Sports Centre Assistant (30 hours per week)
Required as soon as possible
We have an exciting opportunity for an enthusiastic, proactive and organised individual to support the efficient day-to-day running of the Sports Centre at RGS Newcastle.
The Sports Centre Assistant will work alongside the Sports Centre Manager to deliver excellent student and customer experience throughout the year. The Assistant will undertake a variety of operational duties including ensuring the highest standards of health and safety, customer service, and facility maintenance across all areas, for example, the climbing wall, swimming pool, sports hall, fitness studios, Astroturf and grass pitches.
The Sports Centre Assistant will be actively involved with future facility development, whilst contributing to maximising profit from commercial non-school activities. The role would be ideal for someone with excellent organisational and communication skills who is able to work effectively with a variety of key stakeholders.
THE SPORTS DEPARTMENT
The RGS Senior and Junior Schools offer a fantastic range of sports to students through curricular PE and swimming, timetabled games and co-curricular sports. All students are encouraged and have multiple opportunities to represent the school and sport offers opportunities at all levels. Staff are mainly multi-disciplined and work with teams across a full range of sports and all age groups.
The sports facilities include five full-size grass pitches (one on-site and four a short 5-minute walk), a six-lane 25-metre swimming-pool; two sports halls; an Astro-turf hockey pitch; a climbing wall; netball courts; tennis courts; strength and conditioning studios; dance facilities; a designated PE/sport classroom and changing-rooms to accommodate all the school’s foreseeable sporting needs. For cross-country running both Senior and Junior Schools use the adjoining Exhibition Park and Town Moor. For cricket, the school owns the Jesmond cricket ground, a 5-minute walk from the main school, and we regularly use the Northumberland Lawn Tennis club for tennis, squash and badminton facilities.
All year groups have a games afternoon every week, giving the opportunity for all students to be involved in a comprehensive programme, as well as to play in fixtures. Students in Years 7 to 9 get one hour of timetabled PE a week, and an hour of swimming every fortnight. In Years 10 and 11 they get one hour of PE, or swimming on a rotation each week. Alongside curricular PE, swimming and games, the department delivers BTEC Sport and Exercise Science, GCSE PE and Sports Leaders Qualifications.
In sport we want all students to participate, whilst also striving to be the best they can, and there are inter-house competitions and school teams for rugby, hockey, football, netball, cross-country running, swimming, cricket, rounders, athletics, basketball, badminton, squash, tennis, athletics and gymnastics. The sports co-curricular schedule is busy, and clubs in various sports run, before, during, and after school. Fixtures are played mid-week and on Saturdays where we can travel further afield to take on suitable competitive fixtures. Teams compete at all levels.
MAIN DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Reporting to the Sports Centre Manager, and in their absence the Director of Sport, the Sports Centre Assistant’s overall responsibilities will include assisting in:
- Ensuring the efficient day-to-day running of the school’s Sports Centre, including the two sports halls, climbing wall, three fitness studios, swimming pool, artificial turf pitch, three netball/tennis courts and associated changing and ancillary facilities.
- Creating and maintaining a purposeful, productive and safe working environment for all sports activities.
- Ensuring the facilities are used in accordance with the schools’ health and safety documentation and other relevant legislation and regulations, including the Pool safety operating procedures PSOP.
- Providing a customer-orientated approach to a wide range of users of the facilities.
- Ensuring the above facilities are kept in good order, secure and safe for use at all times.
- Providing administrative support for the Sports Centre Manager, Director of Sport and the PE Department staff including but not limited to preparing event programs, cataloguing trophies and awards, updating spreadsheets.
SPECIFIC TASKS
- Providing reception service for all users, spectators and visitors.
- Using the school IT network to:
- Manage bookings and allocation of facilities.
- Use SOCS to maintain a calendar of all sports bookings and fixtures.
- Maintain records, including an inventory of sports equipment and stock.
- Use iSAMS and SOCS to register students for sports activities.
- Communicate effectively with all users and across the school.
