Grounds Person
Forest School - Snaresbrook, London, E17 3PY
Full-Time | Permanent
Monday to Friday, 08:00 - 17:00
School holidays: 08:00 - 15:00 | Occasional weekend work as required
£32,000 - £35,000 per year
Driving licence required
Please note: if you choose to apply for this position, you will be contacted and asked to complete an online application form before your application can progress to the next stage. Please ensure that your contact details are up to date before proceeding.
Join a well-respected school where your work will be seen, valued and take real pride of place
Are you an experienced Grounds Person or Sports Grounds Operative looking for a permanent role with variety, stability and high-quality sports facilities to maintain?
Forest School is looking for a hands-on and reliable Grounds Person to help maintain and develop its sports grounds and outdoor spaces. This is an excellent opportunity for someone with experience in sports grounds maintenance, sports turf, pitch marking, grounds maintenance machinery, and the upkeep of both grass and artificial surfaces.
You'll be joining a professional environment where standards matter, your work makes a visible difference every day, and you'll play an important role in preparing and maintaining surfaces used for sport, lessons and fixtures.
What's on offer
- £32,000 - £35,000 salary
- Permanent, full-time role
- 30 days' holiday
- Free hot lunch and refreshments
- Generous CPD budget
- Pension scheme
- Contribution towards private medical insurance
- Life assurance and personal accident scheme
- Subsidised leisure centre membership
- Opportunity to work in a well-established school with excellent facilities
The role
As Grounds Person, you will support the day-to-day running, presentation and maintenance of the school's sports grounds and wider external areas.
You'll be working on a range of surfaces and spaces including:
- Football pitches
- Rugby pitches
- Cricket areas
- Hockey surfaces
- Tennis courts
- Athletics areas
- Artificial and synthetic surfaces
- General landscaped and planted areas
Key responsibilities
- Preparing and maintaining sports pitches and playing surfaces
- Setting out and marking pitches for lessons and matches
- Operating pedestrian mowers, ride-on mowers, tractors and tractor-mounted implements
- Carrying out aeration, seeding, top dressing, fertilising, brushing, watering and weeding
- Assisting with the renovation and repair of sports turf and synthetic areas
- General grounds maintenance across the school site
- Supporting the upkeep of trees, hedges, paths and landscaped areas
- Carrying out routine equipment checks and reporting defects
- Helping ensure machinery, materials and outbuildings are safely stored and maintained
- Supporting site safety, security and health and safety compliance
- Assisting with seasonal duties including snow clearance and salting paths
What we're looking for
We'd like to hear from candidates with previous experience in roles such as:
Grounds Person, Sports Grounds Operative, Sports Turf Operative, Grounds Maintenance Operative, Greenkeeper, Assistant Grounds Person or School Groundskeeper
Essential:
- Full UK driving licence
- Previous experience in sports grounds maintenance or sports turf maintenance
- Experience using a range of grounds maintenance machinery and equipment
- Experience with pitch marking and initial setting out
- Good working knowledge of health and safety
- Competence in the safe handling of chemicals, fuels, plant and machinery
- A proactive attitude and pride in achieving high standards
- Good timekeeping and a flexible, reliable approach
Desirable:
- Experience working in a school or independent school
- NVQ Level 2 or Level 3 in Sports Turf Management
- Level 2 Grounds qualification
- Horticultural qualifications
- PA1 and PA6 certificates
- Good basic IT skills
Why apply?
This is a great opportunity for someone who enjoys seeing the direct results of their work. If you take pride in producing safe, well-presented playing surfaces and want a role where your skills in grounds maintenance, sports turf, pitch preparation and machinery operation will be genuinely valued, this could be an excellent next step.
Safeguarding
Forest School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people. This role is subject to an enhanced DBS check and safeguarding requirements.
Apply now
If you have experience in grounds maintenance, sports turf maintenance, school grounds, pitch marking or sports pitch preparation, we'd love to hear from you.
INDGM