary between the hours of 8.30am and 5.30pm.
25 hours a week
- Start date
-
Tuesday 1 September 2026
- Duration
-
1 year 3 months
- Positions available
-
2
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
The Playworker apprentice role generally incorporates:
- Working directly with pupils across all key stages
- Working directly with pupils across all key stages in playwork related activities
- Supporting the delivery of Ofsted registered wraparound care provision in schools, understanding the legislation that governs this type of work
- Delivering breakfast club, after-school clubs and lunchtime activities
- Facilitating a range of engaging play, crafts and sports activities for children
- Delivery of a range of interventions to support targeted pupil learning
- Supporting holiday camp programmes and activities (where necessary)
- Offering support to children in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS)
- Arranging and setting-up equipment and resources to create effective learning environments
- Conducting risk assessments to ensure a healthy, safe, and secure environment
- Planning and delivering high-quality play activities in a safe and caring setting
- Ensuring the environment is inclusive and caters to all children’s needs, including SEN
- Seeking children’s views and involving them in planning activities, respecting their preferences
- Facilitating child-centered play, allowing safe risks and challenges
- Helping prepare nutritious snacks, promoting independence and self-choice
- Safeguarding Children: understanding and applying safeguarding procedures, reporting concerns immediately. Maintaining confidential records such as accident forms and safeguarding disclosures
- Providing care for children, including safe collection from classes and delivery to parents/carers
- Meeting the needs of EYFS children, understanding additional roles
- Supporting intimate care situations respectfully and safely
Where you'll work
You can select which locations you want to apply for in your application on Find an apprenticeship.
This apprenticeship is available in these locations:
- Amyruth Road, London, SE4 1HQ
- Ashmead Primary School, Ashmead Road, London, SE8 4DX
- Brockley Rise, London, SE23 1NH
Training
Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.
Training provider
ASPIRE TRAINING SOLUTIONS (UK) LIMITED
Training course
Playworker (level 2)
Understanding apprenticeship levels (opens in new tab)
What you'll learn
Course contents
- Observe and reflect on play behaviours.
- Communicate sensitively using relevant language and behaviour.
- Promote diversity and inclusion in Playwork practice.
- Identify ways to remove barriers which can prevent some children and young people playing.
- Undertake reflective observations to improve own practice and the quality of the provision for children and young people.
- Contribute to play audits.
- Promote the value and benefits of play for all children and young people.
- Assist with planning, creating and identifying loose parts to encourage and inspire sustainable practices, including recycling, reusing, reducing and repairing.
- Recognise the benefits of risk taking in play and contribute to dynamic risk-benefit assessment.
- Recognise that children and young people communicate with a range of different types of behaviour and may need Playworker support.
- Support children and young people to understand and manage their emotions, feelings and actions.
- Manage interactions with parents/caregivers professionally.
- Recognise the importance of respecting professional boundaries when lone working or conducting intimate care with children and young people and using social media with children, young people and families.
- Contribute to health and safety checks.
- Follow emergency incidents or common illness/infections policies and procedures, administering first aid and completing records when required.
- Use active listening and communication techniques when interacting with children and young people playing, identifying any potential concerns if they occur.
- Contribute to recording and reporting procedures as required by the play setting.
- Contribute to administrative and financial record keeping.
- Promote healthy eating and an active lifestyle, ensuring specific dietary and cultural needs are met.
- Maintain a clean environment according to local and national policies and procedures.
- Contribute to ensuring security arrangements are followed, such as children’s arrival and departures from the setting.
- Work as part of a team to support and supervise children and young people on off-site trips, complying with formal risk assessment of venues visited.
- Apply Playwork approaches in own role, incorporating new and emerging themes.
- Reflect on own practice to create a personal development plan with supervisor.
- Recognise the boundaries of own self and other Playworkers’ interaction with children, and when it is necessary to report incidents to the appropriate safeguarding lead and Local Authority Designated Officer – LADO if appropriate when a Playworkers’ behaviour towards a child may pose a risk of harm.
- Apply the play work approach depending on the individual need.
- Observe and reflect on play behaviours.
- Communicate sensitively using relevant language and behaviour.
- Promote diversity and inclusion in Playwork practice.
- Identify ways to remove barriers which can prevent some children and young people playing.
- Undertake reflective observations to improve own practice and the quality of the provision for children and young people.
- Contribute to play audits.
- Promote the value and benefits of play for all children and young people.
- Assist with planning, creating and identifying loose parts to encourage and inspire sustainable practices, including recycling, reusing, reducing and repairing.
- Recognise the benefits of risk taking in play and contribute to dynamic risk-benefit assessment.
- Recognise that children and young people communicate with a range of different types of behaviour and may need Playworker support.
- Support children and young people to understand and manage their emotions, feelings and actions.
- Manage interactions with parents/caregivers professionally.
- Recognise the importance of respecting professional boundaries when lone working or conducting intimate care with children and young people and using social media with children, young people and families.
- Contribute to health and safety checks.
- Follow emergency incidents or common illness/infections policies and procedures, administering first aid and completing records when required.
- Use active listening and communication techniques when interacting with children and young people playing, identifying any potential concerns if they occur.
- Contribute to recording and reporting procedures as required by the play setting.
- Contribute to administrative and financial record keeping.
- Promote healthy eating and an active lifestyle, ensuring specific dietary and cultural needs are met.
- Maintain a clean environment according to local and national policies and procedures.
- Contribute to ensuring security arrangements are followed, such as children’s arrival and departures from the setting.
- Work as part of a team to support and supervise children and young people on off-site trips, complying with formal risk assessment of venues visited.
- Apply Playwork approaches in own role, incorporating new and emerging themes.
- Reflect on own practice to create a personal development plan with supervisor.
- Recognise the boundaries of own self and other Playworkers’ interaction with children, and when it is necessary to report incidents to the appropriate safeguarding lead and Local Authority Designated Officer – LADO if appropriate when a Playworkers’ behaviour towards a child may pose a risk of harm.
- Apply the play work approach depending on the individual need.
Training schedule
Requirements
Desirable qualifications
GCSE in:
- English (grade 4)
- Maths (grade 4)
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
- Organisation skills
- Customer care skills
- Problem solving skills
- Team working
- Initiative
- Non judgemental
- Patience
Other requirements
Applicants will need to pass an Enhanced DBS check for working with children. This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and amendments to the Exceptions Order 1975, 2013 and 2020.
About this employer
We are a well-established local organisation who are committed to promoting high quality Physical Education, activity and wellbeing. We are passionate about enthusing children to move their bodies and to enjoy being physically active in both curriculum time, and in a childcare setting.
https://www.teachsport.org/ (opens in new tab)
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
Direct career routes:
- Senior Playworker
- Inclusion / SEND Playworker
- Holiday Club or Play Scheme Leader
- Playwork Supervisor
- Playwork Manager
- Out of School Club Manager
Related career routes:
- Early Years Practitioner
- Nursery Practitioner
- Teaching Assistant
- Learning Support / SEN Support Worker
Youth Worker - Community or Family Support Worker
- Forest School Practitioner
Ask a question
The contact for this apprenticeship is:
ASPIRE TRAINING SOLUTIONS (UK) LIMITED
info@teachsport.org
The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC2000027786.
Apply now
Closes on Monday 15 June 2026