Learning Facilitator Casual - Req24493

We are seeking dynamic and skilled educators to join our highly successful casual school delivery team at Leeds Industrial Museum. You will deliver an established programme of curriculum-linked interactive workshops to school groups. At Armley Mills, one of our most popular workshops is the fully immersive, ‘in role’ Victorian Schoolroom, where the Facilitator takes on the costumed role of a Victorian school teacher and leads the class through the workshop entirely using first person interpretation. Knowledge of the Industrial Revolution and Victorian periods and a love of acting would be helpful.

Leeds City Council is one of the largest employers in the region with over 14,000 employees. We seek to recruit and develop talented individuals who embody our council values and ambitions.

About you

As the Learning Facilitator at Leeds Industrial Museum, you will be:

• A skilled facilitator able to work with different ages of pupils from school settings.

• Highly organised and be able to juggle the practicalities, differentiation and accessible requirements of a group visit to a museum

• Able to work colleagues from the venue team and the Learning and Access Officer  

• Curious, responsive and adaptable to existing and new audience needs and interests.

About the role 

As the Learning Facilitators you will deliver the popular school workshops at Leeds Industrial Museum. The workshops are high quality, creative, differentiated and accessible, collection and exhibition focused and interactive. You will set up the workshop, meet and greet the school group, lead the group through a child-centred 45 minute – 2 hr workshop (teaching to the workshop plan developed by the Learning and Access Officer, whilst being responsive to the children and teacher’s needs), give out evaluation forms to the teachers and students, close down the activity and pack away. You will be qualified to degree-level, or similar vocational qualification, with hands-on teaching or museums experience. 

Learning is at the heart of Leeds Museums and Galleries. We welcome, inspire and engage diverse audiences with collections and exhibitions and enable people to build their own interpretations. We are a strong Learning and Access team, who are leaders in the field of museum and gallery learning. We develop innovative ways of celebrating material culture using object and artwork learning and robust, research orientated practices. As a team, we focus on the three C’s: Curiosity, Creativity and Conversation.

What we offer you

We take pride in offering the best employee experience, with benefits including:

• a competitive salary and annual leave entitlement plus statutory holidays

• membership of the West Yorkshire Pension Fund with generous employer contributions

• flexible and hybrid working arrangements subject to service requirements

• a clear career pathway and continuing professional development opportunities

• a range of staff benefits to help you boost your wellbeing and make your money go further

How to apply

Please complete the online application form.

Read our guidance for further advice. Please check your information carefully and ensure you complete all sections before submitting your application. 

If you have any queries or would like an informal chat about the role please contact Kate Fellows, Head of Learning and Access. Email kate.fellows@leeds.gov.uk, or call 07891276891.

We welcome and encourage job applications from people of all backgrounds. We are a family friendly organisation and support our employees to work flexibly to maintain a healthy work-life balance. We encourage open discussions with potential candidates on working hours and are open to job share opportunities.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. We promote diversity and want a workforce that reflects the population of Leeds. Leeds City Council is ranked 70 on the Stonewall Equality Index 2023. We are also an age-friendly employer, a Mindful Employer and a Disability Confident Leader.

This role is based in the UK. Employment is conditional on confirmation of the right to work in the UK - either as a UK or Irish citizen, under the EU Settlement scheme or having secured any other relevant work visa. If you do not have the right to work in the UK and the role does not meet eligibility for sponsorship, please consider carefully whether you meet the eligibility to apply.

Job Description

Job Purpose 

Leeds Museums and Galleries is the largest local authority museums service in the country with 1.3 million objects, and over 48,000 schoolchildren per year through our learning programmes. Our reach is local, regional, national and international.  

Learning is at the heart of Leeds Museums and Galleries. We welcome, inspire and engage diverse audiences with collections and exhibitions and enable people to build their own interpretations. We are a strong Learning and Access team, who are leaders in the field of museum and gallery learning. We develop innovative ways of celebrating material culture using object and artwork learning and robust, research orientated practices. As a team, we focus on the three C’s: Curiosity, Creativity and Conversation.  

The casual Learning Facilitators deliver the popular schools workshops at the busy sites. They deliver high quality, creative, differentiated and accessible, collection and exhibition focused interactive workshops on various topics to pre-booked school groups at a single Leeds Museums and Galleries venue. The postholder will set up the workshop, meet and greet the school group, lead the group through a child-centred 45 minute – 2 hr workshop (teaching to the workshop plan developed by the Learning and Access Officer, whilst being responsive to the children and teacher’s needs), give out evaluation forms to the teachers and students, close down the activity and pack away.  

The post is term-time only and only booked based on school demand. The post is funded through the school workshop income. 

Responsibilities for Grade: 

We expect a Learning Facilitator to ensure, safe, pleasurable, rewarding, high quality school visits to a range of groups and individuals from across age and ability ranges. 

