- Job title: Head Groundsperson
- Job Type: Permanent, Full Time, 8am-5pm
- Salary: £40,000-£50,000 per annum (£46,400-£58,000 if full pension flex benefit is utilised)
- Department: Estates
- Reporting to: Estates Director
- Location: Highgate, North London
- Start: October 2025
- Closing Date: 30 May 2025 at 5:00 pm
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We are looking for an experienced and proactive Head Groundsperson to lead the maintenance and development of our school's grounds and sports facilities. This hands-on role involves managing a skilled team, ensuring top-quality playing surfaces, and supporting the school's wider events and sustainability goals. The successful candidate will oversee a dedicated team and manage resources effectively.
The DepartmentThis department provides a service to the school in terms of: the security of school premises and the safety of pupils and staff; providing the highest quality environment for staff, pupils and visitors. Maintaining the public face of the school; external and internal mail services; storage and delivery of stationery supplies; safety and cleanliness of areas in the immediate vicinity of the schools; the moving of equipment and furniture; preparing rooms for assemblies, concerts, exams, functions and events; transportation of pupils and staff to extra-curricular activities and carrying out minor maintenance tasks.
Job Description
MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES Leadership & Team Management: - To take full responsibility for the day to day running and preparation of sports grounds and associated facilities to meet with the School's requirements.
- Supervise and robustly manage a team of grounds staff, providing guidance, training, and performance management.
- Plan, organise, and allocate tasks amongst the team to ensure efficient and effective grounds maintenance.
- Maintain a positive and collaborative team environment.
- Offer innovative proposals to improve the facilities provided for the pupils.
- Demonstrate an exemplar standard of expertise and workmanship across all tasks carried out by the department
Grounds Maintenance & Landscaping: - Maintain all areas of the school grounds, including lawns, gardens, sports pitches, and pathways, to a high standard.
- Carry out routine maintenance tasks such as mowing, strimming, edging, pruning, weeding, and planting.
- Ensure the safe and effective operation of all groundskeeping equipment, including lawnmowers, tractors, and other machinery.
- Implement and maintain a comprehensive grounds maintenance plan, including fertilization, pest control, and irrigation strategies.
- Continue to review industry best practice on grounds maintenance techniques, consumable products and technology to ensure the School remains a best in class facility
- Support the School's Sustainability and Environmental objectives whilst ensuring quality of provision is not compromised by continually reviewing available products and carrying out suitable trials where appropriate
Sports Facilities Management: - Ensure all sports facilities (e.g., pitches, courts, tracks) are in optimal condition for use, including marking out and preparation in line with timetable requirements, minimizing down time and prioritising academic activities.
- Carry out repairs and renovations to sports facilities as needed during School holiday periods.
- Monitor and address any issues with sports facilities promptly and safely.
- Undertake supervision and maintenance at the School's satellite sports sites.
Budgeting & Finance: - Manage and monitor a grounds budget covering labour resources, grounds maintenance materials, external contractors, machinery, maintenance, purchase of new equipment and capital works.
- Prepare the annual budget requests for the Grounds department including contingency provisions for adverse weather conditions.
- Coordinate the negotiation, purchase, storage and control of all consumable materials and services in a cost-effective manner.
- Follow the School's financial procedures that are set out in Standing Financial Instructions.
Safety & Compliance: - Ensure all groundskeeping activities are carried out in a safe and responsible manner, adhering to all relevant safety regulations and procedures.
- Conduct regular safety checks of grounds and equipment.
- Maintain accurate records of all ground's maintenance activities and equipment maintenance.
- Maintain a thorough knowledge of and ensure compliance with all relevant National and Local current legislation, ie. Health and safety, first aid, COSHH, environmental management and employment to ensure compliance.
- Conduct regular risk assessment programmes.
- Head the snow / ice clearance of pathways and roads as required during the winter months.
- Carry out regular Toolbox Talk training with the team to ensure safety and technical excellence standards are maintained
- Ensure all equipment and consumable items are stored in a safe and compliant fashion
Communication & Collaboration: - Close liaison with the Director of Sports to ensure their requirements are met.
- Communicate effectively with school staff, students, and parents regarding grounds maintenance issues and planned activities.
- Collaborate with other school departments, such as the sports department and wider estates department, to ensure effective coordination of activities.
- Set up for events (academic, commercial, alumni, and parent-led) when requested.
- Provide advice and guidance where necessary during planning for parent-led events to ensure the School's academic and commercial interests are appropriately preserved.
These duties and responsibilities are intended as a guide. They are not exhaustive: the position will be expected to undertake any reasonable task or responsibility as required by the Estates Director . Person Specification
- Criteria
- How will these be tested or verified?
- Qualifications
- Essential
- Full Manual Driving License - Highgate will request to view the individual's driving license during the recruitment process. The license will be checked for entitlement to drive the required category of vehicle
- Appropriate Level 2 or Level 3 Qualification in Groundskeeping or similar area
- Experience
- Essential
- Experience working in a similar role
- Experience of working as part of a team
- Basic understanding of Health and Safety and risk assessments
Desirable
- Experience working within an educational environment.
- Knowledge of child protection and safeguarding policies
- Basic First Aid experience
- Ability/Skills
- Essential
- Capable of working on his/her own initiative
- Quick-thinking and the ability to deal with situations as they arise
- Basic level of IT, written and communication skills
- Strong interpersonal and observational skills
- Ability to work calmly under pressure and multi-task
- Ability to work well as a member of a team
- Ability to communicate effectively with visitors to the school, pupils, teaching and support staff
- Personal Attributes
- Essential
- Reliable, confident and committed
- High degree of personal drive and motivation
- A team player with a flexible 'can do' approach
- A responsible and conscientious approach
- A polite and friendly manner
- Ability to understand and adapt to the culture of an independent day school
BenefitsLocation | Highgate Village, adjacent to Hampstead Heath, with quaint shops and easy connections across London.
