Groundsperson
Shiplake College
Oxfordshire
- Expired
- Salary:
- Salary between £21,000 to £30,000 depending on experience
- Job type:
- Full Time, Permanent
- Start date:
- As soon as possible
- Apply by:
- 5 November 2024
Job overview
An exciting opportunity awaits you at our prestigious College with cricket, rugby and football pitches as well as Astro Turf, all located in a stunning riverside setting. The successful applicant will be joining us at an exciting time when we have 6 new rugby/football pitches and are building a new full-sized artificial hockey pitch, MUGA and cricket nets to be brought into operation in early 2025.
We are dedicated to ensuring our grounds are maintained to the highest standards and as our sports facilities expand, we are looking for enthusiastic people to grow our team.
As a Groundsperson, you will be part of the grounds team and your responsibilities will include:
- Preparing and maintaining to a high standard our sports pitches including 3 cricket pitches, grass tennis courts, 8 rugby/football pitches and artificial playing surface
- Conducting sports turf renovation activities such as top dressing and overseeding. Pre-season preparation and end of season renovation of the cricket pitches
- Sports turf maintenance tasks including marking out initial pitches, over marking, mowing, scarifying, aeration and applying fertilizers and pesticides
- Operating and maintaining grounds maintenance equipment such as mowers, strimmers, leaf blowers, and tractors
- Ensuring cleanliness and tidiness in tools, workshops, and storage rooms
- Conducting regular inspections to ensure the safety and quality of playing surfaces
- Assisting with the planning and scheduling of grounds maintenance tasks
To excel in this role, you should possess the following qualities:
- Professional grounds maintenance experience or an appetite to learn
- Sound knowledge of and previous use of horticultural machinery or an appetite to learn
- Self-motivation and the ability to work both independently and as part of a team
- High attention to detail and commitment to maintaining high standards
- Physically fit, adaptable to changing schedules and working in various weather conditions
- Enthusiasm and dedication to contributing to a thriving school environment
- An interest in supporting the growth of our sports facilities
Hours of Work: This is a full-time position working 40 hours per week with an unpaid lunch hour and two paid 20-minute breaks. Additional hours will be required throughout the year, including weekend working for sporting and other events, hours are agreed in advance. Overtime attracts an additional payment.
We are ideally looking for an experienced Groundsperson however we will also consider applications if you have a keen interest in grounds or limited experience. We support personal growth and can offer comprehensive training and development opportunities.
Shiplake College offers a beautiful working environment, supportive colleagues, a contributory pension scheme and excellent free lunches. Staff are encouraged to make use of the on-site gym facilities and open-air swimming pool, during the summer months, alongside the opportunity to make the most of our riverside location.
Please visit our website to learn more about the College, our community, and our values.
A candidate pack together with an application form are available from www.shiplake.org.uk/vacancies
Co-educational boarding and day for ages 11-18
HMC, The Society of Heads, BSA
To arrange an informal visit to the College to learn more about the role, please email jobs@shiplake.org.uk or call 0118 9402455 and speak to Claire Smith for this to be arranged.
Shiplake College 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). Shiplake College is also committed to equality of opportunity for all staff and applications from individuals are encouraged regardless of age, disability, sex, gender reassignment, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief and marriage and civil partnerships.
Attached documents
About Shiplake College
Shiplake College is a thriving and relatively young HMC school. It caters for boarding and day pupils aged 11-18. There has been a co-educational Sixth Form since 1998 and in September 2023 girls joined in Year 7 (making up 42% of the cohort) as the College goes fully co-educational. In September 2023 it welcomed a record 521 pupils to the school - an increase from 400 in September 2013.
Overlooking the River Thames, two miles upstream of the famous Henley Royal Regatta stretch, pupils enjoy a beautiful and inspiring 45-acre rural site. The College is conveniently located near major air, railway and motorway networks, close to Reading, London and Oxford and just 40 minutes from Heathrow. Full, weekly and flexi-boarding is available from Year 9, with ad hoc ‘overnight stays’ also an option for day pupils.
Every pupil is placed at the heart of Shiplake life and the College’s ethos is underpinned by the three Is – Inclusive, Individual and Inspirational.
Shiplake provides a friendly, supportive and structured environment to bring out the best in each and every pupil. Renowned for outstanding pastoral care and personal development, the College welcomes pupils with wide-ranging skills and talents, who will make the most of the many opportunities offered to them. The College provides an education that is tailored to the individual, achieved through engaging and inspirational teaching, delivered in small classes where the teachers can know and understand each pupil’s method of learning.
Headmaster
Tyrone Howe
Values and Vision
Shiplake College understands the importance of not just an all-round education, but an education that offers specific skills needed in the modern job market to help students progress successfully after leaving. The admissions policy aims to identify potential students with a wide range of talents, to ensure a learning environment that offers the highest chance of success.
Our mixture of boarders and day pupils form a vibrant and busy community, where every day brings fresh challenges and new opportunities. At Shiplake, the passionate teaching and support staff make the energetic and dynamic boarding school a welcoming place in which to work. A rich and inspiringly-taught curriculum creates an environment where personal values and a strong work ethic can develop. This is underpinned by the finest pastoral care, and pupils are encouraged to participate in co-curricular pursuits such as sports, musical ensembles, drama productions or community service, which is as vital for personal development as classroom-based teaching. Taking a holistic approach to education is key to working at Shiplake; supporting our pupils in their endeavours and embracing the lifestyle at this busy and vibrant boarding school is paramount for anyone working here.
Pupils will leave Shiplake College well-shaped socially and academically, thanks to the structured and supportive nature of the school. Promoting Christian values, teachers encourage every pupil to respect their peers by exercising tolerance, compassion and humility.
Working at Shiplake College
As well as providing a fantastic learning and living environment for young people, Shiplake offers an enjoyable, challenging and rewarding working environment.
We strive to recruit the best possible teaching and support staff to drive the College forwards and ensure we continue to provide the best possible rounded education for our pupils.
For all teaching appointments, a willingness to participate in the varied extra-curricular life of a busy boarding and day school is essential. Shiplake has a contributory pension scheme (TPS or alternative option for support staff) and its own salary scale. Accommodation may be available on site and further paid responsibilities may also be available. Excellence in the classroom and an ability to inspire young people are paramount and non-negotiable.
Shiplake College offers a beautiful working environment, supportive colleagues and all staff enjoy a free lunch and evening meal if on duty. In addition, staff are encouraged to make use of the onsite gym facilities, open air swimming (during summer months), and join a variety of staff teams such as football, touch rugby and cricket.
ISI Report
In its ISI Inspection in May 2022, Shiplake College achieved full compliance and the top category of EXCELLENT in both “the quality of the pupils’ academic and other achievements” and “the quality of the pupils’ personal development”.
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