Location –Gloucestershire

Salary – Appoint scale £22,000 – £28,000 pro rata (£11,000-£14,000 0.5 FTE)

Contract –Part-Time, Permanent

An exciting new opportunity has arisen for a part-time role Farm School Leader to join our amazing charity, which exists to remove the barriers that prevent children and young people having meaningful access to the natural world. Through a week on one of our three heritage farms, Nethercott House in Devon, Lower Treginnis in Pembrokeshire and Wick Court in Gloucestershire, children and young people experience increased learning and engagement, improved connections and wellbeing and leave us with enhanced environmental citizenship. Visiting children are immersed in the natural world of countryside through a food and farming offer that allows them to participate in the seasonal tasks of the day: sowing, growing and harvesting in our kitchen gardens; caring for livestock and looking after the land; and cooking up a home-grown feast in the farmhouse kitchen. Spending time working alongside real farmers fosters children’s independence and helps them to grow in confidence, develops their self-esteem, and encourages them to become more resilient. In partnership with our commercial farming neighbours, children experience the benefits of collaboration, enjoy plenty of physical activity, good food, and fresh air, and discover the magical rural environment that is full of new words, sounds and experiences to inspire their creativity.

About the Role

This is a hands-on role responsible for leading engaging countryside, food and farming sessions for groups of beneficiary children at Wick Court, a smallholding raising pigs, poultry and sheep.

As part of the wider farming operations team, the Farm School Leader will have a daily role in ensuring animals are cared for in line with our Animal Welfare Policy, including caring for horses, pigs, poultry and cattle.

The Farm School Leader will play a key role in the successful implementation of the farming enterprise plan, which seeks to extend the current farming and growing operations at Wick Court, with the aim of generating profitable income and creating exciting new countryside, food and farming experiences for our visiting children.

The successful post-holder will be an expert in the in one of the following areas; wellbeing, SEN, stock, heritage, biodiversity, nutrition, landscape or growing, and will be excited by the opportunity to gain knowledge and skills by working across all other specialisms:

As comfortable in wellies mucking out livestock as engaging with visiting children and teachers, this role requires a can-do attitude, endless positivity and enthusiasm, and a genuine passion for supporting children and young people to access the benefits of countryside life.

Main responsibilities

  • Support the farm management team to create a warm, child-centred environment in which all visiting children flourish
  • Work closely with the farm management team to inform the development of appropriate children’s activity sessions, propose best-practice operating procedures for all staff and volunteers working in this area and, where relevant, share specialist knowledge and skills with the whole team
  • Deliver children’s countryside, food, and farming sessions across all thematic specialisms
  • Undertake routine farming tasks and basic maintenance

This position is a farm-based role which will require only very occasional travel within the Charity’s regions in order to attend training or meetings, normally at one of our farms in Gloucestershire.

Appointments will not be confirmed until the Charity has received two satisfactory professional references, evidence of the existing proof of right to work in the UK. Referees will not be contacted without candidates’ prior consent.

Farms for City Children is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

Successful candidates will be subject to a Social Media check and a DBS check at the appropriate level. Employment with the charity is conditional upon the charity being satisfied with the result of the DBS Check. Successful candidates will be asked to complete a self-declaration related to their criminal record or any information that would make them unsuitable to work with children. If you have lived or worked outside of the UK, additional information may be required from you to satisfy safer recruitment checks. Any criminal records information that is disclosed to the charity will be handled in accordance with any guidance and/or code of practice published by the DBS.

Farms for City Children is committed to promoting equality, diversity and inclusivity and supports and encourages under-represented groups. We seek people from a wide range of backgrounds, with diverse lived experience, and we welcome applications from all sections of the community.

Please see the job description and person specification for further details about the role.

What we Offer

In return you will receive a starting salary of between £22,000 – £28,000 pro rata (£11,000-£14,000 0.5 FTE) and a range of benefits, which include:

  • 25 days holiday plus 8 statutory bank holidays pro rata
  • 6% employer contribution to NEST pension scheme
  • Employee Assistance Programme

How to Apply

Deadline for applications is midday on Tuesday 12 December 2023.

To apply please download and fill out our application form, once completed send to recruitment@farmsforcitychildren.org. You may also wish to fill out our equal opportunities monitoring form.

We are unable to accept just cover letters and CVs.

NO AGENCIES PLEASE – DIRECT RECRUITMENT ONLY