Groundsperson - Sports Turf & Cricket
Sevenoaks School | Sevenoaks, Kent
£32,266 per annum
Full-time | Permanent
40 hours per week | Monday to Friday | 7:00am - 3:00pm
27 days' holiday | School lunch | Pension | Fitness centre membership
Are you an experienced Groundsperson with strong sports turf knowledge and practical experience preparing cricket wickets and playing surfaces?
Sevenoaks School is looking for a skilled and reliable Groundsperson to help maintain and enhance the sports facilities across its impressive 100-acre campus.
This is an excellent opportunity to join an established grounds team within one of the UK's leading independent schools. You will work across natural sports pitches, artificial surfaces, hard courts and cricket facilities, ensuring they remain safe, attractive and prepared to a consistently high standard.
The role would suit someone with a Level 3 sports turf qualification who takes pride in their work, understands seasonal turf maintenance and is comfortable operating professional grounds machinery.
About Sevenoaks School
Founded in 1432, Sevenoaks School is a leading co-educational day and boarding school for more than 1,200 students aged 11 to 18.
The school occupies a beautifully landscaped 100-acre campus in the Kent market town of Sevenoaks, adjoining the historic Knole deer park. The estate includes attractive gardens, listed buildings, boarding houses and extensive sports facilities.
Sevenoaks School is committed to providing an inclusive and supportive working environment, with a range of benefits and opportunities for staff to make use of the school's excellent facilities.
The role
As Groundsperson, you will support the maintenance, preparation and long-term development of the school's outdoor sports facilities.
Reporting to the Head of Grounds, with day-to-day guidance from the Senior Groundsperson, you will help maintain natural and artificial playing surfaces for football, rugby, cricket and other school sports.
A key part of the position will involve preparing cricket squares and wickets for matches and training, including both routine maintenance and seasonal renovation work.
What you'll be doing
- Maintaining natural sports turf, artificial pitches and hard courts
- Preparing, marking and presenting football, rugby and cricket pitches for matches and training
- Carrying out mowing, rolling, watering, fertilising, scarifying, seeding and top dressing
- Preparing cricket squares and wickets, including repairs and seasonal renovations
- Operating and carrying out basic checks on mowers, tractors, utility vehicles and handheld machinery
- Keeping sports areas, tools and equipment safe, clean and well maintained
- Completing seasonal duties including leaf clearance, gritting and snow removal
- Supporting school events, the wider estates team and sports staff as required
- Following all health and safety, safeguarding and school procedures
Training will be provided for individual machines and equipment where required.
What we're looking for
- Level 3 sports turf qualification or equivalent
- Previous experience maintaining sports pitches to a high standard
- Practical knowledge of cricket wicket and square preparation
- Confidence operating grounds maintenance machinery safely
- Good understanding of health and safety requirements
- Reliable, physically fit and comfortable working outdoors in all weather
- Able to work independently and as part of a team
- Full clean UK driving licence
The role will occasionally involve manual handling and working at height. Appropriate training will be provided.
Desirable experience and qualifications
- PA1, PA2, PA6 or PA6AW pesticide application certificates
- Experience maintaining sports pitches within a school or educational setting
- First aid qualification
Working hours
This is a full-time, permanent position working 40 hours per week throughout the year.
Core working hours are:
Monday to Friday, 7:00am - 3:00pm
You will also be required to work up to six Saturday mornings per year, from 7:00am - 11:00am, as part of a rota.
Some flexibility will be required during peak periods and to meet the operational needs of the school.
Salary and benefits
- Salary of £32,266 per annum
- 27 days' annual leave, increasing to 30 days after three years' service
- Bank holidays in addition to annual leave
- School lunch
- Defined contribution pension scheme
- Membership of the school's fitness centre
- Employee Assistance Programme
- Cycle-to-work scheme
- Free or discounted tickets for events at the school's performing arts centre
- Sevenoaks School Savers voluntary benefits scheme
- Fee remission policy, subject to terms
- Training on relevant grounds machinery
Safeguarding
Sevenoaks School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and expects all members of staff to share this commitment.
Any offer of employment will be subject to satisfactory pre-employment checks, including an enhanced DBS check with Children's Barred List information, references, verification of employment history and confirmation of fitness to undertake the role.
Apply today
If you are an experienced Groundsperson with strong sports turf and cricket preparation skills, and you would like to join an established team maintaining an outstanding school campus, we would like to hear from you.
