Gardener & Site Team Operative

Start date: As soon as possible
Grade/pay scale: D3-6 (Based on £24,796 - £25,989 FTE)

• For 19.5 hours per week actual pro rata salary range is £13,068 - £13,697
• For 22.5 hours per week actual pro rata salary range is £15,079 - £15,804

Contract: 19.5 or 22.5 hours per week, 52 weeks per year, permanent
Working Pattern:

Specific working patterns and timings can be discussed at interview, options include:

Option One:

Monday, Tuesday & Fridays 10:00am - 5:00pm (30 minutes unpaid break) (19.5
hours per week)
Option Two:

Monday - Friday 09:30am - 2:30pm (30 minutes unpaid break) Growing Season (e.g.
April – October) (22.5 hours per week)
Monday - Friday 12:00pm - 5:00pm (30 minutes unpaid break) Colder Months (e.g.
November – March) (22.5 hours per week)

Please state your preferred working pattern in your application.

Responsible to: Commercial & Facilities Manager

An exciting opportunity has arisen to join Cheltenham Bournside School as a Gardener & Site Team Operative. We are looking to appoint a Gardener to join our  Site team. You will lead the school’s gardening and landscaping work, focusing on keeping the grounds maintained to a high standard throughout the year.

Job Description

Purpose

• To support the Commercial and Facilities Manager in leading all associated activities in order to best support the school in achieving its strategic objectives.
• To promote the school’s aims and priorities, and to achieve targets in line with the school’s strategic framework and short-term priorities.
• To lead the school’s gardening and landscaping work, focusing on keeping the grounds maintained to a high standard throughout the year.

Gardener

Specific Responsibilities

• Taking primary responsibility for the maintenance and presentation of the school’s smaller flower beds, planters and front-of-school entrance areas, ensuring these spaces reflect well on the school at all times and create a welcoming environment for pupils, staff and visitors.
• During the growing season (typically March to October), carrying out regular weeding, edging, deadheading, pruning and general tidying of all designated planted areas to maintain a consistently high standard of presentation throughout the school day.
• Planning and implementing seasonal planting schemes for flower beds and entrance displays in liaison with the Commercial and Facilities Manager, selecting appropriate plants, bedding and bulbs to ensure colour and interest throughout the year, working within agreed budget parameters.
• Maintaining healthy plant stock through appropriate watering, feeding and treatment for pests and disease, using approved products in accordance with COSHH regulations and the school’s health and safety policies, ensuring safe storage and disposal of all horticultural chemicals.
• Liaising with and supervising external grounds maintenance contractors when they are working on the larger school site, ensuring they have signed in, have appropriate risk assessments and method statements in place, and are working safely and in accordance with agreed scope of works; reporting any concerns to the Commercial and Facilities Manager.
• Liaising with and supervising external grounds maintenance contractors when they are working on the larger school site, ensuring they have signed in, have appropriate risk assessments and method statements in place, and are working safely and in accordance with agreed scope of works; reporting any concerns to the Commercial and Facilities Manager.
• Maintaining pathways, entrance areas and immediately adjacent hard surfaces in a clean and tidy condition, including sweeping, removing leaf fall, clearing moss and algae from paved areas, and ensuring all surfaces adjoining planted areas are kept free from encroaching growth.
• Carrying out regular trimming and shaping of hedges, shrubs and ornamental trees within the designated areas, ensuring that growth does not obstruct signage, lighting, CCTV cameras, sightlines or pedestrian access routes.
• Proactively identifying opportunities to improve the visual amenity of the school’s front-ofhouse areas, making recommendations to the Commercial and Facilities Manager regarding new planting, landscaping improvements or changes to seasonal displays that would enhance the school’s appearance and kerb appeal.
• Ensuring the safe and correct operation, regular cleaning and basic maintenance of all gardening tools and equipment (including powered tools such as strimmer’s, hedge trimmers and blowers), carrying out pre- use checks, reporting defects promptly and ensuring equipment is securely stored when not in use.
• Managing the collection, bagging and disposal of all green waste arising from gardening activities, including soil, cuttings, weeds and organic debris, ensuring correct segregation and disposal in line with the school’s waste management arrangements.
• Carrying out litter picking across all areas immediately surrounding the designated garden spaces, front entrance and car park, ensuring these areas remain clean, tidy and free from hazardous debris at all times during the school day.
• Working within the school’s health and safety framework at all times, including adhering to relevant risk assessments for all gardening activities, wearing appropriate personal protective equipment, and ensuring that gardening operations do not create hazards for pupils, staff or members of the public during the school day.

