Playworker Level 2 Apprenticeship
An apprenticeship for playworkers in wraparound care such as breakfast and afterschool clubs, holiday clubs and play sessions in leisure centres.
Apply by May 12 for June start. Applications close in:
Up to 100% funded Maximum employer fee £250
Course duration
15 Months
Playworker
Level 2
In-house tutor
visits
Online training events
One-to-one coaching
The Job Role
This programme is aimed at playworkers who work in a range of play settings offering different models of playwork. The purpose of our curriculum is to support playworkers to develop into positive, flexible and team-focused members of staff, and to support them to provide the best possible provision for the children in their care.
The Apprenticeship
The Playworker Level 2 apprenticeship is a work-based programme completed over 15-17 months (full-time). It can be funded by the Apprenticeship Levy or co-funded by your employer and the Government. During this programme, you will gain hands-on experience in a professional setting (on the job training) while studying for your qualification through Off-the-Job training. Additionally, you will earn at least the Apprentice Minimum Wage.
For learners who are working fewer than 30 hours per week, the programme will be extended. If you are working fewer than 16 hours per week, please contact us to discuss your individual requirements.
Why choose Best Practice Network?
- Our award winning Apprenticeships Team are always there to help from applications to graduation
- National delivery, we have Apprenticeship Tutors based across England
- Fantastic well-being programme BPN Boost to support learners throughout the programme
- Our employee and Apprenticeship Tutors promote our exceptional values; to inspire learning, work together, act with integrity and strive for excellence
- Individual learning plans for all apprentices and additional support is available for learners with additional learning needs
This apprenticeship is suitable for playworkers who work with children in voluntary, public or private settings including:
- Breakfast, afterschool clubs and holiday clubs
- Adventure playgrounds and mobile play settings
- Play sessions in hospitals, refuges and prisons
- Play Ranger sessions in outdoor areas such as parks and woodlands
- Playschemes in sports and leisure facilities
- There is a high level of support from your Apprenticeship Tutor with monthly visits and 1:1 taught lessons
- The Apprenticeship tutor will visit your setting, no need to go to a college
- Work is submitted using Bud, the cutting-edge online platform, which is easy to use and includes login access for employers to keep track of their apprentice’s progress
Delivery includes:
- Monthly online training events to deliver Knowledge elements
- Monthly review meetings with Apprenticeship Tutor
- Monthly BPN Boost webinars and online resources for support
- Regular observations with Apprenticeship Tutor/mentor to evidence skills
- Witness statements to evidence behaviours
The ten core modules are:
- Roles and responsibilities of a playworker
- Health and safety
- Safeguarding
- Communication and teamworking
- Child development and play
- Enabling environments and observing children’s play
- Administration and managing resources
- Supporting wellbeing and resilience
- Equality, diversity and inclusion
- Partnership working and behaviour
Optional extra accredited units:
You can choose one or more extra units to undertake on top of the curriculum.
- Support Children With Additional Needs and Disabilities in a Playwork Setting
- Carry Out Playwork in Schools
- Contribute to Providing Food and Drink in the Playwork Setting
- Establish and Facilitate Playwork in a Non-Dedicated Setting
- Explore Different Perspectives and Influences on Playwork
Your employer must give you time during your working hours each week for activities and learning towards your apprenticeship. This is called Off-the-Job training. For 30 hours or more, this will be an average of 6 hours per week, that can be spread out in any way that suits yourself and your setting.
Examples of Off-the-Job training includes:
- Research
- Interactive online training
- Training events
- Inset days
- Coaching and mentoring
- Reflective learning
- Shadowing
- Networking and moderation events
- Project activities
There are no previous qualifications needed for this course and no age restrictions.
Apprentices must have:
- Support from your employer and levy account holder
- Be able to complete Level 1 English and maths whilst on programme
- Must have held a residency in the UK for the last three years
- This 15-month apprenticeship costs £5,000 but can be delivered at no cost to you or your setting if your setting is an Apprenticeship Levy payer
- If your setting doesn’t pay into the Apprenticeship Levy Fund, the government will pay 95% of your fees, with your setting contributing just 5%, which is £250. More details can be found on the Government website
- Contact our friendly apprenticeship team to confirm the availability of funding for your setting
Employer Incentive
An employer incentive payment of £1,000 is available for new apprentices aged 16 to 18 and those under 25 with an Education, Health and Care Plan.
Apprenticeship Levy Transfer
If an employer pays into the Apprenticeship Levy and has unspent funds, they can transfer up to 25% of that contribution to another employer. That means you can benefit from the levy-contributions of a different organisation to cover the full costs of an apprenticeship for a member of your team.
Organisations who are actively willing to transfer unspent funds can be viewed on the pledge page. Learn more about the Apprenticeship Levy Transfer on the Government website.
Are you an employer and looking for an apprentice?
If you want to train your current staff members through an apprenticeship, ask them to apply through our Apprenticeship Recruitment.
If you are looking for apprentices and want us to find candidates in your area, fill out our vacancy form. This will help us customise the candidates to your specific needs.
To recruit on your behalf, our team will:
- Collect applications for your vacancy every week
- Conduct screening interviews to determine if the candidates are suitable for the role and the apprenticeship programme
- Successful candidates will be sent to you with their CV, application, and interview notes. You can then decide whether to invite them for a formal interview or work trial
- Once you offer a candidate a position and they accept, we will help you to enrol your candidate onto our programme and help you access funding.
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