Groundskeeper

The Portsmouth Grammar School is a leading co-educational school located in the historic heart of Portsmouth. We are very much a family school known for excellent teaching, superb pastoral care and wide-ranging co-curricular opportunities and offer an education across the age range from Pre-School to Sixth Form.

a)  The Groundskeeper is part of the wider groundskeeping team providing efficient maintenance of grounds, preparation of playing surfaces, taking direction from the Head Groundskeeper, whilst safely operating machinery at the Hilsea Playing Fields to the highest possible standards in support of the sports and lettings programmes.

b)  Daily and weekly tasks will be directed by the Head Groundskeeper and these will need to be executed to the best of the ability of the successful candidate, seeking guidance where necessary.

c)  The successful candidate will need to be approachable and friendly to all staff, parents, visitors and pupils that may be involved in sporting activities in their area of work.

d)  The successful candidate will be supported by their Line Manager, the Head Groundskeeper, and will have access by email and phone to the Estates Coordinator, although all requests would routinely need to be submitted via the Head Groundskeeper. 

e)  The Head Groundskeeper is authorised to flex the groundskeeping team working hours to meet the changing sports and lettings programmes, with any overtime to be recompensed via ‘Time Off In Lieu’ (TOIL) or remuneration, with prior agreement having been sought.

This is a full-time position and the hours of work will be 37.5 hours per week, Monday to Saturday, where Saturday is the busiest day for sports fixtures, and thus Saturday working during term time is regularly required. Where Saturday working is required, it is expected a day off during the week will be taken in lieu, such that the 37.5 working hours are spread across five days each week. There may also be occasional Sundays that require groundskeeper support in the delivery of the lettings programme, and should this be required either a day off in lieu or overtime would be awarded.

The normal school hours of work are from 8.30am to 4.30pm, inclusive of a 30-minute unpaid lunch break each day, however you will be required to work flexibly on a regular basis as required by the Head Groundskeeper to cover some mornings and evenings in support of the sports programme, and on these days your hours of work will need to be adjusted accordingly. Under normal circumstances the earliest you would start work is 7.00am and the latest you would finish work is 6.00pm, and it is anticipated these earlier and later shifts and Saturday working will be fairly distributed across all the ground staff using a work rota.

The post-holder is also required to attend INSET (Professional Development Days) which are scheduled throughout the school year and to be available to attend relevant training or meetings on other dates as necessary during the year.

The Groundskeeper will be professional and friendly at all times, and will be able to demonstrate good interpersonal skills which are critical for effective communication with pupils, parents and staff across the school, and they will also need to plan their time whilst being flexible to meet the changing business needs of the school.

Some organisational skills are essential to be able to prioritise tasks and to work well with and take tasks from the Head Groundskeeper as part of a small professional team. The post holder will be self-motivated and able to work flexibly and under pressure.

How to apply:

Candidates are asked to apply using the online form linked to our advert on www.tes.com

 Any enquires about the role or how to apply are welcome at recruitment@pgs.org.uk

 The closing date is midday on Tuesday 6th August 2024 and interviews will be scheduled to take place on the school site as soon as possible thereafter, with a planned interview day on Wednesday 14th August 2024.

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 applicants may be required to provide details of their online profile, including social media account names/handles, as part of their application.

The 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.