Site Team Operative

Specific responsibilities

• Maintenance of school premises including, internal fixtures, fittings and  furniture
• Ensuring standards of safety, cleanliness and tidiness are maintained and monitored throughout the school and grounds
• As a key holder to respond to emergency call-outs in the event of fire damage, burglary, floods, snow or ice etc.
• Security of the buildings and grounds
• Carrying out and supporting the general maintenance and upkeep of the site and buildings, managing building/repair works in liaison with the Commercial and Facilities Manager keeping appropriate logs, records and reports.
• Taking necessary steps for the security of the site from the start to the end of the school day
• Liaison, managing and controlling external contractors for the purpose of maintenance in the school and on site
• Ensuring the maintenance of boundaries, footpaths and car parks on the school site
• Assessing risks and taking all reasonable steps to restrict access to potential hazard
• Monitoring the site to ensure that all work areas are kept clear of obstruction, particularly those associated with fire escape routes
• Ensuring that snow and ice are cleared in order to maintain entrance, exit and communication routes to all buildings for pedestrians and essential deliveries or emergency vehicles
• Opening and closing the school at times determined by the Commercial and Facilities Manager, including ensuring that the fire and intruder alarms are fully operational.
• Ensuring the efficient and optimum operation of the schools heating system, including carrying out simple maintenance and arranging for the system to be overhauled and repaired by appropriate engineers when required.
• Cleaning duties including dining rooms and emergency cleaning which may be necessary to maintain hygiene standards.
• Ensuring sufficient stocks of essential janitorial materials are maintained e.g. soap, paper towels, toilet rolls, light bulbs etc.
• Convey waste produce to the appropriate central refuse area as required.
• Porterage/messenger duties both within and outside school premises.
• Movement of furniture and equipment around the school.
• Ensuring that washroom facilities/toilet areas are regularly inspected to maintain a high standard of cleanliness and that they are maintained with anadequate supply of soap, toilet rolls etc.
• Ensuring that waste pipes to all toilet basins and sinks are clear and cleaned.
• Removal of debris and leaves from downspouts, waste pipes and ensuring that manholes and drains are clean and operational.
• Monitoring the use of electricity, gas and water consumed and ensuring that any equipment connected to these services are left in a safe condition at the end of the school day and during holiday periods.
• Ensuring the safe storage of any flammable/toxic substance on site other than those in laboratories or workshops.
• Clean windows/glass surfaces.
• Cleaning of all internal venetian blinds. Clean light fittings/shades
• Carry out repairs as directed by the Commercial and Facilities Manager.
• Setting out and marking of all sports pitches.
• Inspection of all goal posts and pitches.
• Painting and maintaining all posts (rugby, football and hockey).
• Check all fire equipment within school to ensure that it is maintained in operational condition.
• To drive the minibus, maintain the vehicle in a clean and tidy condition (internally and externally) and check oil, water and tyre pressures of the minibus.
• Litter picking from all school grounds/areas
• To undertake training as required.

Person Specification
Qualification

Essential:

• Good literacy and numeracy skills (GCSE and above or equivalent)

Desirable:

• Experience and working knowledge in gardening
• Experienced and proven record in carrying out general maintenance tasks to the required standard.
• Working knowledge of the application of Health and Safety legislation regarding general maintenance areas and safe systems of work or willing to undertake trainings courses that are required for the post.
• Computer literate and comfortable using Microsoft Office365 applications

Experience, understanding and knowledge

Essential:

• Qualification in Horticulture/Gardening
• Experience of compliance monitoring in the workplace
• Qualified first aider

Desirable:

• Experience of working within a site team
• Experience of working in an education environment
• Knowledge of Safeguarding.
• An understanding of risk assessment.
• Lifting and handling course.
• Ability to work at heights and in a variety of different environments (hot, cold, humid, confined locations) as required.
• Full, current driving licence.

Please click on Apply Now to view the full Job Description and Person Specification and download an applications pack, or request one via the email address to the right of this advert.

If you would like to apply, please complete the online forms and email them via the email address to the right of this advert by the application deadline.