Summary

We are looking to appoint a Groundsperson to join our team who are responsible for ensuring that all grounds are maintained to an excellent standard.

Detail

The purpose of the role is to assist in the maintenance of the School Grounds on both the Reed’s and Ripley Court School sites, inclusive of Sports pitches, to a high standard for the use of the Schools and external sports clubs.

The role-holder will be required to be flexible in order to cover weekend duties, on rotation, when necessary. The role-holder will be based predominantly from the Reed’s School site but will be required to work from Ripley Court School regularly.

The Groundsperson role sits within the wider Estates and Facilities team covering the two school sites. Together they provide support to ensure that both Schools operate effectively for all staff, pupils, parents and visitors. This includes ensuring that the health and safety procedures are adhered to, and the appearance and security of School buildings, grounds and facilities are maintained at all times.

Main Duties and Responsibilities:

• Assist the Grounds team in the maintenance of school sports pitches (grass and artificial) according to playing seasons and in consultation with the Director of Sport (Reed’s School) and Head of Games (Ripley Court School).
• Assist in the maintenance of the pond and Forest School at Ripley Court School, where required, to ensure that the water course is kept clear.
• Assist in the erection and maintenance of all sports equipment, nets, goals etc.
• Repair and maintain all boundaries and fences in conjunction with Grounds team members or external contractors, as necessary.
• Carry out general care and maintenance of Grounds machinery as required.
• Maintain hedges at both School sites up to, and including, the boundaries.
• Assist in tree maintenance, liaising with external contractors as required.
• Liaise with the Head Gardener to maintain all grassed, woodland and school planted beds and shrub areas.
• Liaise with the Facilities Manager and Head Groundsperson at Reed’s School, to purchase supplies and services for Grounds, helping to ensure resources are managed within budget constraints.
• Work to a routine and regular preventative maintenance schedule to ensure that the school grounds, equipment and facilities are correctly maintained.
• Assistant in early morning clearance of debris (leaves, frost etc.) across the School sites.
• Maintain knowledge of the requirements under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1984. Wear and use personal protective equipment and safety devices that are provided by management for your protection.
• Carry out risk assessments and follow the Safe Systems of Work.

Other Job Requirements:

• Attend training courses for health and safety as required.
• Maintain knowledge of measuring/installing: Cricket, football, rugby, hockey, rounders, athletics track and tennis all on grass.
• Safely manage all fuel on site.
• Maintain the operational running of the swimming pool at Ripley Court School where required.
• Drive the school minibus where required (with or without passengers).
• Observe security of site to ensure minimal risk to school and flag any concerns to the Head Groundsperson or Site Operations Manager.
• Assist the wider Estates and Facilities team in setting up and provide operational assistance at school events as required.
• Review of work-based Risk Assessments on an annual basis.
• Carry out other reasonable duties as instructed by the Head Groundsperson or Operations Director and Ripley Court Bursar.
• Promote and safeguard the welfare of children and young persons for whom you are responsible and with whom you come into contact.

Interested applicants are encouraged to submit a completed application as soon as possible. The School reserves the right to interview and appoint before the closing date, should a suitable candidate present themselves.

The School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

Applicants will be required to undergo child protection screening appropriate to the post, including checks with past employers and the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS). The School may carry out online searches on shortlisted applicants and all applicants will be required to provide details of their online profile, including social media account names/handles, as part of their application.

This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. The School is therefore permitted to ask job applicants to declare all convictions and cautions on a self-declaration form in advance of attending an interview (including those which are "spent" unless they are "protected" under the DBS filtering rules) in order to assess their suitability to work with children.

Documents

• Groundsperson JD (Nov25) PDF Document
• Safer Recruitment Policy and Procedure PDF Document
• Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy PDF Document
• Privacy Notice for Staff, Other Staff and Volunteers PDF Document