Caretaker

Solent Infant School; Sunderland; On-site; GBP 26,000 - 27,000; Full time

Job summary

Solent Infant School in Sunderland is seeking a diligent Caretaker to join the site team. The role involves managing the school site, buildings and grounds, ensuring daily security, and overseeing use of facilities while supporting out-of-hours events.

The ideal candidate will have practical skills for maintenance and repairs, with training available for minibus duties and compliance checks. The De Curci Trust affiliation may require work across Trust academies.

Responsibilities

• Primarily manage the Solent Infant School site, grounds and buildings including undertaking morning site inspection identifying any issues/risks
• Oversee general security for the site, arrange locking and unlocking of the premises and be a key holder
• Manage site utilisation during times that facilities are required, ensuring users special requirements are, as far as possible, met
• Line manage the cleaners, ensuring workloads are prioritised effectively assisting the team in times of absence/high need
• Maintain accurate paperwork in line with related administrative processes
• Arrange and supervise contractors on site
• Carry out regular compliance checks such as water, fire alarms, emergency lighting, fire extinguishers, visual checks of electrical equipment etc
• Undertake a range of repairs, maintenance and decoration which may include working at height
• Be flexible to meet the needs of the school and support out of school events
• Ensure that the highest standards of Health and Safety are maintained including undertaking regular training to ensure compliance with current legislation
• Know how to assess risk, reporting where necessary and taking remedial action
• Be required to drive the school minibus, transporting children to and from trips. Experience is desirable, although full training can be provided
• Ensure gullies, gutters, down pipes and drainage systems, including foul drains, are free from blockages, arranging maintenance where required whilst being mindful of Health and Safety Regulations.
• Undertake emergency cleaning during the school day where required due to accidents, illness, vandalism, building and equipment failure
• Operate and monitor the heating and plant throughout the school, carrying out frost protection procedures when required
• Ensure the boiler/plant room, site office and other designated areas of the school (identified through consultation with Head of School/Bursar) are kept clean and tidy
• Enjoy working in a child-centred environment taking pride in all aspects of their work to ensure our school buildings and grounds are maintained to a high standard
• Ensure that a high level of confidentiality and professionalism is maintained

Job description

Caretaker

Closing Date: Midday Monday 2nd November 2026

Interview Date(s): Friday 6th November 2026

Job Start Date: Ideally Monday 30th November 2026, but may be earlier subject to clear pre-employment checks

Salary: Pay Band 4 (£26033 - £27346)

Contract: Permanent, 52 weeks, Full Time

Hours of Work: 37hours per week 4 days 09.00-18.00 (with an hour for lunch) and 1 day 13.00-18.00. Plus overtime as required

We are looking for a well organised, self-motivated person with a range of practical skills who likes a challenge, to join our friendly and approachable staff team. Both experienced and new to role would be welcome to apply given relevant skills. The Caretaker will report directly to the Bursar. As well as undertaking general maintenance, you will assist in the day to day operational management, safety and security of the school site, along with accurate record keeping in line with compliance checks. Although you will primarily be based at Solent Infant School, there may also be the need to work across both the Solent School sites.

The applicant would need to be practically minded and able to apply their skills to any areas required of a site team. The applicant may be required to undertake the occasional minibus driving duty transporting children to and from events. Experience of this is desirable although MIDAS training can be given. There may also be the need to be flexible to meet the needs of the school and support out of school events.

The successful candidate will:-

• Primarily manage the Solent Infant School site, grounds and buildings including undertaking morning site inspection identifying any issues/risks
• Oversee general security for the site, arrange locking and unlocking of the premises and be a key holder
• Manage site utilisation during times that facilities are required, ensuring users special requirements are, as far as possible, met
• Line manage the cleaners, ensuring workloads are prioritised effectively assisting the team in times of absence/high need
• Maintain accurate paperwork in line with related administrative processes
• Arrange and supervise contractors on site
• Carry out regular compliance checks such as water, fire alarms, emergency lighting, fire extinguishers, visual checks of electrical equipment etc
• Undertake a range of repairs, maintenance and decoration which may include working at height
• Be flexible to meet the needs of the school and support out of school events
• Ensure that the highest standards of Health and Safety are maintained including undertaking regular training to ensure compliance with current legislation
• Know how to assess risk, reporting where necessary and taking remedial action
• Be required to drive the school minibus, transporting children to and from trips. Experience is desirable, although full training can be provided
• Ensure gullies, gutters, down pipes and drainage systems, including foul drains, are free from blockages, arranging maintenance where required whilst being mindful of Health and Safety Regulations.
• Undertake emergency cleaning during the school day where required due to accidents, illness, vandalism, building and equipment failure
• Operate and monitor the heating and plant throughout the school, carrying out frost protection procedures when required
• Ensure the boiler/plant room, site office and other designated areas of the school (identified through consultation with Head of School/Bursar) are kept clean and tidy
• Enjoy working in a child-centred environment taking pride in all aspects of their work to ensure our school buildings and grounds are maintained to a high standard
• Ensure that a high level of confidentiality and professionalism is maintained

In return we will offer:-

• A caring and positive environment inspired by our strong ethos
• A team committed to the wellbeing of staff and pupils
• The opportunity to work within a ‘good’ school amongst a hardworking team of friendly staff
• A supportive, friendly and welcoming school team
• Superb working conditions and environment
• Appropriate training as required

Visits to our school are warmly welcomed and encouraged. Please contact Solent Infant School on 023 9237 1073 to arrange an appointment time. You will be based predominantly at Solent Infant School. However, as you will be appointed to The De Curci Trust, you may be required to work in any of The De Curci Trust’s academies or in any of the schools/academies that the Trust is supporting as reasonably directed by the CEO. The ability to travel independently between DCT academies/schools is therefore essential.

Please note we do not accept CV’s.

The De Curci Trust and The Solent Schools (Solent Infant School and Solent Junior School) are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers and other third parties to share this commitment. Safer recruitment practice and pre-employment background checks will be undertaken before any appointment is confirmed. We will ensure that all our recruitment and selection practices reflect this commitment. All successful candidates will be subject to Disclosure and Barring checks along with all other relevant employment checks.

As you will be appointed to The De Curci Trust, you may be required to work in any of The De Curci Trust’s academies or in any of the schools/academies that the Trust is supporting as reasonably directed by the CEO. The ability to travel independently between DCT academies/schools is therefore essential.

Completed application forms will be passed to the recruitment panel for shortlisting and will be reviewed against the person specification detailed in the advert. Applications will be assessed upon receipt, and we reserve the right to interview and appoint prior to the closing date. An early application is therefore strongly advised.