Caretaker

St Paul's CofE Primary School; Dorking; On-site; GBP 21,000 - 27,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

On-site accommodation

Job summary

St Paul’s CofE Primary School in Dorking seeks a flexible, detail-oriented Caretaker (36 hours per week) to work across two sites. The role includes on-site accommodation (a 2-bedroom flat) to support attendance in emergencies, with a service occupancy charge of 12.5% of salary.

You will handle janitorial duties, maintenance, portering, and safety checks to create a conducive learning environment. You will collaborate with the SBM and Headteacher on maintenance plans, oversee contractors, and

Qualifications

• Flexible approach to hours to cover caretaking services.
• Natural attention to detail and ability to self-review.
• Strong communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Clean and maintain the school site inside and outside to support a safe learning environment.
• Carry out emergency cleaning and liaise with contractors for maintenance work.
• Perform site maintenance including heating, lighting, plumbing, and minor repairs as needed.
• Provide portering and furniture moving support; manage deliveries and setup for events.
• Monitor contractors and ensure safety, hygiene products, and consumables are stocked.
• Contribute to cost efficiency by managing energy and water use and reporting to SBM/Headteacher.
• Adhere to safeguarding policies and report concerns; maintain professional liaison with staff, visitors, and parents.

Skills

Flexible approach

Attention to detail

Self-review

Process compliance

Initiative

Proactive

Communication skills

Job description

Caretaker (36 hrs per week)

Are you someone who enjoys variety and takes pride in their work? Are you a team player who cares about the right school environment to support teaching children? You could be who we are looking for!

This role is for a Caretaker to work across two close sites in Dorking, the main site being St Paul's CofE Primary School. Onsite accommodation (2 bedroomed flat) is provided for this role to enable ease of attendance in an emergency (service occupancy charge of 12.5% of salary).

Duties and responsibilities

Cleaning

You will be responsible for ensuring that the school site, both inside and outside, is kept clean and tidy in order to minimise risks to the health and safety of those using the school site and to ensure the activities of the school can take place in an environment suited to learning.

You will be responsible for the collection and disposal of refuse and for replenishing hand towels, soap and toilet rolls as required.

You will be responsible for carrying out emergency cleaning as required including unblocking of the drainage system.

You will be responsible for liaising with both our cleaning and grounds contractors and ensuring that all areas are maintained to the correct standard.

Site Maintenance

You will be responsible for maintaining the site, ensuring that it looks loved and in a good state of repair in order to minimise risks to the health and safety of those using the school site and to ensure that the activities of the school can take place in an environment suited to learning. This will include a check of the whole site every morning.

You will be responsible for ensuring the heating and lighting is maintained in all parts of the premises, including operating the heating plant to maintain required temperatures and carrying out frost precaution procedures as necessary.

You will be responsible for carrying out the required compliance checks for water, emergency lighting and the fire alarm.

You will be responsible for carrying out regular checks and maintenance of drains and gullies to ensure they are free flowing and clean.

You will be responsible for carrying out any emergency and first line repairs within your capability, e.g. electrical work, plumbing and heating, painting and decorating, carpentry and joinery and glazing.

You will liaise with the SBM and Head Teacher in the preparation of long and short-term maintenance programmes and where appropriate decide which repairs require outside contractors.

You will be responsible for any contractors attending the site, explain nature of the works to them, monitoring their performance, inspecting their completed work and accompanying them for their work. You will also be responsible for ensuring that contractors are aware of relevant health and safety measures in force at the school.

You will be a keyholder for the school site and responsible for securing it at the end of each day.

You will be responsible for providing safe access to the school building in the event of extreme weather such as snow, or a minor flood or any other emergency situations.

Portering

You will be responsible for providing a portering and furniture moving service if required.

You will be responsible for ensuring all deliveries are taken to the finance room and then distributed across the school when ready. This will include fruit and milk.

You will be responsible for the daily setting out and clearing away of tables and chairs in dining areas, and the setting up of furniture in connection with any hall use. eg assemblies, parents evenings etc.

Monitoring

You will need to establish and maintain procedures to ensure that the school site is kept in a good state of repair, clean, safe and stocked with all necessary supplies.

You will need to monitor the performance of outside contractors working on the school site and inspect completed work.

You will need to monitor the standards of cleaning and grounds maintenance provided by the school cleaning and grounds contractors.

You will need to check supplies of cleaning materials, personal hygiene products and sundry items and replace as required.

You will need to record meter readings for gas, water and electricity as and when required.

Cost Effectiveness

We would like you to contribute to the Trust’s objectives of achieving greater value for money in the maintenance of the buildings and site.

We would like you to manage, schedule, and monitor the use of heating, lighting and other mains services to all areas of the site and advise the SBM or Headteacher in order to ensure the most economical use of fuel and water.

General

This role requires you to comply with policies and procedures relating to safeguarding, child protection, confidentiality, data protection, compliance and health and safety, and to report any concerns to the appropriate person.

You will need to maintain a professional attitude when liaising with staff, visitors, parents and children.

You will need to undertake all training as required and in a timely manner.

You may need to carry out any other similar duties as required by the Senior Leadership Team

Person specification

This role will require you to have a flexible approach to your work and possibly hours, to cover caretaking services both during a usual school day and also in the event of school events or potential lettings.

You will have a natural attention to detail and ability to self-review work

You will have the ability to understand and follow processes, to sense check information provided and to think outside the box.

You will be proactive and work on your own initiative

You will have strong communication skills

Safeguarding

The Good Shepherd Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. We ensure that all our employment practices reflect this commitment. All appointments are made subject to an enhanced DBS clearance (Disclosure and Barring Service), satisfactory references and qualification checks. All staff are required to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and young people and follow Trust policies and the staff code of conduct.

Please note that this list of duties is illustrative of the general nature and level of responsibility of the role. It is not a comprehensive list of all tasks that the team member will carry out. The postholder may be required to perform other duties appropriate to the level of the role.