MAKE A DIFFERENCE
Best Training
We prioritise your development from the very beginning. How? With paid-for, relevant training.
Qualifications
You do not need any prior qualifications to become a Group Leader although we ideally look for people with previous experience working with children. Our values-based appointment process means you have what it takes to be a great Robinwood Group Leader, we’ll teach you the rest!
During your induction training, you will receive your Level 3 Emergency First Aid at Work qualification. Progression into other roles may require you to upgrade this to the Level 3 First Aid at Work which we would provide.
At Robinwood, you can expand your skill set by obtaining nationally recognised qualifications in archery, paddle sports, and climbing, among other areas. These qualifications may be necessary if you want to advance into more specialised positions with us. We recommend discussing the various qualifications with your line manager when you start, as they can provide you with the necessary resources and support to gain them.
Induction Training
From your first day as a Robinwood Group Leader, we aim to provide you with relevant, high-quality training. Internal and external trainers will deliver this, covering everything you need to know about group leading, from archery to first aid.
Induction training happens over your first 6 weekends of employment. Between these weekends, you’ll put that training into practice by working various support shifts. You will also complete a 3-day observation of a Group Leader running a course. This will help build context around your training before putting it into practice with your own group, at around week 6 of your training.
Here are examples of two different timetables that you could work during your induction training:
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Saturday
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Sunday
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Monday
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Tuesday
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wednesday
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Thursday
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Friday
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Trapeze Training - All Day
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Support Shifts Training - AM
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Off
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Buddied Wake Ups Shift
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Wake Ups Shift
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Off
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Off
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Meal Cover Training - PM
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Saturday
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Sunday
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Monday
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Tuesday
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wednesday
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Thursday
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Friday
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Helmets & Harnesses Training - AM
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Health & Safety Training - AM
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Off
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Off
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Observation of a Group Lead
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Observation of a Group Lead
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Observation of a Group Lead
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|
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Fire Evacuation Training -AM
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|
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Day 1
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Day 2
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Day 3
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Zip Wire Assist Training - PM
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Caving Training - PM
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And it doesn’t stop there! The time of year that you start determines when your water sports training takes place. Typically, Canoeing and Raft Building training occurs during our Easter or Summer breaks when the weather (and water) is a little warmer.
With our land-based activities, our goal is to have you trained to lead our Zip Wire within your first year. Your progress to this will be evaluated based on your activity assessment performance, and some participants may advance more quickly than others.
Ongoing Training
Throughout the year, we arrange on-site peer learning days and off-site staff development days for every member of staff. These are paid for, timetabled days during your normal working week.
An Assistant Manager heads up the on-site peer learning days. These are incredibly valuable days which staff look forward to. In them, the staff learn from each other the best ways to develop the children in our non-technical activities with a focus on storytelling, reviewing and having fun.
The off-site staff development days are run by our Senior Instructors and Training Instructors. These include trips to indoor climbing walls, lakes and rivers to develop practical and coaching skills in climbing and canoeing.
We schedule several training days every year to refresh staff on key aspects of the job such as safeguarding and fire evacuation. We use these days to introduce any session developments and train new skills like voice coaching or storytelling.
What Our Staff Say About Working At Robinwood
