Caretaker

Shorefields; Rayleigh; Hybrid; GBP 11,000 - 12,000; Part time

Benefits offered by this job

Employee Assistance programme

Generous annual leave entitlement

Job summary

The Sweyne Park School is seeking a proactive Caretaker to join our premises team in Rayleigh, Essex. The role is based mainly at the Sweyne Park School with some Trust-wide site coverage.

You will maintain buildings and grounds, respond to maintenance issues, and support safety and security across the site. The ideal candidate will have hands-on maintenance skills, a Full UK driving license, and be comfortable working flexibly to cover after-hours lettings.

Qualifications

• Experience of working within a school or education environment is desirable but not essential.
• Full UK driving licence for travel between sites or to collect materials.
• Basic IT skills and good time management.

Responsibilities

• Perform routine maintenance tasks, including repairs and general upkeep of the premises and reporting faults and taking appropriate action where necessary
• Maintain the cleanliness and general appearance of the school site, including litter picking and keeping external areas tidy
• Ensure the school premises are safe, secure and well maintained
• Provide site maintenance and security
• Respond and resolve maintenance issues as they arise, ensuring any problems are addressed in a timely, professional, and efficient manner
• Set up and clear rooms and areas for school activities, meetings, events, examinations and lettings as required
• Work closely with other team members, contractors, and the school management team to ensure the smooth running of the school's operations
• A flexible, team‑oriented approach with a commitment to delivering a high‑quality service to the Trust
• Strong troubleshooting skills with the ability to identify and resolve issues quickly
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to work collaboratively with staff and external contractors
• The role involves a range of practical tasks that will include manual handling, working at height, and operating in varying environmental conditions
• Strong time management skills with the ability to prioritise tasks effectively
• Basic IT skills
• Full UK driving licence for potential travel between sites or to collect materials
• Experience of working within a school or education environment is desirable but not essential

Job description

Position Start Date: Immediate Contract Type: Part-time Contract Term: Permanent

Application Close: 16/10/2026 Midnight Date of Interviews: TBC

The Sweyne Park School is a thriving academy school located in Rayleigh, Essex, providing educational experience for the local community and the lead school within the Rayleigh Schools Trust. We are seeking a proactive, dedicated, and highly organised Caretaker with hands‑on caretaking skills to maintain the school's buildings and grounds to a high standard, ensuring the smooth running and upkeep of our site. While the role is primarily based at The Sweyne Park School, some ad hoc work may take place across the Trust. The current Premises Team includes Duty Caretakers, Groundsman, evening and weekend staff.

Key Responsibilities

• Perform routine maintenance tasks, including repairs and general upkeep of the premises and reporting faults and taking appropriate action where necessary
• Maintain the cleanliness and general appearance of the school site, including litter picking and keeping external areas tidy
• Ensure the school premises are safe, secure and well maintained
• Provide site maintenance and security
• Respond and resolve maintenance issues as they arise, ensuring any problems are addressed in a timely, professional, and efficient manner
• Set up and clear rooms and areas for school activities, meetings, events, examinations and lettings as required
• Work closely with other team members, contractors, and the school management team to ensure the smooth running of the school's operations
• A flexible, team‑oriented approach with a commitment to delivering a high‑quality service to the Trust
• Strong troubleshooting skills with the ability to identify and resolve issues quickly
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to work collaboratively with staff and external contractors
• The role involves a range of practical tasks that will include manual handling, working at height, and operating in varying environmental conditions
• Strong time management skills with the ability to prioritise tasks effectively
• Basic IT skills
• Full UK driving licence for potential travel between sites or to collect materials
• Experience of working within a school or education environment is desirable but not essential

Salary, Benefits, and Working Pattern

• Salary between Scale 4, Point 8 and 9 (£11,233/£11,413) dependent on experience
• Monday to Thursday 2pm to 5pm, Friday 7pm to 10pm. 15 hours per week
• Flexibility is required to cover ad hoc late night lettings, annual leave, and sickness absence when required
• Responsibility as a designated Emergency and Alarm response staff member is required on a rota basis
• Generous annual leave entitlement
• Employee Assistance programme

The Sweyne Park School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and expects all staff to share this commitment. The successful applicant's appointment will be subject to satisfactory referencing and an enhanced clearance by the Disclosure & Barring Service.

Information about the School

Welcome to The Sweyne Park School, we are a larger than average mixed, 11-18 comprehensive school. The School became an academy on 1st April 2013 and opened its Sixth Form in September 2014.

Our school is a safe and happy environment and central to our school is a belief in respect - respect for yourself, respect for others and respect for the environment. We believe that our focus on respect leads to high expectations and excellent discipline, and this in turn leads to the highest possible achievement for each individual pupil. In December 2018 we were the first Secondary School in the East of England to achieve the prestigious Rights Respecting Gold Award.

At Sweyne Park we are determined to provide first class teaching and learning for all our pupils. This aim is supported by our commitment to recruiting and retaining the very best staff, and our nationally recognised programme of staff training. We do our utmost to ensure our pupils achieve strong examination results and progress on to high quality destinations. We provide a broad and balanced academic curriculum with a wide range of cultural, artistic, sporting and social opportunities.We are committed to very strong partnerships between home, school and community members. We believe that the whole community can contribute to motivating and supporting pupils’ progress.In October 2017, the Sweyne Park School and Glebe Primary formed a Multi‑Academy Trust, the Rayleigh Schools Trust (The RST).

All appointments are subject to safer recruitment requirements to ensure the safeguarding of children and young people. All positions will involve appropriate checks and clearances.

Kelly Gelder
Sweyne Park School
Sir Walter Raleigh Drive, Rayleigh
Essex, SS6 9BZ Telephone: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]