Farm Support Worker
| Posting date: | 20 March 2026 |
|---|---|
| Salary: | £25,775 per year |
| Hours: | Full time |
| Closing date: | 29 March 2026 |
| Location: | Barnsley, South Yorkshire |
| Remote working: | On-site only |
| Company: | Barnsley College |
| Job type: | Contract |
| Job reference: | REC2390 |
Summary
Farm Support Worker
Department: Land Based Industries
Salary: £25,775 per annum
Contract Type: Fixed Term - Maternity Cover | Full time, 37 hours per week
Reference: REC2390 | Closing Date: Sunday, 29th March 2026
The Opportunity
Barnsley College is looking for a dedicated and enthusiastic Farm Support Worker to join our Land Based Industries team at Wigfield Farm. This is a fantastic opportunity to work with a wide range of animals, support student learning, and contribute to high quality visitor experiences at our busy open farm and education centre.
Wigfield Farm is home to Barnsley College’s Centre for Land Based Studies and operates seven days a week, serving both students and the wider community.
As our Farm Support Worker, you will play a key role in the daily running of Wigfield Farm. You will help care for a wide range of animals – from livestock and small mammals to exotics – ensuring their welfare, health and enrichment are consistently maintained to the highest standard. Working alongside staff and students, you will contribute to delivering an engaging, practical and high quality learning experience for those studying Land Based programmes.
You will also be involved in the lively visitor side of the farm, supporting activities such as guided tours, keeper talks, school visits, parties and seasonal events. Working closely with the Activity Coordinator, you will help develop and deliver activities that inspire visitors and highlight the educational value of the farm.
Your duties will include animal care, maintenance and security tasks, as well as transporting animals and equipment when required. You will follow all health and safety guidelines to ensure the farm remains safe for both people and animals. The role combines weekday farm duties with weekend activity support, offering plenty of variety and the chance to get involved in all aspects of farm life.
This is a hands on and rewarding role where you’ll contribute to the welfare of the animals, the progress of our students, and the enjoyment of our visitors. You will join a supportive team that helps make Wigfield Farm a welcoming, educational and inspiring place for everyone.
About You
We are looking for someone who is motivated, practical and passionate about working with animals and people. You’ll enjoy working outdoors and getting stuck into hands on tasks, and you will bring enthusiasm for land based education and animal welfare.
Whether you’re supporting students, caring for animals or engaging with visitors, you’ll bring energy, reliability and a positive attitude. You will have at least two years of relevant work experience and a background in caring for a variety of animal species, including exotics, livestock and small mammals, enabling you to deliver excellent standards of husbandry and welfare across the farm.
You will also bring customer facing experience, helping you communicate confidently and warmly with visitors, students and colleagues. Dependable and proactive, you’ll be comfortable working independently and as part of a friendly, supportive team.
As the role involves weekend work and a wide variety of duties, you’ll need to be adaptable, organised and ready for the variety that comes with working on a busy educational farm.
Above all, you’ll bring energy, care and teamwork to the role – helping make Wigfield Farm a great place to learn, work and visit.
Required
• Level 3 qualification in a land-based subject (or willingness to work towards)
• GCSE Maths and English at Level 2 or above (or willingness to work towards)
• Paediatric First Aid certificate (or willingness to work towards)
• At least 2 years’ relevant work experience
• Experience working with a range of animal species (e.g. exotics, livestock, rodents)
• Front-facing customer service experience
Closing date for applications is Sunday, 29th March 2026. We reserve the right to close this vacancy early depending on the level of interest.
Job Description and Person Specification
Barnsley College is committed to creating a dynamic and diverse workforce and welcomes applications from all candidates regardless of their gender, disability, age, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or faith. Disabled applicants who meet the minimum essential criteria will be guaranteed an interview. The College is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. The successful candidate will be required to undertake an Enhanced Disclosure from DBS.
Please be aware that it is a Criminal offence to apply for this post if you are barred from engaging in regulated activity in connection to children.