Pension | AVIVA workplace pension scheme offered - 26% employer contribution, with the ability to flex up to 16% of this as additional non-pensionable salary, employees contribute a minimum of 5%.
Personal development | Comprehensive induction support for new staff. Focus on continued professional development for all employees.
Leisure facilities | Free access, at stipulated times, to our sports facilities, including a fitness suite and swimming pool (recently refurbished).
Holidays | Generous holiday allowance of 33 days (including bank holidays) for full-time staff. Most holidays will be taken during school holiday periods.
Lunch | A complimentary lunch including hot meals, sandwiches, salads, fresh fruit and dessert.
Help with sustainable travel | Access to the Cycle to Work Scheme and a Season Ticket Loan scheme for public transport.
Family-friendly policies | Highgate appreciates that employees sometimes have family commitments so we try to be as supportive as possible, for example with enhanced maternity pay (8 weeks' full pay, then 10 weeks' half pay) and paid dependant leave.
Working at HighgateA culture of community, kindness and belongingHighgate is a caring, open-minded community, where we promote kindness, empathy and friendship. Everyone who works and studies with us deserves to feel they are part of a welcoming environment that enables them to be themselves and to thrive as individuals.
Our community extends beyond the school, through partnerships, charity work and our commitment to equality, inclusion and sustainability. All members of our school community are encouraged to look outwards and play an active role.
Following a visit from the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI) in September 2024 to assess Highgate's regulatory compliance and school standards, we are pleased to share the inspection findings, which reports compliance in all five areas and a 'significant strength' in our teaching expertise.
Staff wellbeingHighgate is committed to staff wellbeing, which we promote by encouraging a strong work-life balance; trying our best to support flexible working requests; providing a nutritious complimentary lunch in the dining hall; and offering access to sporting facilities including our recently renovated swimming pool.
The Staff Wellbeing Committee, with representatives across the School, meets regularly to drive forward initiatives, and a selection of staff have been trained as Mental-Health First Aiders.
We encourage an open culture throughout our school, with regular staff surveys, action committees and opportunities to feedback. We strive for continual learning and improvement, and staff training and development is paramount. There are opportunities to participate in the wider life of our school, such as taking part in trips or societies and getting involved in partnership projects.
More details about working at Highgate can be found here:
Work with us Aims + Ethos
A fun, collaborative and forward-thinking environment with a real sense of community
- Philippa Studd, Junior School Principal
Charitable work and sustainabilityAs an independent school, we want to use our position as a charity effectively: to make high-quality education accessible to as many children as possible - through our bursary programme at Highgate and through our work with local state schools. We have partnerships with over 60 state schools across 7 London boroughs, and we are the principal educational sponsor for London Academy of Excellence, Tottenham - an academically-selective state sixth form in a community where such opportunities are lacking.
Alongside this, our staff and pupils undertake charitable activities throughout the year. These range from staff giving up their time to neighbourhood schools and charitable organisations, focused fundraising campaigns, to pupils undertaking community work in the local area or further afield.
As a school, we have a central role to play in educating our pupils, staff and parents about the importance of environmental sustainability. We are taking positive action to adapt our operational performance to tackle the negative effects of climate change. We encourage all our staff to reflect upon their personal and professional practices, to support our environmental agenda and to make positive changes wherever possible.
Application procedure- Closing Date: 30th May 2025
- First Interview: w/c 2nd June 2025
- Second Interview: w/c 9th June 2025
Contact: Recruitment Team are happy to answer any questions about this post.
Early Application: Applications will be considered 'as and when' received and we may close the vacancy if we appoint before the closing date.
Apply here
InclusionWe know that more diverse teams are stronger teams, and that the more inclusive we are, the more our staff and pupils will feel a sense of belonging and will thrive. To enable us to make reasonable adjustments, please let us know of any disabilities (including neuro-divergence) when you submit your application.
SafeguardingAs this role will have regular unsupervised contact with children you must, if appointed, comply with Highgate's Safeguarding Policy and Staff Code of Conduct. If in the course of carrying out the duties of the post the post holder becomes aware of any actual or potential risks to the safety and welfare of our pupils, these concerns must be reported immediately in accordance with the Safeguarding Policy. If whilst in the post, Highgate becomes aware of any safeguarding concerns to staff, pupils or the community; these will need to be followed up in line with the safeguarding policy and code of conduct which is underpinned by KCSIE and other legislation. These concerns may need to be shared with other agencies. A copy of these policies will accompany all offers of employment. Training will also be provided to all staff to support Safeguarding practice.
Please read before you applyHighgate is committed to the safeguarding and welfare of children and applicants must be willing to undergo child protection screening appropriate to this post, including checks with past employers, the Disclosure and Barring Service and overseas police check if necessary. Candidates from overseas must provide information about their past conduct, for example, by providing documents issued by overseas teaching authorities. DBS Privacy Policy
Please note that this role is 'exempt' from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and therefore, you are required to declare any convictions, cautions, reprimands and final warnings that are not 'protected' (i.e. filtered out) as defined by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (as amended in 2013). Shortlisted candidates will be asked to provide details of all unspent convictions and those that would not be filtered, prior to the date of the interview. DBS Code of Practice
In accordance with the latest guidance from KCSIE, we shall be conducting online searches on any candidates who are shortlisted.