Senior Grounds Person

THE ROLE

We are seeking a full-time, full-year permanent Senior Grounds Person to join our Grounds team working on our £60 million modern campus set in 80 acres in Prestbury, Cheshire.

The role involves working as part of a dedicated and experienced grounds team and assisting the Head Groundsman in the maintenance and development of amenities, general grounds and playing surfaces in this large school campus site. The successful candidate will also assist in ensuring safe and consistent quality of playing surfaces of our many sports pitches and facilities.

Job tasks include:

• Assistance with preparation and maintenance of sports pitches, and amenity surfaces, including artificial surfaces for the end user including pitch marking and set-up of a variety of sports;

• Use of various tractor and mowing equipment;

• Use of a variety of hand tools, such as strimmers, hedge cutters, backpack blowers and chainsaws (license would be preferred but not essential);

• Assistance in the preparation, implementation and monitoring of weekly and annual maintenance programmes to ensure the required standard of surface presentation, across the whole campus;

• Collaborate and source cost-effective third-party suppliers to organise repair works/projects;

• Ensure all equipment is correctly maintained and serviced;

• Maintain sports and grounds related facilities and buildings;

• Collaborate with other staff to develop outdoor areas, i.e. outdoor classrooms;

• Deputise for the Head Grounds Person as and when necessary.

Other duties may be assigned from time to time by the members of the Senior Management Team. This is not an exhaustive list and may vary as the school’s requirements change.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

The post would suit someone with a minimum of two years’ prior experience in a Grounds role in the education, hospitality, leisure sector or similar.

The successful candidate must have a flexible approach to the variety of jobs involved and able to work well within a team and individually unsupervised from instruction of the Head Grounds Person.

Key skills include:

• PA1/PA2 licence would be beneficial although not essential;

• Strong professional and/or academic qualifications in turf maintenance and sports ground management or horticulture, e.g. NVQ Level 2 in Amenity and Horticulture;

• Good understanding of machinery and maintenance is preferred. In house training will be provided;

• Full clean driver’s licence;

• Manual handling training;

• Good communication with pupils, parents and colleagues;

• Good understanding of Health & Safety and risk management;

• Strong organisational skills;

• Ability to work collaboratively and influence a team;

• Commitment to continuing professional development.

SALARY AND CONDITIONS

The post of Senior Grounds Person is available to start as soon as possible. The hours of work are 40 hours per week to be worked Monday to Friday from 8.00 am to 5.00 pm with an hour’s unpaid lunch break (lunch is provided as a staff benefit during term-time).

In addition, the post holder will be required to work reasonable additional hours as necessary, as the demands of the job require, including some evenings and weekends. This work requires a commitment to support and contribute to the smooth running of the school’s extra-curricular programme. Work at evening and weekend events will, with prior agreement, attract an equivalent period of time off in lieu.

The salary for this post will be dependent on experience and qualifications, and a contributory pension scheme including life assurance is available.

The school has a strong commitment to professional development and it is a condition of employment that all members of staff participate in any scheme of appraisal, review and professional development currently operating in the school.

Children of members of staff, subject to passing the entrance exam and the availability of places, may be educated at King’s with a substantial discount from the Junior Department to the Senior Divisions. We are a non-smoking establishment and an equal opportunities employer. We value diversity among pupils and staff and encourage applications from all individuals regardless of age, disability, sex, gender reassignment, sexual orientation, race, religion or belief and marriage and civil partnerships.

Potential applicants are urged to read our ‘Staff Benefits Booklet’, which details further employee benefits and seeks to explain why King’s is such a wonderful place to work. It can be found here.

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. Candidates should note that all appointments are subject to a routine enhanced check with the Disclosure and Barring Service.

APPLICATIONS

If you wish to discuss the post, informally, please speak to Carl McCormack, Head of Grounds, on 01625 260000. Your completed Application Form should be sent to Human Resources(staffvacancies@kingsmac.co.uk) as soon as possible, so that we receive it no later than 9.00 am on Friday 20th June 2025. The school prefers the form to be completed electronically. It is available from the school’s website: www.kingsmac.co.uk.

We hope to interview for this post during week commencing Monday 23rd June 2025.

Thank you for your application and for your interest in the King’s School. We regret that we can only write to those candidates short-listed and are unable to provide tours of the school until the interview stage. If you have not heard from us within two weeks of the closing date, please assume that your application has been unsuccessful.

Human Resources

The King’s School in Macclesfield

Alderley Road

Prestbury

Cheshire, SK10 4SP

Tel: 01625 260000

email: staffvacancies@kingsmac.co.uk

www.kingsmac.co.uk