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Playworker

Playworkers help children and young people to develop their physical, social and language skills through play.

Annual Salary

£14,500 to £22,000

Average UK salary in 2023 was £34,963
(source Office for National Statistics)

Working hours

10 to 25 variable

You could work: term time / school holidays; flexibly

5.4%
Future employment

There will be 5.4% more Playworker jobs in 2027.

Day to day tasks

As a playworker, you could:

  • set up play areas that encourage children to develop through play
  • build strong relationships with children and respond to their needs
  • lead games, supervise children and give out refreshments
  • encourage children to express themselves and talk about their worries
  • build positive relationships with parents, carers and professionals
  • make sure children are safe and secure
  • deal with injuries and emergencies

Working environment

You may need to wear a uniform.

You could work in the community, at a school, in an NHS or private hospital or in a holiday play scheme.

Your working environment may be outdoors some of the time.

You can get into this job through:

  • a college course
  • an apprenticeship
  • volunteering
  • applying directly
College

You could do a college course to get some of the skills you'll need in this job. You could take a course in outdoor play and learning or a T Level in Education and Early Years.

Entry requirements

Entry requirements for these courses vary.

  • 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths for a T Level
For more information
  • equivalent entry requirements|https://www.gov.uk/what-different-qualification-levels-mean/list-of-qualification-levels
  • guide to T Levels|https://www.tlevels.gov.uk/
  • funding advice|https://www.gov.uk/further-education-courses/financial-help
  • search for courses|/find-a-course
Apprenticeship

You could apply to do a Playworker Level 2 Intermediate Apprenticeship.

This usually takes around a year and a half to complete and is a mix of study and workplace learning.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • some GCSEs, usually including English and maths, or equivalent, for an intermediate apprenticeship
For more information
  • equivalent entry requirements|https://www.gov.uk/what-different-qualification-levels-mean/list-of-qualification-levels
  • guide to apprenticeships|https://www.gov.uk/apprenticeships-guide
Volunteering and work experience

You could volunteer to build up your experience of working with children.

You could volunteer at:

  • a playgroup
  • a school
  • an after school club
  • a holiday club
  • an adventure playground

This may lead into paid work, where you could do training on the job.

Direct application

You can apply for playworker jobs if you're already a qualified childcare worker.

You can also do the Level 3 Award in Transition to Playwork qualification to help before you apply for roles.

Requirements and restrictions

You'll need to:

More information

Career tips

A paediatric first aid certificate will be useful but is not essential.

Further information

You can find more advice about working in childcare from the Professional Association for Childcare and Early Yearsand Early Years Careers.

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With experience and training, you could:work as a playwork development officer for a local authority; become a playwork scheme supervisor, senior playworker or manager; move into a school as a teaching assistant; become self employed and set up an after school club or childcare project

Skills required and how your skills match up

What skills are required?

You'll need:

  • sensitivity and understanding
  • the ability to work well with others
  • to be flexible and open to change
  • excellent verbal communication skills
  • patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
  • thinking and reasoning skills
  • active listening skills
  • the ability to accept criticism and work well under pressure
  • to be able to carry out basic tasks on a computer or hand-held device
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