Bucksmore Education is full of history and tradition, but also of originality and challenge. With 40 years of experience to perfect and improve the quality of our prestigious summer schools, we are proud of the summer programmes we offer. It is our goal to support every student towards achieving their goals, in a safe and positive learning environment, whether this is building on their language skills, developing fundamental 21st century leadership skills and a global mindset or studying at a top UK boarding school or university.
The summer school was modelled on American summer camps, with ‘Counsellors’ who live with students, teach lessons and lead excursions and activities, providing a higher level of pastoral care, guidance, and friendship – giving students more than just ‘teachers’ and ‘activity leaders’ at a summer school.
Working in summer schools is a rewarding experience for both students and staff, and Bucksmore aims to make our courses ones that our students never forget. The Bucksmore philosophy is for students to mix with their fellow students and staff wherever possible to make their time with us a rich and genuinely international cultural experience.
Summer 2026 Activity Manager
Location: London, Brighton, Oxford & Cambridge
Employment dates: 28th June to 28th July. All staff undertake a paid period of induction prior to student arrival on a course.
Main Duties and Responsibilities:
The position of Activity Manager (AM) is a highly responsible and challenging role, suitable only for those with excellent leadership, communication, time management and organisational skills. The AM’s chief role is to plan and organise the activity programme and effectively manage the Counsellors involved in each activity. The AM will ensure that each activity is prepared, implemented and correctly supervised as set out by the Bucksmore Head Office. As one of the senior managers the AM will work closely with the Centre Manager and Director of Studies to ensure the smooth day to day running of the centre. This list summarises the key tasks of the role and is not a definitive list of all the tasks to be undertaken as those can be varied from time to time at the discretion of the Centre Manager or Operations Manager and Head Office Team. Bucksmore will exercise this right reasonably.
Training and Health & Safety:
- Attend the staff induction and take part in all Health and Safety related training
- Write and consult the risk assessment for an activity or excursion
Activity & Excursion Programme:
- Plan, organise and implement a range of appropriate activities during daytimes, afternoons and evenings
- Take responsibility for excursions, ensuring you have planned sufficiently well to guide the students effectively
- Research an excursion destination so as to be able to guide students effectively by leading and guiding students when on excursions and guided walking tours, communicating with them in a way that is clear, informative and engaging
- Ensure that activities and excursions you are running are structured, inclusive and appropriately resourced
- Help promote the activity programme to students by displaying posters or visiting classes
Management:
- Co-manage and motivate a team of residential and sometimes not residential staff
- Lead regular team meetings to inform Counsellors of their tasks related to the activity and excursion programme
- Monitor the performance of Counsellors and contribute towards staff appraisals
- Assist the Course Directorwith planning the weekly staff rota
- Represent Bucksmore as centre management and liaise with host college staff
Administration:
- Manage a weekly budget
- Keep accurate records of budget spending and send to Head Office weekly
- Plan each week’s timetable before the start of the week and send to Head Office in advance to allow time for authorisation
Student Welfare & Supervision:
- Supervise students during meal times
- Where required assist with student transfers to and from airports as directed by the Course Director
- Where required, as part of your rota, perform waking up duties and ‘lights out’ duties
General:
- Attend staff meetings as required
- Respond to general emergencies at all times
- Maintain proper levels of student discipline, safety and welfare
- Carry out any other reasonable task assigned to you by a manager to meet the operational demands of a centre
- Assist the Centre Manager with the set-up, shut-down and day-to-day running of the centre
Person Specification
Legal Requirement: All applicants must have the eligibility to work in the UK prior to commencing employment.
Essential:
- Native or native level English speaker
- Experience of working in a language and activity based summer school or similar environment.
- Experience of organising activity programmes and/or events for young people
- Experience of managing in a summer school or residential course environment
Salaries and Benefits:
Band A £793.50 a week including holiday
Band B £737.46 a week including holiday pay
Band C £681.43 a week including holiday pay
Training and senior staff induction is provided prior to the start of a centre opening. All positions are residential, accommodation and full board meals are provided
Successful candidates will be required to complete an Enhanced DBS check (and a police check if you reside outside the UK). You will also need to provide proof of identity, such as a passport or driving licence, for our records. Bucksmore will cover the upfront cost of the Enhanced DBS check (currently £49.50) and the DBS Update Service subscription (currently £13). 50% of the total cost will be reclaimed from your first pay run. If you return to work with us in subsequent years, you must maintain your Update Service subscription. Failure to do so will mean you are responsible for the full cost of a new Enhanced DBS check.
At Nord Anglia Education we are committed to providing a world class, safe, happy environment in which children and young people can thrive and learn. We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all our pupils where we embrace all race, abilities, religions, genders, and cultures.
All post holders in regulated activity (having regular unsupervised contact with children) are subject to appropriate national and international vetting procedures including satisfactory criminal record checks from both your country of residence/birth and any country of residence within the last 10 years.
We welcome applications from suitable qualified persons from all diverse backgrounds.
Please note, only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.
