Caretaker

Nancy Reuben Primary School

**Job Description - School Caretaker**

**Responsible to: Headteacher and School Business Manager (SBM)**

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.

**Purpose of the job**:
To pro-actively manage the daytime cleaning and maintenance, security, furniture, fittings and equipment to ensure a satisfactory, safe and clean physical environment for staff, pupils and parents.

The post-holder must be a proactive presence around the school during the day and available to trouble-shoot around the school as needed.

**Main responsibilities**:

- Undertake daytime cleaning as needed especially in the staff and pupil toilets and all public areas of the school.
- Deal with minor security/safety issues
- Monitor standards of the evening cleaning and report any deficiencies to the SBM.
- Prepare the school site, premises, rooms and work areas; this includes operation of the school heating and lighting
- Porterage duties as required and particularly the laying out of furniture and other equipment for timetabled activities without direct instruction.
- Undertake basic DIY to the level of a competent handyman
- Report major items for repair to the SBM
- Interact with staff, parents, pupils and visitors in a helpful and sensitive manner
- Meet, brief and oversee contractors and deliveries
- Monitor stock levels of supplies such as handtowels, bin bags, salt for gritting and inform line manager of requirements
- Have knowledge and awareness of health and safety practices and policies, have an understanding of COSHH regulations, maintain records where required
- Be willing to undertake training relevant to the role
- In conjunction with the HT and SBM to attend meetings regarding any scheduled planned maintenance works.
- Work with the School Business Manager and Head Teacher in ensuring that aspects of regulatory compliance are maintained and recorded.

**Job Activities**

**Site**

Ensuring that the heating system is operating. Ensuring that access to the premises is safe and free from hazards e.g., ice, slippery leaves, clearing drains.
- Provide access to the school as may reasonably be required outside the normal hours of opening, including access in the event of an emergency.
- Undertake weekly testing of fire alarm, emergency lighting on a rolling schedule and maintaining all records.

**Preparing facilities and cleaning**.

Ensuring that the school site is clean and well-maintained both internally and externally.
- Undertake daytime cleaning as needed especially in the staff and pupil toilets
- Clean and maintain the school hall and other designated areas
- Laying out of furniture and equipment for meetings as laid out in weekly diary and/or moving of these within the school.
- Prepare school hall and rooms for daytime, evening and weekend use and activities, including setting out of furniture, clearing and cleaning up after these activities, within the normal hours of work, including lettings and community use in these hours.
- Take delivery of items; move them within the school as required.
- Carry out procedures in the event of fire, flood, breaking and entering, accident or major damage.
- Ensure that all hard areas, including playgrounds, carpark and school front as well as grassed areas, beds, borders and grounds are free from litter and excessive accumulations of dirt, rubbish and weeds.
- Ensure that all external hard areas are free of slip and trip hazards including ice (gritting when needed) and clearing leaves in the playground
- Emptying of litter baskets and bins. Maintain health and safety in the playgrounds including the of dustbin areas.
- Provide cleaning in the absence of cleaning staff.
- Ensure adequate stock of materials for cleaners
- Provide guidance and instruction to cleaners in all aspects of their work. During periods of school closures, the cleaning work will include any special tasks that become necessary, including the use of step-ladders in accordance with the HSE guidelines and other non-routine cleaning.

**Maintenance and repairs**
- Carry out maintenance and repairs of property, fixtures, fittings, equipment and furniture, minor improvement jobs and internal decorating, where such work is within the capabilities of a competent handyperson
- Report to line manager, maintenance and repair work which is beyond the competence of caretaker
- Direct workmen and contractors to the site of repair and maintenance work, with the SBM inspect the work of contractors where there is a requirement to sign a satisfaction note.
- Carry out routine procedures such as replace light bulbs, batteries, change clocks
- Ensure all caretaking (and where applicable, cleaning) equipment is in a safe clean and working condition.
- Ensure that all drains and gullies are free-flowing and clean.
- Operating the heating system so that the required temperatures are maintained