Role: Animal Care Technician
Academy: Outwood Academy Adwick
Start Date: As soon as possible
Salary (Actual Salary): £ £17,839 - £ 18,124
Working Pattern: To be agreed at interview including some weekend and holiday cover / 52 weeks per year
Do you have a passion for practical science and the organisational drive to ensure all classrooms are fully equipped for exciting daily experiments and demonstrations? Are you committed to maintaining a safe and efficient learning environment where students can thrive? The main purpose of this role is to support teaching and learning in the Science Department on a day-to-day basis.
Welcome from the Principal
Chief Executive Officer: Lee Wilson
Principal: Vicky Gray
Outwood Academy Adwick is an 11-18 academy based just north of the large, friendly, South Yorkshire city of Doncaster.
We have been a member of the Outwood Family since 2009, and in our 2023 Ofsted inspection the academy was graded Good in all categories. The inspection noted ‘the school has a supportive and caring culture. Staff build warm and friendly relationships with pupils. Pupils achieve their full potential. Staff are proud to work at the school’.
We have also won numerous awards as a school and we have been accredited with the prestigious IQM Award, in addition to being an IQM Centre of Excellence for 3 years, which highlights that inclusion at all levels is of paramount importance to us. We are also proud to have been awarded Silver Status by the Carnegie Centre of Excellence for Mental Health Award.
Why Choose Us?
Cutting-Edge Facilities: Immerse yourself in state-of-the-art laboratories/classrooms equipped with the latest technology, creating an unparalleled environment for both students and educators. In September 2024 a mini hospital ward was built within the department to enhance our delivery of the T Level in Health (our flagship and unique offer), this has since been followed by a unique indoor and outdoor animal centre in September 2025 for our delivery of T Level Animal Care.
Collaborative Culture: Become part of a collaborative and supportive community that values teamwork, creativity, and continuous professional development. Your ideas and expertise will be celebrated and embraced.
Inspiring Student Body: Engage with bright and eager young minds who are ready to embark on a journey of discovery. Ignite their passion for science and guide them towards becoming future leaders in the field.
Flexibility and Innovation: Be at the forefront of educational innovation, where your leadership will drive the implementation of progressive teaching methods and dynamic curriculum enhancements.
We are seeking to recruit an Animal Care Technician to provide support to the Science Department and the Animal Care facilities supporting the Animal Care Level 2 (BTEC) and Level 3 (Animal Care T Level). Duties will include animal welfare, ensuring animals are fed, watered, and cleaned, handling and moving animal safely, preparing materials and resources for lessons, setting up equipment for practical sessions and assisting teaching staff with practical and examinations.
Work days to be discussed/agreed along with weekend working.
The successful candidate will have Level 2 qualifications in English and Maths and relevant Health and Safety qualifications identified in the person specification. Experience of working in a relevant discipline within a laboratory or similar environment and a desire to work with small animals. Most important is the ability to be able to work independently and in a team, have initiative, and good organisational skills.
It is vital that you are able to prioritise your workload and ensure that strict deadlines are met whilst working under pressure and maintaining confidentiality at all times.
To view the job description click here
To view the person specification, which you should use to complete your application, click here
To view the the support staff recruitment booklet click here
The technician provides vital daily support by organising and preparing apparatus and resources before lessons, including the construction and checking of specialist equipment. A primary focus is laboratory safety: conducting annual testing of apparatus, performing daily visual checks of gas, electricity, and water supplies, and ensuring the safe storage and maintenance of hazardous sources.
They manage resources by maintaining accurate inventories, assessing future stock needs, and placing orders for departmental items. Post-lesson duties involve cleaning and removing apparatus, reviewing and re-organising storage, and carrying out routine maintenance and minor repairs. The technician actively ensures all Health and Safety procedures are met.
Essential skills required are the ability to effectively communicate with a range of audiences, maintain confidentiality, and use standard ICT packages. The candidate must exhibit strong time management and organisation skills, along with the ability to prioritise their workload.
While experience working in a school environment is desirable, practical experience within a specific curriculum area, particularly in electronics and/or physics, would be advantageous. The successful candidate must also show a willingness and ability to obtain and/or enhance qualifications and training relevant to the post.
Outwood Grange Academies Trust (OGAT) places staff development at the heart of its strategy to deliver excellence, aiming to recruit, develop, and retain the best staff through the Outwood Institute of Education (OIE).
What will we do for you?
We offer a supportive package focusing on professional advancement, secure benefits, and work-life balance:
Secure Pay & Pension: Competitive salary, automatic pay progression, and enrolment in the Local Government Pension Scheme.
Training & Progression: Access to diverse CPD opportunities, including apprenticeships and vocational qualifications.
Flexibility & Leave: Flexible family policies, enhanced occupational benefits (with no qualifying period), and 25 days holiday, plus bank holidays for non-term time staff. (Holiday for part-time staff is calculated on a pro-rata basis)
Wellbeing & Perks: Dedicated mental well-being strategy, free on-site parking, employee discounts, and access to a comprehensive Employee Assistance Programme.
If you are looking for a rewarding, supportive role where you can truly make an impact, we encourage you to apply now.
Further Information on employee benefits can be found Click Here
To find our more about working for Outwood and to read a message from our CEO please Click Here
Note: If applying from an external job board, please click 'Apply' to access the working links on the Outwood Careers page
Please note, we reserve the right to close advertisements early, either on the advertised closing date, or sooner if required.
Outwood Grange Academies Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. All appointments are made in accordance with safer recruitment practices and the statutory guidance in Keeping Children Safe in Education. Online checks will be carried out on all shortlisted candidates, and all appointments are subject to an enhanced DBS check, satisfactory references and checks regarding suitability to work with children.
We are an award-winning multi-academy education trust with passion, purpose and people at our heart. We manage 41 transformative primary, junior, secondary and Post 16 schools up and down the North of England, from Redcar to Nottinghamshire, each celebrating very different identities but driven by a shared vision. Each academy is individually shaped around the community and children it serves.
We’re incredibly proud of how far our kind, creative and talented teachers and support staff go to make life better for our pupils and their families. It’s why we have built such a leading reputation in education and taken failing schools to Ofsted-rated outstanding in a record amount of time.
We are committed to putting students first, raising standards and transforming lives.
