Job Summary
We are seeking a passionate and energetic Alternative Provision Activity & Engagement Coach to inspire and support young people in educational settings that provide tailored learning experiences outside mainstream schools.
Total Sports is looking for a calm, patient, positive and highly engaging person to join our Alternative Provision programme in York.
We work with young people aged 9–15 who may have found mainstream education difficult and need a different environment where they can feel comfortable, successful and engaged.
Our sessions are built around engagement rather than simply education.
We use a mixture of activities to find what works for each young person.
That could be sport and physical activity one minute, a quieter activity the next, or something completely different. We do have an emphasis on activity but with a real mixture.
What Is The Role Really About?
Engagement.
Your job is to help young people want to be there.
That starts with building a relationship.
You need to be someone young people trust, respect and feel comfortable around.
You will need to understand that engagement doesn't always look like sitting down and completing a task.
Sometimes engagement is:
- Joining in a game
- Having a conversation
- Trying something new
- Staying for the whole session
- Working with another young person
- Managing frustration
- Taking a break appropriately
- Coming back after becoming upset
- Achieving something they didn't think they could do
Those are all wins.
The Young People
You'll work with small groups of young people aged 9–15 who have a range of individual needs.
Some may have:
- Struggled to engage with mainstream education
- Low confidence or self-esteem
- Difficulties managing emotions
- Behavioural challenges
- Difficulties forming relationships
- Had negative experiences of school
- Additional learning or social needs
The groups are deliberately smaller so that we can provide a more personalised approach.
This means you'll have the opportunity to get to know the young people properly.
Duties
- Facilitate engaging sessions focused on social skills, teamwork, personal development, and life skills to boost confidence and resilience.
- Provide mentorship and tailored support to students, helping them overcome barriers to learning and engagement.
- Collaborate with teaching staff, parents, and external agencies to monitor progress and adapt activities accordingly.
- Create a safe, inclusive environment where students feel comfortable expressing themselves and exploring new interests.
- Record attendance, participation levels, and progress notes to ensure accurate documentation of student development.
- Promote positive behavior management strategies to maintain a constructive learning atmosphere.
Experience
- Proven experience working with children or young people in educational or youth work settings.
- Strong background in teaching, mentoring, or youth engagement activities.
- Knowledge of special education needs (SEN) and strategies for supporting diverse learning requirements.
- Demonstrated ability to design creative activities that motivate and inspire young learners.
- Excellent communication skills with the ability to build trusting relationships with students from varied backgrounds.
- Experience working collaboratively with multidisciplinary teams including teachers, social workers, or counselors is preferred.
FLEXIBLE HOURS : Flexible start and finish time.
This role can work around you picking up and dropping off your own children or it can be increased hours.
Join us in creating impactful experiences that transform lives! This role offers an exciting chance to be a positive influence while developing your skills in youth engagement and education support.
Pay: £80.00-£130.00 per day
Work Location: In person
