Garden Education Officer Full Time

Walworth Garden
Walworth Garden also offers a generous benefits package that includes the following:

28 days annual leave exclusive of Bank Holidays pro-rata for part time
Employee Assistance Programme
Cycle to Work scheme
Fully funded training courses such as Level 3 in Assessors training, management training, and much more
Free plant-based lunch everyday for office based staff and gardeners who are working locally
Use of vans for licenced drivers (P11D)
15% staff discount on all items for sale

Walworth Garden is committed to equality of opportunity, and values diversity. We welcome and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds, particularly from Black, Asian and minoritised ethnic candidates who have been historically excluded from the horticulture industries, as well as applications from women and LGBTQIA+ candidates.

The Organisation

Walworth Garden is a charity dedicated to knowledge and nurture. Our mission is to improve lives by providing excellent learning and horticultural therapy through a garden that is open to all, with free entry, seven days a week.

Walworth Garden is a registered charity and company limited by guarantee. The Charity is governed by a voluntary Board of Trustees. Our main charitable work includes horticultural training and horticultural therapy.

We also provide services that individuals or other organisations pay for in order to generate surplus income to support our charitable work.

This is a flexible job description that may be developed according to the skills and interests of the successful candidate, starting from 3 days a week, with the potential for this to extend to full time work. The successful candidate will teach and assess horticulture at Level 2 and facilitate weekend workshops both here at the Garden and for the wider community at their own sites locally.

This role will involve evening and weekend work subject to staffing requirements.

The postholder must have a Level 2 in Horticulture, and a passion for progressive Horticulture. Candidates are encouraged to demonstrate other gardening/teaching/environmental/workshop related skills and experience. There is potential that this will become a full time role.

The post holder will report to the Education Manager.

Purpose of the Role

To work with the Education Manager and other Garden Education Officer/s on the planning, recruitment, delivery and administration of Walworth Garden’s adult education programme, and to be the first point of contact for students and learners. To develop new workshops and short courses (both in-house and out) that align with the ethos and approach of Walworth Garden and which will be held on some weekends and evenings.

The Garden is a small organisation and employees are expected to be reasonably flexible so that the evolving needs of all stakeholders are met.

Individual responsibilities:

a) To successfully teach and assess all aspects of City & Guilds Work-based Horticulture at Level 2

b) To administer all aspects of the course in accordance with City & Guilds and funder rules and regulations and to collate and track data in order to satisfy both City & Guilds, student progress and funder demand

c) To liaise with the Education Manager and CEO and other colleagues in preparation for inspections and lesson observations

d) To liaise with and support other GEOs in order to ensure coherent teaching, record keeping, and full coverage of the curriculum

e) To be appropriately qualified (or gain qualification) in order to assess student work

f) To facilitate student success to completion

g) To liaise with Marketing and Engagement in order to promote courses and recruit optimum numbers of students, ensure relevant student details are on record, and to adhere to all GDPR and other data protection rules

h) To liaise with the Education Manager and the Head Gardener so that work carried out by students in the Garden is in line with the overall vision and contributes to the success of both the Garden and the Plant Centre

i) To be a reflective practitioner and adhere to the Professional Teacher Standards as laid out by The Education & Training Foundation

j) To take part in preparing students for employment

k) To take part in the Garden’s yearly Performance Management cycle, where appropriate

l) To be prepared to take part in further developmental training to secure increased success both for the individual and the Garden.

m) All other reasonable requests made by the CEO and Education Manager

n) To lead and facilitate weekend and other workshops and short courses as required both at the Garden and in the wider community, in addition to the core hours of the contract

Joint Responsibilities:

The post holder will share with other staff the responsibility for the following:

a) Compliance with all Health and Safety regulations and to ensure the health and safety of all trainees, visitors to the garden and everyone working at the Garden. Compliance with these regulations while working on external sites and ensuring the safety of the public at all times

b) To liaise with the Head Gardener and other staff to ensure all work on the Garden is in keeping with the overall vision

c) The security and prevention of damage to the Garden, buildings, tools, equipment and stock owned or in use by the Garden

d) The maintenance of the site and Garden, including keeping the building and property clean and in good condition

e) Responding to enquiries about the Garden and its work from the public, community, groups, or other organisations

f) Compliance with the Garden’s equal opportunities policies and all other relevant policies

g) To provide assistance and advice to garden visitors and Plant Centre customers as required

h) To be passionate about the Garden’s environmental ethos.

See the full job description and person specification here.

Please note that this post will be subject to receiving satisfactory enhanced DBS disclosure checks