To do this, the post holder will: 

Audiences: 

• Have a good understanding of the National Curriculum for England, and how the workshop / teacher expectations fit with the National Curriculum  

• Be a skilled facilitator and actively deliver engaging, differentiated, accessible 45 min-2 hr workshops for schools to the workshop plan developed by the Learning and Access Officer, fulfilling the teaching objectives 

• Be responsive and adaptable to pupil needs and interests 

Access: 

• Working alongside the Learning and Access Officer, ensure accessibility and inclusivity within our spaces and workshops (including intellectual, physical and sensory, attitudinal and emotional, cultural and financial access) 

Management:  

• Set up and clear away the workshop resources and the workshop space (tables, chairs, art materials, museum objects) as required for the workshop 

• To meet and greet the school group, and sign them into the building (for safety and performance data) 

• Comply with venue risk assessments to ensure the safety of the young people and adults participating in the workshops and convey H&S information to the school group 

• Manage the learning environment (classroom and resource management) for a safe and high quality experience 

• Capture performance / evaluative information through evaluation forms to pupils and teachers, or through other mechanisms as appropriate, and give completed evaluation forms to the Learning and Access Officer at the end of each workshop 

• Feedback developmental comments or changes regarding the workshop to the Learning and Access Officer 

• Deliver accurate and timely time sheets for casual payments 

Relationships: 

• Liaise with the Learning and Access Officer, site management team and with regards to bookings and availability 

Personal development: 

• Attend training relating to H&S, safeguarding, the venue, object and collection handling, and the delivery of school workshops 

• Be curious. Be open to new experiences, working creatively and being reflective. Be passionate about the power of object learning, and innovative in its uses with audiences. Be resilient and proactive. 

• Develop excellence in object learning through programmes, projects, action research and training 

Leeds City Council: 

• Promote an outward looking, positive image of the service at all times 

• It’s everyone’s responsibility to keep people safe. Promote, adhere to and apply consistently, the Leeds Safeguarding Boards and Leeds City Council Safeguarding, Equality and Diversity and Health and Safety policies and procedures with colleagues, partners and members of the public. Be responsible for your own H&S at work 

• Champion Leeds as a Child and Age Friendly City 

• Leeds wants to have a strong economy and to be a compassionate city. Promote and adhere to the Leeds City Council values of: working as a team; being open, honest and trusted; working with communities; treating people fairly and spending money wisely 

• To undertake any other duties as commensurate with the grade 

Qualifications:  

Educated to degree level or professional vocational qualification within a relevant subject/area, or equivalent teaching experience 

ESSENTIAL REQUIREMENTS: It is essential that the Candidate should be able to demonstrate the following criteria for the post within the context of the specific role duties and responsibilities:  Candidates will only be shortlisted for interview if they can demonstrate on the application form that they meet all the essential requirements. 

Method of Assessment will be through one or more of the following Application Form (A), Test (T), Interview (I) or Certificate (C). 

Skills Required 

Communication:  

• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills (written and verbal; A, T, I) 

Interpersonal:  

• Track record of facilitating a range of learning audiences, individually and in groups (differentiation and accessibility) using object or artwork based learning (A,I) 

• Maintenance of excellent working relationships with colleagues and partners (eg, teachers and school staff; A,I) 

Time management:  

• Track record of delivering work programmes (eg. workshops, learning programmes or projects)  to specific deadlines (A,I) 

Teamwork: 

• Ability to work effectively as part of a team (A,I) 

• Ability to manage, motivate and develop teams and individuals (A,I) 

Digital: 

• Track record of using Microsoft Office, Outlook (A,I) 

Knowledge Required 

Audiences:  

• Working knowledge of the primary National Curriculum for England (A,I) 

Experience Required 

Audiences: 

• Experience of delivering learning activities to a range of audiences, or teaching, within in a heritage or education context (A,i) 

Relationships:  

• Experience of maintaining relationships and direct contact with customers / stakeholders (eg. teachers, pupils, schools; A,I) 

Management: 

Experience of managing a learning environment (eg. workshop setting; A,I) 

Behavioural & other Characteristics required 

Personal development:  

• Commitment to own CPD and personal development (A/I) 

• Willing to work creatively and innovatively, and open to new ideas (A/I) 

• Passionate about the power of learning using museum collections (A/I) 

• Self-motivated, independent learner, with the ability to use own initiative (A/I/T)  

• Demonstrate a strong interest in the work of Leeds Museums and Galleries (A/I) 

• Flexible approach to working hours (A, I) 

Leeds City Council:  

• Willing to abide by the Council’s Equality and Diversity policy in the duties of the post, and as an employee of the Council (A/I) 

• Willing to carry out all duties having regard to an employee’s responsibility under the Council’s Health and Safety Policies (A/I) 

DESIRABLE REQUIREMENTS: It is desirable that the Candidate should be able to demonstrate the following criteria for the post within the context of the specific role duties and responsibilities:  Candidates are not required to meet all the Desirable requirements however these may be used to distinguish between acceptable candidates. 

Knowledge required 

Audiences:

• Knowledge of current theory, policy and practice in museum / gallery learning, and of best practice in object based learning (A,I) 

• Knowledge of learning styles and theories in a museum / gallery learning (A,I) 

Access:

• Understanding of what accessibility means in a museum / gallery environment (A,I)