Outdoor Education Advisor

Overview

Are you passionate about outdoor learning and educational visits? Do you thrive in a role that blends strategic leadership, safeguarding, and hands-on support for schools? Buckinghamshire Council is seeking a dynamic Outdoor Education Advisor to lead our Educational Visits Service, ensuring the safety, quality, and compliance of off-site learning experiences for children and young people across the county.

This is a unique opportunity to shape outdoor education at a strategic level, support schools directly, and represent the Council nationally in developing best practices.

This is a permanent role working part time, 18.5 hours per week, as a job share therefore, some flexibility of working hours may be required from time to time.

The advertised salary is based on a full-time equivalent but will be pro-rata based on 18.5 hours.

About us

Buckinghamshire Council is a relatively new organisation that combines the strengths and expertise of the previous five councils in the county to create positive change for local people, communities, and businesses. We are firmly focused on the future and have made a clear commitment to serve residents better and to provide stronger representation for Buckinghamshire, both locally and nationally.  

Buckinghamshire is an ambitious, rapidly growing county, and our economy is one of the strongest in the country. It is an area of outstanding natural beauty and ranks as one of the top rural areas to live in the UK and yet it is incredibly well connected– only an hour from London on the train. The county has a rich history and heritage and is the birthplace of the international Paralympic movement.

We are looking for motivated, ambitious and inspiring people to join us on our journey. You will be entitled to a range of different benefits to make sure you are happy both at work and at home.

About the role

As the Outdoor Education Advisor, you will:

• Lead and manage the Council’s Educational Visits Service, including oversight of the ‘Evolve’ IT system used by schools to plan and approve visits.
• Provide expert legal and practical guidance to headteachers, governors, and school staff on educational visits and outdoor learning.
• Deliver training and briefings to schools, ensuring compliance with statutory responsibilities and promoting safe, enriching experiences.
• Approve school off-site visits on behalf of the Local Authority and purchasing academies.
• Represent Buckinghamshire Council on the national Outdoor Education Advisers Panel.
• Monitor outdoor learning sites and support schools during critical incidents.
• Manage the School Swimming Advice and Guidance contract and contribute to policy development.
• Oversee a budget of £30k with traded income of £100k, ensuring value for money and service sustainability.

About you

We’re looking for someone who is:

• An experienced and qualified teacher with senior leadership experience in education.
• Nationally qualified in outdoor activity and confident in leading school visits across all key stages.
• Knowledgeable in legislation, risk management, and best practices related to outdoor learning and educational visits.
• A strategic thinker with strong decision-making skills, especially in high-pressure or emergency situations.
• Skilled in stakeholder engagement, training delivery, and partnership working.
• Committed to safeguarding and passionate about enhancing the wellbeing and learning of children and young people.
• A confident communicator with a full driving license and the ability to converse clearly with the public.

Other information

If you would like to find out more about this role, please contact Yvette Thomas at [email protected]

Closing date: Midnight on Monday 25th August

Interview date: Friday 29th August

We reserve the right to close the vacancy once we have received sufficient applications, so please be advised to submit your application as early as possible.

Buckinghamshire Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and adults at risk.

This post is covered by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and therefore applicants are required to declare:

• All unspent cautions and/or unspent convictions

For further information on how long it takes for cautions and convictions cautions to become spent, please refer to our guide on the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (updated 2023) | Nacro

Our values and culture

We have a set of values, which our employees have chosen, that represent what we are – Proud, Ambitious, Collaborative and Trustworthy.

By joining Buckinghamshire Council, you can expect:

• a fair and inclusive culture
• the chance to really make a difference to those around you
• health and well-being initiatives including an Employee Assistance Programme, Mental Health First Aiders and mindfulness workshops
• a unified voice through our Employee Representative Group
• ongoing support, and the opportunity to develop and progress in your career with us
• opportunities to take part in fun activities such as fundraising and social events

At Buckinghamshire Council, we know that our biggest strength comes from the people that work for us, and that’s why we’re working hard to ensure we continue to be an accessible and inclusive organisation.

From dedicated staff networks overseen by our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Steering Group, to proudly standing as a Disability Confident employer, it’s important to us that all our colleagues feel engaged, listened to, and valued. Our offer of flexible working empowers a productive and happy workforce and allows employees to combine work with other responsibilities and commitments.

We believe our workforce should reflect the diverse communities we service in Buckinghamshire, and are looking for like-minded individuals to join us in promoting equality, fairness, and inclusion for everyone.

We recognise and reward you

Hard work and success deserves recognition. That’s why we pride ourselves on the benefits we give our people. We actively encourage a good work-life balance and promote flexible and agile working arrangements. We provide discounts on various Cafés, restaurants, shops and auto enrolment onto our generous Pension Scheme. In addition to the opportunity to gain membership to Costco, we have discounted gym memberships, travel discounts with Arriva and much more.

https://jobs.buckinghamshire.gov.uk/working-buckinghamshire-council/