Playwork

Courses developed and delivered by playwork practitioners to support theory and practice in a range of playwork settings.

Playwork - Principles into Practice

This course enables playworkers to develop their playwork practice in line with the Playwork Principles and to meet the requirements for playworkers under the EYFS. This is a two day course with approximately six weeks in between day 1 and day 2, during which the participants will carry out some reflective practice in their settings in the light of the content of the course on day 1.

Playwork Basics Plus - Level 2 Playscheme Training

A three day induction course for playworkers, covering play and playwork, health and safety, anti-discriminatory practice and 'behaviour'. Playwork Basics Plus gives participants a sound theoretical basis for their work whilst ensuring that they have the practical skills to deliver great playwork. The course has been developed by practising playworkers who are experienced in running open-access play provision and understand the need to make playscheme training fun, practical and applicable in a short space of time. At the end of the course, participants should be able to go and 'do playwork', not just have a vague notion of what playwork is about. Also includes an Introduction to Child Protection.

Relevant publications - The 'Buskers Guide' series.

I found the content of the course to be very relevant and applicable to our settings. In particular, the concept of facilitating play rather than leading activities had a big impact on the Play Workers. The course certainly helped the Play Workers to allow the play cycle to occur more freely. The most significant improvement on the holiday courses has been in the behaviour of the children. The Play Workers are now giving the children more choice in how they spend their day (within reason) and hence they are taking ownership of the activities.

Playwork Plus - Level 3 Playscheme Training - training for playleaders

The aim of the course is to give participants the knowledge and skills basis to understand more fully their role and responsibilities when working in a leadership or deputy leadership role on playschemes in the playwork sector. This three day course focuses on the role of the playleader in ensuring really great play for children by leading a team, managing others, communicating effectively, delegation, monitoring and evaluation, assertiveness and supporting others to deliver great playwork practice. Playwork Plus has been specifically developed to meet the needs of existing Playwork Practitioners - whether they are working as a volunteer, a regular, paid member of staff or employed only to manage holiday schemes.

Relevant publications - The 'Buskers Guide' series, The Playworker's Taxonomy of Play Types, The Play Cycle - an introduction to psycholudics, Essential Skills for Managers of Child-Centred Settings.

Playtime!

(one day training course)
For anybody in a leadership, management or support role who wants to improve playtimes in schools. The course focuses on the key success factors of the 'Playtime!' project and enables participants to explore practical solutions to meet their schools' needs.

Playtime! Practicals

Specifically for lunchtime supervisors, this one day course helps participants to think about how to provide the three key elements of really great playtimes in their schools; playful adults, playful equipment and playful space. Based on successful projects to put play back into the playground in primary schools, this course contains lots of audio-visual materials from those projects and real case studies which illustrate how the course content can be put into practice. Some of the playground projects have been documented in the CTV documentary 'Lost Adventures of Childhood' and also in the book and DVD 'Playtime!'.

We can deliver these courses 'in-house' or train suitably experienced trainers to run these courses as part of our T2T (training to trainer) programme.

For more information on the Playtime! project take a look at our new website www.playinschools.org.uk. Relevant publications - Playtime! and Play At School.