Forest School Lead

Join Our Team as a Forest School Lead!

Do you love muddy puddles, den building, bug hunting, and watching children discover the magic of nature?

We’re looking for an enthusiastic Early Years Forest School Lead to inspire our youngest explorers through exciting outdoor learning experiences. If you believe childhood should include climbing trees, storytelling around a fire circle, and learning through curiosity and play, we’d love to hear from you!

Working with children aged 3–5, you’ll lead engaging Forest School sessions that support learning through the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) while helping children grow in confidence, independence, and resilience.

Please note: we are unable to offer sponsorship for this role.

Why You’ll Love Working With Us

We know our people make all the difference, so here’s how we make a difference for you:

• Childcare Perks: Free childcare for the first month and 52% discount (based on working hours) to support your family.
• Holiday and Celebrations: 31 days of holiday (inclusive of national bank holidays and the Christmas closure week), plus your birthday off!
• Career Development: Access to The National College full of training and courses
• Exclusive Discounts & Wellbeing Support: Enjoy Perkbox discounts, wellbeing tools, and online medical services.
• Recognition & Rewards: Refer a friend or family for exciting bonuses and celebrate milestones with long-service awards.
• Volunteer Day: 1 paid day off per year to volunteer and give back to the community.

Pay: £27,040 - £27,560 per Annum. based on experience (40 hours per week).
Working Hours: Monday to Friday - 37.5 hours over 5 days, from 9am-5pm

Location: Little Green Rascals Children's Day Nursery & Out of School Club Bishopthorpe, Old School House, Bishopthorpe, North Yorkshire, YO23 2RE

About our Nursery 

Based in a charming listed former school building opposite Bishopthorpe library, our nursery boasts four beautiful rooms, each lovingly restored to preserve their original features. Outside our nursery, we offer three beautiful gardens and onsite Forest School. We have a home from home feel and strive to create an enabling environment that our Rascals thrive in. As part of our ethos all of our food is organic and made daily on site by our kitchen team to provide healthy and fresh meals for both the children and staff. We also have our own Our Out of School and Holiday Club attached to our local school which has various arts and crafts activities for children to enjoy along with plenty of outdoor adventures to keep children engaged! We also have our very own Nursery dog; Mabel who is training to be a Therapy dog for children. She does two days a week and loves snuggles with the both the Staff and the children!

What Your Role Involves - Key Responsibilities

Forest School Delivery:

• Plan and deliver engaging Forest School sessions for early years children following recognised Forest School principles.
• Create a safe, stimulating, and inclusive outdoor learning environment.
• Encourage exploration, child-led learning, and risk-managed play.
• Adapt activities to meet the developmental needs of individual children.

Curriculum and Learning:

• Link Forest School experiences with the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) framework.
• Support children’s development in communication, physical development, problem-solving, and emotional wellbeing through outdoor learning.

Safety and Risk Management:

• Conduct and review risk assessments for outdoor activities and the woodland site.
• Ensure safe use of tools, natural materials, and equipment when appropriate.
• Maintain safeguarding and health and safety standards in line with setting policies.

Environment and Resources:

• Maintain the Forest School area and ensure resources are safe, sustainable, and well organised.
• Promote respect for the natural environment and sustainable practices.
• Develop the outdoor learning space to support year-round learning.

Team Collaboration:

• Work collaboratively with early years staff to embed outdoor learning across the setting.
• Support and mentor colleagues in delivering outdoor learning activities.
• Communicate with parents about the benefits of Forest School and children’s experiences.

Administration:

• Keep accurate records of sessions, observations, and risk assessments.
• Ensure compliance with safeguarding, first aid, and outdoor learning policies.
• Contribute to planning, evaluation, and development of the Forest School programme.
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Essential Skills and Qualifications -

• Level 3 qualification in Early Years Education or equivalent.
• Recognised Forest School Leader Level 3 qualification.
• Experience working with children aged 3–5.
• Experience planning and delivering outdoor learning sessions.
• Understanding of safeguarding and child protection procedures.

 

Ready to make a difference? Apply today – we can't wait to hear from you!

The Old Station Nursery is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, and we expect all applicants to share this commitment. All roles are subject to enhanced DBS checks, satisfactory references, and verification of your right to work in the UK and any essential qualifications. If successful, our recruitment and compliance team will guide you through every step of the onboarding process. We are an inclusive employer and welcome applications from all backgrounds. Reasonable adjustments will be considered to ensure fairness and accessibility for all candidates.