Department: Land Based Industries
Salary: £25,775 per annum
Contract Type: Fixed Term - Maternity Cover | Full time, 37 hours per week
Reference: REC2390 | Closing Date: Sunday, 29th March 2026
The Opportunity
Barnsley College is looking for a dedicated and enthusiastic Farm Support Worker to join our Land Based Industries team at Wigfield Farm. This is a fantastic opportunity to work with a wide range of animals, support student learning, and contribute to high quality visitor experiences at our busy open farm and education centre.
Wigfield Farm is home to Barnsley College’s Centre for Land Based Studies and operates seven days a week, serving both students and the wider community.
As our Farm Support Worker, you will play a key role in the daily running of Wigfield Farm. You will help care for a wide range of animals – from livestock and small mammals to exotics – ensuring their welfare, health and enrichment are consistently maintained to the highest standard. Working alongside staff and students, you will contribute to delivering an engaging, practical and high quality learning experience for those studying Land Based programmes.
You will also be involved in the lively visitor side of the farm, supporting activities such as guided tours, keeper talks, school visits, parties and seasonal events. Working closely with the Activity Coordinator, you will help develop and deliver activities that inspire visitors and highlight the educational value of the farm.
Your duties will include animal care, maintenance and security tasks, as well as transporting animals and equipment when required. You will follow all health and safety guidelines to ensure the farm remains safe for both people and animals. The role combines weekday farm duties with weekend activity support, offering plenty of variety and the chance to get involved in all aspects of farm life.
This is a hands on and rewarding role where you’ll contribute to the welfare of the animals, the progress of our students, and the enjoyment of our visitors. You will join a supportive team that helps make Wigfield Farm a welcoming, educational and inspiring place for everyone.
About You
We are looking for someone who is motivated, practical and passionate about working with animals and people. You’ll enjoy working outdoors and getting stuck into hands on tasks, and you will bring enthusiasm for land based education and animal welfare.
Whether you’re supporting students, caring for animals or engaging with visitors, you’ll bring energy, reliability and a positive attitude. You will have at least two years of relevant work experience and a background in caring for a variety of animal species, including exotics, livestock and small mammals, enabling you to deliver excellent standards of husbandry and welfare across the farm.
You will also bring customer facing experience, helping you communicate confidently and warmly with visitors, students and colleagues. Dependable and proactive, you’ll be comfortable working independently and as part of a friendly, supportive team.
As the role involves weekend work and a wide variety of duties, you’ll need to be adaptable, organised and ready for the variety that comes with working on a busy educational farm.
Above all, you’ll bring energy, care and teamwork to the role – helping make Wigfield Farm a great place to learn, work and visit.
Required
• Level 3 qualification in a land-based subject (or willingness to work towards)
• GCSE Maths and English at Level 2 or above (or willingness to work towards)
• Paediatric First Aid certificate (or willingness to work towards)
• At least 2 years’ relevant work experience
• Experience working with a range of animal species (e.g. exotics, livestock, rodents)
• Front-facing customer service experience
Closing date for applications is Sunday, 29th March 2026. We reserve the right to close this vacancy early depending on the level of interest.
Job Description and Person Specification
Barnsley College is committed to creating a dynamic and diverse workforce and welcomes applications from all candidates regardless of their gender, disability, age, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or faith. Disabled applicants who meet the minimum essential criteria will be guaranteed an interview. The College is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. The successful candidate will be required to undertake an Enhanced Disclosure from DBS.
Please be aware that it is a Criminal offence to apply for this post if you are barred from engaging in regulated activity in connection to children.
Proud member of the Disability Confident employer scheme
Disability Confident
About Disability Confident
A Disability Confident employer will generally offer an interview to any applicant that declares they have a disability and meets the minimum criteria for the job as defined by the employer. It is important to note that in certain recruitment situations such as high-volume, seasonal and high-peak times, the employer may wish to limit the overall numbers of interviews offered to both disabled people and non-disabled people. For more details please go to Disability Confident.