PART I: ABOUT THE GARDENS AND GROUNDS DEPARTMENT
The Gardens and Grounds Department
The department consists of 10 staff which includes the:
The Grounds and Gardens team are responsible for the day-to-day management of the Sports grounds, Formal Gardens, Boarding house gardens and all other open space for the pupils, ex-pupils of the College, and other external users. The Head Grounds person is responsible for the department and reports to the Estate Bursar who is the Head of Department. This role reports to the Head of Grounds and Head Gardener.
The department is based in Kingsgate Road and maintains a wide variety of facilities and Gardens across several sites, including formal quads and Medieval gardens, 11 unique boarding house gardens and private formal gardens such as the Headmasters and Wardens gardens. The department also looks after the following sports facilities; 13 football pitches, 3 grass plus 3 artificial cricket squares, 8 canvas pitches for Winchester College football, an all-weather surface pitch, and 6 recreational courts and 2 astro tennis courts. In total, the College campus covers over 150 acres of land. There are 11 Boarding Houses (which are due to increase to 13 over the coming years), various private houses and ancillary buildings with grounds. In the near future, the new sports centre will open with additional Grounds and Gardens added to the departments management program.
In the course of day-to-day activities, the Gardener will naturally come into contact with a wide variety of people, including College staff, alumni, third-party users of the School’s facilities, events staff and visitors. The Gardener is expected to deal professionally and appropriately with each.
PART II: ROLE AND RESPONSIBLITIES OF THE GARDENER
Main Purpose
The Gardener is responsible for the cultivation and maintenance of all garden areas of Winchester College to an exceptionally high standard. The Gardener will contribute towards the delivery of garden plans and programmes of work and will be expected to support the whole department under the direction of the Head of Grounds and Head Gardener.
Key Responsibilities
The following summary of duties is not an exhaustive list, but is intended to help the successful applicant in their understanding of the breadth of responsibilities expected.
The key responsibilities are/include:
PART III: PERSON SPECIFICATION AND KEY QUALITIES
It is essential that the successful applicant has/is:
It is desirable that the successful applicant has:
PART IV: BENEFITS, TERMS AND CONDITIONS, AND APPLICATION
Start date
As soon as possible.
Hours of Work
The Gardener’s hours of work will vary according to the time of year, as the late spring and summer months are the department’s busiest periods. This is a full-time role, with an average of 40 hours per week worked over the year.
Spring and Summer
1 April – 31 August
Monday to Friday: 0800 – 1700 hours
Autumn and Winter
1 September – 31 March
Monday to Friday: 0800 – 1630 hours
In addition, some weekend and evening hours may be required to cover sporting fixtures, College events and additional workloads, as deemed necessary by the Head Groundsperson.
Salary
Salary is equivalent to £25,500 (gross) per annum. Salary is paid monthly, in arrears, to a nominated back account in 12 equal payments. Salary levels are reviewed on 1 September annually and this appointment will be next reviewed in September 2024.
Probation, Notice Periods
The first four months of employment will be a probationary period. Regular reviews with the Senior Gardener will take place over the probation period with the opportunity to review conduct and performance, discuss progress, identify any areas for action and ensure that there is appropriate guidance and support in place to enable successful completion of the probationary period.
During the probationary period, the notice required by either party to terminate employment will be one week. Once employment is confirmed, the notice period will increase to one month.
Induction and Continuous Training and Development
The school is fully committed to the induction, training and development of all our staff, with staff supported to grow and reach their full potential.
We deliver a range of training, run by both our own staff and external providers, varying from highly practical First Aid courses to seminars and learning lunches.
There is an annual cycle of appraisal offering the opportunity to reflect on professional practice and development opportunities.
The school also offers a wide range of apprenticeships supporting staff development and progression.
Pension and Life Cover
On employment, employees will be auto-enrolled into the College’s pension scheme according to legislative thresholds. Those who are not eligible for auto-enrolment may still elect to join the College’s pension scheme.
Initially, when joining the College’s pension scheme, employees will become a member of the College’s Group Personal Pension Plan (GPP). For this Plan, known as Tier 1, the employee contributes 4% and the employer 3%.
After 9 month’s membership of the Tier 1 plan, employees may opt to join Tier 2, which is also a GPP, where the employee contributes 5% and the employer 9%.
Employees in Tier 1 automatically qualify for a Life Cover of 2 times salary. On entry to Tier 2, Life Cover changes to 4 times salary.
Annual Leave
The College leave year runs from 1 September to 31 August. This position will be entitled to the statutory holiday requirements. These are presently 28 days. Any Public Bank Holiday occurring during term time is deemed to be a normal working day. All leave must be taken by prior arrangement and must be taken outside of the school’s term times. Please note that no holidays are to be taken between 31 March until the beginning of July, which is the end of the school year.
Subject to the discretion of the school’s Bursar, a gift may also be given of extra time off during the Christmas period.
Sports Facilities
The school offers all staff free access to its excellent sports facilities, including gym membership, tennis courts and opening soon, a new 25m swimming pool. Exercise classes, including spinning and circuits are also available.
Wider Benefits
Winchester College is situated in the heart of beautiful, historic Winchester. Staff are offered a free tour of the College, with discounted rates available for booking venues within the school’s grounds for hospitality events. Car-parking is also available.
