Groundsperson

Start date 1 June 2024

Hours 37 all year round

King Edward's School and King Edward VI High School for Girls

Edgbaston Park Road

Birmingham

B15 2UA

Contact email

The Schools King Edward's School and King Edward VI High School for Girls are two of the best independent day schools in the country, sharing a leafy campus in Edgbaston, next to the University of Birmingham. Both Schools are part of the King Edward VI Foundation and have high academic standards and a varied sporting programme, including rugby, hockey, netball, cricket, tennis and athletics.

There are more than 30 acres of playing fields, natural and artificial, including a large single area the Schools share (South Field), with enough room for five rugby pitches from September to March and three cricket squares from April to August. King Edward's School also has various ornamental lawns, trees, shrubs and one internal courtyard. A second site, situated across the Bristol Road, is in three parts – the Eastern Road playing fields which comprise the 1st XV rugby pitch, 1st XI cricket square, tennis courts and ornamental shrubs, the Southall Pavilion – which includes a hybrid sand and water based hockey pitch, and general playing fields used for rugby training.

The King Edward VI High School for Girls site includes two sand dressed all weather pitches with flood lighting, hard court netball pitches and tennis courts, and one grass hockey pitch. In addition, the school has a number of large ornamental flower beds and two internal planted courtyards.

The Schools are looking for an experienced Groundsperson to join the Grounds team working across all parts of the site, together with a Deputy Head Groundsman (with responsibility for Eastern Road playing fields) and a Head Groundsman with overall responsibility for the whole site.

Key duties, to complete work on the grounds as directed by the Head Groundsman, this could include:

• preparation and maintenance of a variety of sports pitches and surfaces to a high standard, including mowing, marking out, aeration and renovation practices
  
• preparation and upkeep of lawns and decorative areas – mowing, strimming, pruning and weeding
  
• removal of litter, leaves and rubbish in certain defined areas
  
• operation and maintenance of various types of machinery and equipment In icy/snowy weather, ensuring that footpaths, steps and parking areas are safe for pupils, staff and parents to access, this may require early morning work to salt, grit and clear snow and ice before the beginning of the school day
  
• unlocking and locking of ground and facilities
  
• awareness of Health and Safety requirements
  
• undertake other reasonable duties related to the job purpose required from time to time
  
  Candidates must have demonstrable experience of working as a Groundsperson (in any setting; school experience is desirable but not essential). The successful individual will have basic labouring, and some general grounds and maintenance skills, although relevant sports turf or chemical licence qualifications would be advantageous.
  
  This is a physical role so you must be able to cope with using heavy machinery, lifting, carrying and working outdoors in all weather conditions.
  
  The post holder will;
  • be enthusiastic, hardworking, with high standards
    
  • have good attention to detail and be able to work under their own initiative
    
  • possess good teamwork, organisation and communication skills and be comfortable liaising with staff, pupils, parents, contractors and other third-party users of the School's facilities
    
  • you must also possess a clean, valid driving licence, as there is the requirement to drive tractors and school vehicles to deliver your duties
    
  • a flexible approach is needed to working hours, as well as some requirement to work early mornings and evenings, team members may be required to work paid overtime on Saturdays during the Summer term to prepare wickets prior to school cricket matches
    
    This post is covered by Part 7 of the Immigration Act Therefore the ability to speak fluent and spoken English is an essential requirement for this role.
    
    Please download an application pack and send completed applications addressed to the Bursar (Estates and Finance) by email to
    
    

    Applications should comprise the following: - A covering letter - A completed application form
    
    

    If you have any queries about this role, or would like to discuss it in more detail, please email Garry Watson, Head Groundsman Applications will be reviewed on receipt and so early applications are encouraged.
    
    

    We reserve the right to bring forward the closing date if sufficient applications have been received.
    
    

    This school is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and expect all staff and to share this commitment. The successful candidate will be subject to necessary pre-employment checks, including: an enhanced DBS; Prohibition check (where applicable) Childcare Disqualification (where applicable); qualifications (where applicable); medical fitness; identity and right to work. All applicants will be required to provide two suitable references. An online search will also be carried out on all shortlisted candidates.
    
    

    This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and the amendments to the Exceptions Order 1975, 2013 and 2020. Which means that when applying for certain jobs and activities certain spent convictions and cautions are 'protected', so they do not need to be disclosed to employers, and if they are disclosed, employers cannot take them into account. Further information about filtering offences can be found in the DBS filtering guide.
    
    

    This post is not part of the City Council and the successful candidate will not hold a Birmingham City Council Contract of Employment.