Groundsperson

Claires Court; Thatcham; On-site; GBP 26,000 - 31,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Pension scheme

Free parking at school sites

Uniform and equipment provided

Meals during school day

Job summary

Claires Court is seeking a Groundssperson / Estates Grounds Technician to maintain school grounds, pitches and gardens across local sites in Maidenhead, Berkshire. This full-time, permanent role runs Monday to Friday, 40 hours per week, starting October 2026, with a competitive salary dependent on experience.

You will work independently within the Estates team, operating machinery safely and ensuring areas are safe, compliant and presented to a high standard.

Qualifications

• Proven experience in amenity grounds maintenance or greenkeeping.
• Full, clean UK driving licence essential; travel between sites.
• NVQ Level 2/3 in Sports Turf Management or Amenity Horticulture preferred; PA1/PA6 desirable.

Responsibilities

• Prepare and maintain natural turf and synthetic sports surfaces.
• Mow, scarify, aerate, fertilise, roll and line mark pitches.
• Maintain gardens, landscapes, woodland and external areas.
• Seasonal planting, pruning and hedge cutting; weed control.
• Identify improvements to grounds and landscape and implement them.
• Safely operate and maintain grounds machinery; carry out safety checks.
• Support deliveries, school events and weather-related preparations.
• Complete machinery records and COSHH documentation.

Skills

Grounds maintenance experience

Driving licence (UK)

Outdoor work durability

Education

NVQ Level 2/3 in Sports Turf Management or Amenity Horticulture

Tools

Mowers/tractors

Job description

Bring your grounds expertise to a varied Monday to Friday role, caring for beautiful school grounds and preparing pitches pupils are proud to play on.

Groundsperson / Estates Grounds Technician

Location: Maidenhead, Berkshire

Salary: Competitive, dependent on experience

Hours: 40 hours per week, Monday to Friday, 52 weeks per year

Contract: Permanent, full time

Start: October 2026

Are you an experienced groundsperson, greenkeeper or grounds maintenance professional looking for more variety, responsibility and the chance to see the difference your work makes every day?

Join Claires Court and take pride in creating safe, attractive and professionally maintained grounds where pupils can learn, play and compete. From preparing sports pitches for fixtures to caring for landscaped areas throughout the seasons, this is a rewarding outdoor role where your expertise, initiative and attention to detail will be genuinely valued.

About the Role

As Estates Grounds Technician, you will help maintain the school's gardens, grounds and sports facilities across its local sites. Working independently and alongside the wider Estates team, you will ensure every external area is safe, compliant, ready for use and presented to an excellent standard.

No two weeks will look quite the same. You could be preparing natural turf or synthetic surfaces for an important fixture, completing seasonal horticultural work, maintaining machinery or identifying an improvement that makes the estate work and look better.

This is an opportunity to take real ownership of your work in a stable Monday to Friday position, while contributing to an environment used and enjoyed by pupils, families, staff and visitors every day.

Key Responsibilities

• Prepare and maintain natural turf and synthetic sports surfaces
• Complete mowing, scarifying, aerating, fertilising, rolling and accurate line marking
• Maintain gardens, landscaped areas, woodland and external thoroughfares
• Carry out seasonal planting, pruning, hedge cutting and weed control
• Identify and suggest practical improvements to the grounds and landscape
• Safely operate, inspect and maintain mowers, tractors, strimmers, hedge cutters and other equipment
• Support deliveries, school events and winter weather preparations when required
• Complete machinery records, safety checks, risk assessments and COSHH documentation

About You

• You will have proven experience in amenity grounds maintenance, commercial gardening or greenkeeping, supported by practical knowledge of sports turf, pitch marking and horticulture. You will also be confident using and maintaining petrol powered and mechanical grounds machinery safely.
• A full, clean UK driving licence is essential, as the position involves collecting materials and travelling between local school sites.
• An NVQ Level 2 or 3 in Sports Turf Management, Amenity Horticulture or a similar qualification would be advantageous. PA1 and PA6 pesticide certificates and qualifications for operating tractors, chainsaws or woodchippers are also desirable, but not essential.
• Most importantly, you will be dependable, organised and comfortable undertaking physical work outdoors throughout the seasons. You will bring a proactive, can do approach, take pride in high standards and work confidently both independently and as part of a supportive team.

Why Join Claires Court?

Claires Court is an independent school for children aged 2 to 18, guided by the values of responsibility, respect, loyalty and integrity. You will join a positive working environment where staff are valued for their contribution and supported to develop.

Benefits include:

• A good pension scheme
• Free parking at each school site
• Uniform and equipment provided
• Meals and refreshments during the school day when the kitchen is operating
• Death in service cover and personal accident insurance
• Cycle to work scheme
• School fee concession, subject to qualifying conditions
• Regular professional development and training opportunities

Closing date: 8am on 31 August 2026