Disclosure Check
As Winchester College is an educational establishment, a condition of employment will be that the successful candidate must consent to the school obtaining an Enhanced Level Disclosure check through the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS). This will reveal all spent and unspent convictions, warnings, cautions and bind-overs. A policy on the recruitment of ex-offenders is available on the school’s website.
Safeguarding is one of the primary responsibilities of this role. The jobholder is responsible for promoting and safeguarding the welfare of children and young persons for whom they are responsible, or with whom they come into contact with, and will need to adhere to and ensure compliance with the school’s Child Protection and Safeguarding Policy at all times. If, in the course of carrying out the duties of the post, the Gardener becomes aware of any actual or potential risks to the safety or welfare of children in the school, they must report any concerns to the school’s Designated Safeguarding Lead or in their absence the Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead.
References and Other Pre-employment Checks
The appointment will be dependent upon the receipt of a successful medical check and satisfactory references. The College will usually seek references from shortlisted candidates before interview and may approach previous employers for information to verify particular experience or qualifications. At least one referee must be the current or most recent employer. Where applicants are not currently working with children but have done so in the past, one referee must be the person by whom they were most recently employed when working with children.
HOW TO APPLY
If you have any questions about this vacancy or the recruitment process, please email recruitment@wincoll.ac.uk .
Closing date for applications: Noon on Tuesday 2nd January 2024.
Full details about the school may be found at www.winchestercollege.org .
Those wishing for an informal conversation about this role are invited to contact David Rustell, Head Groundsperson, der@Wincoll.ac.uk .
Data Protection
Winchester College collects and processes relevant personal data as part of its everyday operations and is obliged to process it in accordance with the Data Protection Act 2018. The school is the Data Controller of this data under the Act and is registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office; its registration number is Z5751669.
Any queries about this policy or how personal data is processed by the school should be referred to the Data Protection Liaison Officer.
PART V: ABOUT WINCHESTER COLLEGE
In February 2021, Winchester announced a bold new vision and a significant programme of change. ‘Winchester College in the 21st Century’ describes the School’s ambitions for its future and heralds the start of an exciting new phase in Winchester’s development.
Winchester was a pioneering institution when it was founded in 1382 and this new vision will ensure the School continues to be a leader and influencer of great education on the modern global stage. The commitment to provide an intellectual education of exceptional quality and breadth remains unaltered, as do the values which have underpinned Winchester since its foundation. ‘Winchester College in the 21st Century’ will build on these strengths and bring multiple benefits to current and future generations of Wykehamists.
Winchester currently has over 700 pupils. In September 2022, the College welcomed 40 day pupils, including 17 girls, into the Sixth Form and will continue to do so, over time expanding the entry each year to include girl boarders in due course.
Academically, Winchester is among the very best schools in the country and is sought after for its combination of superb teaching, pastoral care, sports and activities.
At all levels Winchester encourages pupils to look beyond the curriculum. Div is our unique programme of general cultural studies and offers an excellent preparation for university study. In these lessons, pupils engage with a wide range of subjects, from English Literature to Ancient History to the History of Science.
Pupils in the Sixth Form study linear A-level courses and will ordinarily study three A-level subjects and an Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) alongside Div. Linear A-levels are complemented by the flexibility of the EPQ where pupils are able to more deeply explore their cross-curricular research interests. The EPQ encourages pupils to develop first-class research skills, to synthesise information from a variety of differing sources, and to become accustomed to the demands of independent study.
Music has been central to life at Winchester ever since its foundation, and the school is unique in having maintained its Choral Foundation to the present day. The Music Department is now one of the leading departments in the country, and offers outstanding opportunities to all.
Sport is a major part of Winchester life. There are many fixtures against other schools, and in 2024 the redevelopment of the sports facilities will see a state-of-the-art complex open that will allow all pupils to enjoy and participate in a variety of sports, whilst simultaneously enabling the most talented and driven pupils to train and compete at the highest level.
Much energy is also invested in the Combined Cadet Force, the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme, Community Service, and in links with local primary and secondary maintained schools. This commitment provides pupils with many opportunities to work for the benefit of others, inside and outside the classroom, developing the knowledge and skills, and the rights and responsibilities, which will enable them to grow into valuable and productive members of society.
Pupils eat all meals in their boarding houses, talking with their Housemaster/mistress, and interacting with friends, visitors and teachers. We believe that conversational ability, developed both inside and outside the community, equips pupils to talk to anyone, about anything, in practically any situation.
This unparalleled combination attracts pupils from across the world, making Winchester a truly international and diverse community which celebrates every pupil’s individuality, passions and potential.
Winchester College is committed to maintaining the founder’s original intention of offering an outstanding education to any pupil who would benefit from it, regardless of their financial circumstances, and many of the pupils in the College are being helped financially through the school with substantial bursaries.
Winchester College embraces diversity and inclusion in the workplace and is committed to promoting a fair and supportive environment for all our employees. We work hard to create an inclusive culture where different perspectives are recognised, and our staff feel valued for their individuality and share a sense of belonging. Our aim is to reflect the diverse nature of society and of our pupil body. We are seeking to attract a diversity of talent at all levels, so that our pupils understand and benefit from the breadth and depth of such a diverse community. This means recruiting from the widest possible pool of talent.
