Sports Coach | Teaching Assistant | Playworker – After-School Sports Club
Location: Brookside Primary School, Ellesmere Port
Hours: 12.5 hours per week
Schedule: Monday to Friday, 3:00pm–5:30pm
Pay: £10.00–£14.32 per hour, depending on experience/qualification
Start date: September 2026
Employer: Vara Sports & Education
Turn After School Into the Best Part of Their Day
Vara Sports & Education is looking for an energetic, confident and reliable Sports Coach, Teaching Assistant or Playworker to join our team at Brookside Primary School from September.
This is not a traditional wraparound-care position.
We are delivering a dedicated sports and activity-based after-school club, giving children the opportunity to finish their school day being active, having fun, learning new skills and spending time with their friends.
From football and dodgeball to mini Olympics, team games, challenges and multi-sports activities, we want someone who can bring energy to every afternoon and create an environment children genuinely look forward to attending.
If you love sport, enjoy working with children and can confidently lead fun activities, this could be a brilliant role for you.
What Will the Club Look Like?
Every afternoon will be built around sport, physical activity, games and fun.
You could be delivering:
- Football
- Dodgeball
- Basketball
- Multi-sports
- Mini Olympics
- Athletics activities
- Team challenges
- Playground games
- Fundamental movement activities
- Competitions and tournaments
- Children’s choice activities
- Indoor sports and games when required
Our lead Coach will deliver the sessions, you will work or assist Mark.
The emphasis is on keeping children active, engaged and having fun.
You don't need to be an elite sports coach.
You do need to be someone who can bring enthusiasm, organise a group, communicate well with children and make them want to come back tomorrow.
Your Afternoon
You will arrive at Brookside Primary School before the end of the school day and prepare for the children attending the club.
Your role will include:
- Welcoming children into the after-school sports club
- Planning and delivering engaging sports and physical activities
- Leading games for different ages and abilities
- Making activities inclusive so every child can participate
- Encouraging teamwork, confidence and positive behaviour
- Creating competitions, challenges and themed activity days
- Supervising children safely throughout the session
- Managing behaviour calmly and positively
- Setting up and safely storing sports equipment
- Communicating professionally with school staff and parents
- Following collection and safeguarding procedures
- Recording any incidents or concerns appropriately
- Maintaining excellent safeguarding standards at all times
This is an active role.
We want someone who will get involved, play the games, encourage the children and bring personality and enthusiasm into the club.
Who Could This Role Suit?
You might already be:
- A Sports Coach
- Teaching Assistant
- Playworker
- PE Coach
- Football Coach
- Multi-Sports Coach
- Childcare Practitioner
- University or college student studying sport or education
- Someone experienced working at holiday camps or children's clubs
Your exact job title isn't important to us.
Your personality, reliability and ability to engage children are.
Who We're Looking For
We would love to hear from someone who is:
- Energetic and enthusiastic
- Confident leading groups of primary-aged children
- Reliable and punctual
- Friendly and approachable
- Passionate about sport and physical activity
- Creative when developing games and activities
- Calm and consistent when managing behaviour
- Inclusive and able to support children of different abilities
- A strong communicator
- Organised and responsible
- A positive role model for children
Previous experience working with children is important.
Sports coaching, school, childcare, holiday camp or playwork experience would be particularly valuable.
Sports qualifications are welcomed but are not essential for the right person.
More Hours Available
Although this position begins with 12.5 guaranteed hours per week, there may be opportunities to increase your working hours through Vara.
Additional work can include:
- Lunchtime sports provision
- PE coaching
- Teaching Assistant work
- Before-school sports clubs
- Additional after-school clubs
- Holiday camps
- School holiday programmes
- Work across our wider network of partner primary schools
Tell us during the application process if you're looking for additional hours.
We may be able to build a larger working week around this position.
Why Work for Vara?
Vara Sports & Education works with a growing network of primary schools across Cheshire, Wirral and North Wales.
When you join Vara, you're not simply sent into a school and forgotten.
You will receive:
- A consistent placement at Brookside Primary School
- Activity ideas, planning and resources
- Support from an experienced management team
- Training and professional development
- Opportunities to gain further qualifications
- Opportunities to increase your working hours
- Optional holiday-camp work
- Career progression across sport and education
- Opportunities across our wider school network
- Employee recognition and rewards
- Staff wellbeing support
- A positive culture built around our value of Always Be Kind
Future Opportunities
For someone who performs well and wants to progress, this role could lead to opportunities including:
- Sports Coach
- PE Coach
- Teaching Assistant
- SEND Teaching Assistant
- Playworker
- Lead Sports Coach
- After-School Club Leader
- Holiday Camp Leader
- Wider school-based roles
We love developing good people and creating opportunities for them to progress within Vara.
Safeguarding Comes First
Vara Sports & Education is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people.
Applicants must:
- Have the right to work in the UK
- Provide suitable professional references
- Complete Vara's safer-recruitment process
- Have an Enhanced DBS registered on the Update Service or be willing to obtain one
- Be committed to safeguarding and promoting children's welfare
Appointments may be subject to:
- Enhanced DBS and relevant barred-list checks
- Identity checks
- Right-to-work checks
- Professional references
- Qualification checks where relevant
- Employment-history checks
- Discussion of any gaps in employment or education
- Any additional safeguarding checks appropriate to the role
Ready to Make Afternoons More Active?
We're looking for someone who can walk into Brookside every afternoon and immediately bring energy, fun and enthusiasm.
Someone who gets children moving.
Someone who makes everyone feel included.
Someone who children ask:
“What are we playing today?”
If that sounds like you, we'd love to hear from you.
Apply with your CV and a member of our team will be in touch for a friendly conversation.
Pay: £10.00-£14.32 per month
Ability to commute/relocate:
- Ellesmere Port CH66 2EE: reliably commute or plan to relocate before starting work (required)
Application question(s):
- Do you have a DBS on the update service and have the paper copy with it ?
- How many years experience do you have working with children ?
- What experience do you have with children?
Work Location: In person
