Groundsperson

King's Ely Today; Ely; On-site; GBP 27,000 - 30,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading educational institution in the UK is seeking a Groundsperson to support grounds maintenance across a 70-acre site. Responsibilities include operating heavy machinery, maintaining high standards, and collaborating on larger projects. The ideal candidate will have experience in grounds care and a commitment to safety. This full-time position offers a salary of £27,352 – £29,332 per annum, 33 days of paid holiday, and opportunities for professional development.

Benefits

Generous annual leave

Pension scheme

Private healthcare insurance

Discounts at local businesses

Use of school gym and pool

Qualifications

• Experience with larger ride-on machinery including tractors.
• Skilled in the use of hand tools and petrol equipment.
• Ability to maintain high standards of grounds upkeep.

Responsibilities

• Assist in maintaining and developing school grounds.
• Focus on sport and general grounds maintenance.
• Collaborate with gardens section on projects.

Skills

Machinery operation

Grounds maintenance

Safety awareness

Tools

Tractors

Hand tools

Job description

Groundsperson – Responsibilities

The Groundsperson will report to the Head Groundsman daily. The main responsibility of the Groundsperson is to assist in the maintenance and development of the grounds across the 70‑acre School site, more specifically, focusing on sport and general grounds maintenance.

• Maintain and develop the grounds to the high standards expected by the school.
• Be skilled and competent in the use of larger ride‑on machinery including tractors with 3‑point link and towed implements for turf and artificial surface maintenance.
• Use a wide range of hand tools as well as petrol, two‑stroke and electric equipment.
• Work in a manner that always ensures your safety and the safety of others.
• Collaborate with the gardens section for larger Grounds and Gardens projects, event preparation and joint maintenance works.

Remuneration and Hours

• 40 hours per week Monday – Friday, 7.00 a.m. – 3.30 p.m. with a 30‑minute unpaid break.
• Additional approximate 5 Saturday mornings, 8.00 a.m. – 1.00 p.m., term‑time only, on a rota basis once familiar with the school campus.
• Start date: February 2026.
• Salary: £27,352 – £29,332 per annum.

Terms and Conditions

• Enrolment in the statutory auto‑enrolment pension scheme – employee contribution 5 % and employer contribution 3 %.
• Annual leave: 33 days’ paid holiday per annum, including bank and public holidays (three days of which must be taken during a whole‑school shutdown at Christmas).
• Staff may educate their own children in any of the three parts of the school or at Fairstead House, subject to availability and successful admissions procedures.
• Staff enjoy a discretionary discount on fees for children in Reception year onwards; details provided upon request.
• Optional private healthcare insurance scheme – staff may join at their expense, starting on 1 November each year; the scheme can only be joined at the start of the policy year.
• School lunch provided during lunch time and tea and coffee throughout the day.
• Limited use of the school gym facilities (specific times) and the school swimming pool during summer school holidays (small fee applies).
• Limited free on‑site parking.
• Access to a 24/7 Employee Assistance Programme for employees and their dependants.
• Availability of salary‑sacrifice schemes such as Cycle2Work, Home and Tech Scheme and Local Gym Membership.
• 10 % discount on all King’s Ely school uniform ordered for own children from Schoolblazer.
• Discounts at local businesses including Poet’s House, The Almonry Kitchen & Tearoom, Ely Grazing Company, Sushi and Salad, Griddle Bar and Meathouse, and The Pantry (Newmarket).
• King’s Ely is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children; applicants must be willing to undergo child protection screening appropriate to the post, including checks with past employers and the Disclosure & Barring Service.
• Interview selection requires photographic proof of identity (passport or driving licence), birth certificate, proof of National Insurance Number or right to work in the UK, proof of address, and certification of declared qualifications.

King’s Ely exists to make the most and best of childhood, and in particular to give the very best education, opportunities and pastoral care to as diverse a community of children as we can. In doing so, we aim to prepare each one to live positive, productive, successful and fulfilled lives, for the betterment of themselves and the world around them.

We achieve this through the operation of a family of schools centred around a 2‑19 co‑educational day and boarding school in Ely, drawing fully on our exceptional environment, history, physical, cultural, spiritual and human resources.

History: King’s Ely traces its origins from at least 970 AD, making it one of the oldest schools in Europe. The School was first established to educate the choristers of the worshiping community of Ely and has maintained strong links with Ely Cathedral throughout our history.

In 1541, King Henry VIII founded a College of Canons at Ely Cathedral to replace the monks whose monastery was dissolved in 1539, and the School received its Royal Charter, later becoming known as “The King’s School.”

King’s Ely today has expanded rapidly, becoming co‑educational in 1970, and now educates around 1,100 children aged 2–18 at Ely, including 185 boarders. The school is divided into three sections: King’s Ely Senior (age 13–18) and King’s Ely Prep (age 7–13), which occupy adjacent campuses and benefit from shared facilities, and King’s Ely Acremont and Nursery (ages 2–6) which have their own self‑contained campus about 400 m from the main site.

Additionally, Fairstead House School in Newmarket (for pupils aged 1–11) joined the King’s Ely family of schools in 2022. The main campus extends to around 75 acres and contains buildings spanning the thirteenth to twenty‑first centuries, including many of the historic monastic buildings adjacent to Ely Cathedral as well as more recent, purpose‑built facilities and almost 40 acres of playing fields.

King’s Ely serves a vital role in the local community, as one of Ely’s largest employers, contributing greatly to the local economy, and continuing to educate the choristers of Ely Cathedral.

King’s Ely offers a number of bursaries to enable pupils from all walks of life to benefit from the education it offers. In its recent ISI Inspection (March 2025), King’s Ely met or exceeded all regulatory standards and was judged to have a significant strength in the way in which its high‑quality pastoral care is interwoven with a dynamic enrichment programme, enabling “pupils of all ages to develop their independence, intellectual curiosity, creativity and socialisation particularly well”.

The School is affiliated with the HMC, Society of Heads, IAPS, the Boarding Schools’ Association and the Choir Schools’ Association.