HOP Leader, Junior School

Haileybury Almaty prioritises the safety and wellbeing of our community and expects all staff to share the same commitment. Our Child Protection & Safeguarding policy outlines the measures we have in place to ensure the safety of all students. As part of our safer recruitment process, online searches, extensive checks and references will be conducted.

Haileybury Almaty is an equal opportunity employer and as such treats all job applicants and staff with equal respect free from unjustifiable discrimination

As an international British independent school in Almaty, we are looking for a HOP Leader at Junior School (JS). The starting date of new employee is preliminary end of January 2026.

The HOP Leader is responsible for designing, implementing, and sustaining Haileybury’s innovative outdoor play programme. This role ensures that the playground is safe, stimulating, inclusive, and aligned with the school’s commitment to child development through creative, active, and self-directed play.

The HOP Leader will work closely with pupils, staff, and the Senior Leadership Team to embed high-quality outdoor learning and play experiences that enrich the daily life of the school.

Key Responsibilities:

Playground Setup & Preparation

• Inspect and prepare playground zones before and after break and lunchtimes.
• Ensure all HOP resources (loose parts, materials, tools, weather-appropriate items) are safe, accessible, and well-organised.
• Conduct and record a daily dynamic risk assessment of all play zones and equipment.
• Monitor weather conditions and adapt play provision accordingly.

Staff Briefing & Supervision

• Be prepared to hold short briefings or staff meetings outlining resource rotations, play zones, weather-related adjustments, and any safety considerations.
• Coach staff in the use of positive play language and inclusive facilitation strategies.
• Model the philosophy of “supporting play, not restricting it” to shift wider practice across the school.

Pupil Engagement

• Observe children during play to monitor engagement, cooperation, creativity, and wellbeing.
• Support children in conflict resolution using restorative and skills-based strategies.
• Promote and celebrate play achievements through assemblies, displays, photos, or ClassDojo updates.

Resource Management

• Oversee the maintenance, storage, organisation, and rotation of HOP materials.
• Manage structured resource rollouts linked to the long-term HOP plan.
• Coordinate repairs, disposal, or replacement of broken or unsafe items (including managing the HOP budget in coordination with the Head of JS).

Communication & Reporting

• Support with the logging of incidents, injuries, or behavioral patterns observed during play (where necessary).
• Keep the HOP noticeboard or internal communication channels updated with relevant information, safety notices, or celebration stories.
• Liaise regularly with cleaning, security, and maintenance teams regarding outdoor areas.​​​​​​

​​​​​​​Weekly Responsibilities

• Lead HOP Assemblies or class workshops focused on play themes, safety skills, creativity, and resource introductions.
• Plan weekly resource rotations and explicitly teach children how to use new materials safely and imaginatively.
• Meet with SLT to review HOP progress, safety observations, inclusion trends, and long-term development.
• Maintain a budget overview and a clear resource inventory.
• Capture and curate stories of high-quality play for any newsletters and social media.

Please submit your CV in English language till Jan 12, 2025, Please indicate your salary expectations in KZT (net) in your application.