Job Title: Gardener
Location: West Sussex
Salary: £19,852 – 22364 per annum
Job type: Full Time, Permanent
Closing Date: 9am Monday 9th November 2020
The School is a delightful independent standalone prep school for boys and girls aged 2½ to 13 set in 260 acres of beautiful Sussex countryside. The tremendous grounds include a Forest School and a School Farm. The school has a proud record of feeding many of the top day and boarding schools in the South East, with a large proportion of leaving students achieving scholarships and awards.
Main Purpose of role:
Responsible for the overall presentation of the school gardens including ongoing maintenance and development. Creating garden environments that are enjoyable, safe and secure for all users.
Key Responsibilities:
- Carry out a varied range of gardening duties requiring minimum supervision and using own initiative. Including weeding, digging, edging, pruning, seed sowing, plant cultivation, bed preparation and planting
- Bring to life the design of a secret garden in the old walled kitchen garden, working with the designer to create a stimulating and fun outdoor learning environment
- Lawn maintenance and cultivation
- Use of a wide range of hand tools, horticultural machinery and other powered hand tools
- Ensuring all the tools, garden equipment and machinery are correctly maintained and serviced, that they are kept in good and safe working order
- Review and update garden plan annually
- Organising comprehensive and regular watering in dry weather
- To develop existing planting schemes for the borders and shrubberies around the school site as a part of the annual gardening plan
- Developing a system for producing compost
- Have an extensive knowledge of all aspects of horticulture, including soil conditions, pruning of shrubs and use of fertilisers
- Animal welfare of small poultry flock
- Assisting with the management of the extensive woodland, lakes and streams
- Challenge any unknown persons seen on site
- Monitor visitors/contractors working on site
- To ensure sound Health and Safety practices are being adhered to providing a safe working environment for everyone working or using the gardens
The ideal candidate will have/ be:
- Previous extensive practical horticultural experience
- Be a team player who is friendly and professional with the ability to relate well to children and adults
- Tree, shrub and plant identification
- The ability to identify diseased trees and invasive and non-native plant species
- Be physically fit and able to work outside in all weather conditions
- Basic education to include English and Maths and to GCSE level or equivalent
Benefits:
- Complimentary meals whilst on duty
The School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and expect all of our staff to share this commitment. The successful candidate will be required to undertake an enhanced disclosure via the DBS and to register with the update service.
Please click on the APPLY button and you will be redirected to the School’s careers page.
NOTE: You will only be considered for this role if the application form is completed (form can be found on their website)
Candidates with the relevant experience or job titles of Garden Maintenance Team Member, Ground Maintenance Operative, Gardener, Experienced Gardener, Grounds Maintenance, Greenkeeper, Housekeeper, Garden Maintenance, General Maintenance, Groundsman, Landscape Gardener, Grounds, Gardener, Garden Maintenance, Multi-Skilled Engineer, Handyman, Handywoman, also be considered for this role.
