Schools Programme Lead

This role has a starting salary of 36,873 per annum based on a 36 hour working week. This is a fixed-term contract or secondment opportunity until 31st March 2027, with the possibility of extension.

We have an exciting new opportunity for a Be Your Best Schools Programme Lead. 'Be Your Best' is a fully funded, tier 2 commissioned healthy lifestyle programme for families with children aged 5-17 years, who are above a healthy weight range. We have been delivering the targeted programme since 2020; more information can be found on the Be Your Best website.

You will be working collaboratively with colleagues from Active Surrey, Surrey County Council and other professionals working with children across the county.

The contractual location for this role is Victoria Gate in central Woking however we support hybrid working. Attendance in the office will be required at least once a week in addition to frequent travel to primary schools across Surrey to deliver the Be Your Best Schools Programme. We support working from home the rest of the time.

Our Offer to You

• 26 days' holiday, rising to 28 days after 2 years' service and 31 days after 5 years' service, pro rata for part time staff
• Option to buy up to 10 days of additional annual leave
• A generous local government salary related pension
• Up to 5 days of carer's leave and 2 paid volunteering days per year
• Paternity, adoption and dependents leave
• An Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) to support health and wellbeing
• Learning and development hub where you can access a wealth of resources
• Wellbeing and lifestyle discounts including gym, travel, and shopping
• A chance to make a real difference to the lives of our residents.

About Active Surrey

We are Active Surrey, one of 43 national Active Partnerships funded by Sport England to tackle inactivity driven by inequalities. We believe in the power of physical activity and the benefits it can offer as a mood booster, confidence lifter, social enhancer and a life extender.

Less than half Surrey's children and young people are doing enough physical activity every week, which falls to only 4 out of 10 children amongst lower-income families. That's why we need YOU to join our 'Movement for Change' and help us challenge and change the status quo to get more people moving, and help us create a fairer, better and healthier future for everyone.

Childhood obesity is a growing concern in Surrey, with more than one in four children leaving primary school above a healthy weight. NCMP data shows a 10 percentage-point increase between Reception and Year 6, highlighting the need for a prevention-led approach.

About the Role

The Be Your Best Healthy Lifestyle programme now includes a fully funded, in-school healthy lifestyle initiative designed to support children's physical and emotional wellbeing through engaging, interactive sessions. This new programme takes a whole-class approach. This role will report to the Active Surrey Health Manager.

The purpose of this new role is to project manage and deliver the new Be Your Best Schools programme to meet the agreed key performance indicators as part of the Child & Family Healthy Weight Programme commission from Surrey Public Health.

Key Responsibilities

• Promote the programme to prioritised schools across Surrey in order to meet targets
• Project manage all aspects of the Be Your Best Schools programme to meet defined targets
• Deliver the Be Your Best Schools workshops in primary schools across Surrey
• Be responsible for continuous improvement of the programme content based on feedback to optimise programme outcomes (with support from a Dietician)
• Lead the monitoring and evaluation of the programme. Report summaries of these outcomes to internal and external stakeholders
• Brief and support other staff who may also deliver the programme when extra capacity is required
• Support wider Be Your Best and Active Surrey projects and programmes as demand requires

You'll love this job if:

• You are passionate about supporting children's physical and emotional wellbeing
• You enjoy delivering engaging and interactive workshops to large groups of children in a school environment
• You are at ease networking with Head Teachers, Home School Link Workers, PSHE leads and other professionals working in educational settings to promote the programme
• You enjoy analysing data to demonstrate the programme/project impact
• You work well independently and also collaboratively as part of a wider team.

Your Application

To be considered for shortlisting, your application will clearly evidence the following skills and align with our behaviours:

• A good knowledge of current health and wellbeing messages relating to nutrition and physical activity for primary school age children
• Experience of delivering engaging and inclusive group workshops to primary school aged children, ideally in a school environment
• Proven track record of building and maintaining positive relationships with stakeholders
• Excellent organisation skills with the ability to manage complex projects
• Excellent IT skills and competency in Microsoft Office
• Strong analytical skills, with the ability to work independently to analyse data and complete reports to demonstrate impact.

To apply, we request that you submit a CV and you will be asked the following 4 questions:

• What three qualities do you have that would make you a good Be Your Best Schools Programme Lead and how do these qualities support Surrey County Council's culture of collaboration, inclusivity, and adaptability?
• Please share an example of when you have had to generate an interesting programme or area of work, ideally with primary schools. Please share how you went about this and the outcome.
• Please share your experience of working with data, giving a specific example where data has helped you with a project or programme.
• We work in an environment where we are encouraged to try new things and be curious to help us meet our goals. Please provide examples of where you have developed an idea that has helped you achieve an outcome or a goal.

Surrey has both urban and rural areas and as this is a Surrey-wide programme you will need to have a valid driving licence to drive in the UK, access to a vehicle and be willing to travel across a wide geographical area. Reasonable adjustments where needed will be made for successful applicants who have a disability or long term health condition, to enable them to fulfil the requirements of the job.

The job advert closes at 23:59 on 15/02/2026 with interviews planned to follow.

An enhanced DBS 'Disclosure and Barring Service' check for regulated activity (formerly known as CRB) and the Children's and Adults' Barred List checks will be required for this role.

Part time applicants would be considered for this role.

Local Government Reorganisation (LGR)

Surrey County Council is undergoing Local Government Reorganisation, moving from a two-tier system to two new unitary councils in April 2027. If you are employed by Surrey on 1st April 2027, your role will transfer with current terms and conditions to one of the new organisations, supporting local devolution and greater powers for our communities.

Join our dynamic team and shape the future of local government. Make a lasting impact with innovative solutions and improved services for our community. Help us build a brighter future for our residents!

Our Commitment

We are a disability confident employer which means if you have shared a disability on your application form and have evidenced you meet the minimum criteria, we guarantee you an interview.

Your skills and experience truly matter to us. From application to your first day, we're committed to supporting you with any adjustments you need, we value inclusion and warmly welcome you to join and help build a workplace where everyone belongs.