- Preparation and provision of equipment and resources for some curriculum lessons, including setting up and clearing equipment and the rotation of seasonal equipment.
- Setting up and clearing any equipment for external users that they have booked.
- Daily checking and maintenance of all sports, fitness and pool equipment, ensuring store cupboards are kept in order.
- Ensure all sports clothing (strips and bibs) are laundered and kept in order.
- Allocating and checking changing rooms and shower/toilet areas.
- Dealing with lost property found in the sports facilities.
- Keeping information on noticeboards up to date and looking after trophy cabinets.
- Supporting PE department staff in the provision of galas, competitions and sports related co-curricular activities.
- Sale of basic consumables at the reception desk (e.g. swimming caps, mouth guards etc.)
- Working with other members of the operational staff team with regard to cleaning, maintenance and IT/AV facilities.
- Liaising with visiting staff (e.g. physios, referees etc.)
- Ensure all sports clothing (strips and bibs) are laundered and kept in order.
- When required work in a physical capacity to help other support staff perform whole school duties.
- When required, cover school first aid requirements.
QUALIFICATIONS/TRAINING/KNOWLEDGE/SKILLS
Previous experience in a similar role is desirable, but not essential. The Sports Centre Assistants should demonstrate the following qualifications, skills and qualities:
QUALIFICATIONS
Essential
- A lifesaving qualification or a commitment to undertaking a course.
Desirable
- An appropriate leisure or sports management qualification.
- A full driving licence.
- A Higher-Level Qualification in refereeing or sports coaching.
- Climbing wall instructor qualification.
- A current first aid qualification or a commitment to undertaking a course.
SKILLS / KNOWLEDGE
Essential
- An enthusiasm for sports in general and a good working knowledge of a wide range of sports.
- Highly organised, with the ability to be flexible and effectively manage your own workload, multitask, and work in a fast-paced environment.
- An ability to work alone and show initiative, as well as work as a member of a small team.
- Be physically fit for lifting and moving equipment, responding to problems, etc.
- Be able to swim – for safety while working at the pool edge, etc. and to be able to gain a Lifesaving qualification.
- Enthusiastic and motivated.
- A customer-orientated approach to all users of sports facilities, which will require patience and understanding at times.
- An understanding of and commitment to health and safety, security and handling confidential information at times.
- To demonstrate a personal commitment to safeguarding students and colleagues’ wellbeing.
- To ensure any safeguarding concerns or incidents are reported appropriately and in line with the RGS safeguarding policies.
- To comply with all safeguarding policies and procedures and the RGS Staff Code.
- Very good administrative skills and excellent IT skills, including proficiency in the use of Office 365 including Microsoft Excel, Word and Outlook.
- Excellent verbal and written communications skills.
EXPERIENCE
Desirable
- Experience of working in a sports or leisure centre.
- An understanding of the workings of a school or college.
OTHER
- Participate in training and other learning activities as required and participate in appraisal and professional development.
TERMS AND CONDITIONS
Hours: 30 hours per week: 3 days (8 hours each) plus a Saturday (6 hours). Please refer to our job information pack for full Sports Centre operating hours and terms.
Salary: c£24.8k gross per annum (Full Time Equivalent) and pro rata to approx. £19.8k gross per annum for 30 hours per week. Excellent benefits available!
Closing Date: Monday 8th June 2026
How to Apply: Send a covering letter and completed RGS Application Form to [email protected]
Please note we are unable to accept CV applications.
RGS Newcastle is committed to the safeguarding of children and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff, volunteers and those working in school to share this commitment. The school applies the Government’s Keeping Children Safe in Education Safer Recruitment procedures to all candidates including appropriate pre-interview checks on shortlisted candidates and pre-employment checks pending any offer.
Pay: Up to £24,852.00 per year
Benefits:
- Canteen
- Company events
- Company pension
- Cycle to work scheme
- Discounted or free food
- Free flu jabs
- On-site gym
- Sick pay
Work Location: In person
