PART I: ABOUT THE WORKS DEPARTMENT
Winchester College has an exciting opportunity to appoint a Multi-skilled Carpenter starting as soon as possible.
The school has in its care an extraordinary range of buildings from chapels and classrooms to a swimming pool and science laboratories; from the fourteenth century to the twenty-first. The list embraces 11 Boarding Houses and over 100 staff houses.
This built environment is maintained and improved by the Works Department. Under the direction of the Estate Bursar, who also manages the capital projects, The Works Manager has a staff of around 30 operatives and is supported by various office staff.
Members of staff have a great affection for the school and 18 of its number have worked here in excess of 10 years. Combined with this affection, their exemplary skills produce a comprehensive and reliable service to the school community.
The department operates out of a new purpose-built facility in Norman Road.
PART II: ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES – MULTI-SKILLED CARPENTER
Role
The role will involve predominantly re-active maintenance carpentry repairs as well as a selection of other trade-based skills such as plumbing, plastering, tiling and painting on the College’s varied building stock.
Responsibilities
Be part of a small multi-disciplined maintenance team within a busy Works Department carrying out predominantly Re-active maintenance duties but also on refurbishment projects, both under the day-to-day supervision of a Supervisor.
The work will involve carrying out various reactive maintenance carpentry repairs including doors (inc. fire door repairs and upgrades), sash and casements windows, flooring, kitchens and mouldings.
In addition, the postholder will be able to offer a selection of other duties including small scale plastering works, basic plumbing repairs, ceramic wall tiling and painting & decorating works.
Due to the historical nature of the buildings, the post holder will also be required to use traditional building skills to preserve and recreate elements of the buildings. Work on sash windows, bespoke doors, traditional gutter systems, traditionally cut roofs and other traditional materials such as lime based products will be commonplace.
The post holder may also be involved with some larger refurbishment projects and will involve carrying out various restoration works.
Person Specification
The successful applicant must be an experienced carpenter who will be able to work unsupervised as well as within a team.
Experience will be by qualification or time served or a combination of both. Particular experience with Listed buildings and traditional skills is an advantage on applying for this position but not essential.
In addition, the successful applicant will be competent and experienced in a range of other trades, as follows:
Candidates should be aware of the physical nature of the position and the requirement to work under all weather conditions and also at heights.
Key Qualities
The successful candidate will be/have:
PART III: BENEFITS, TERMS AND CONDITIONS, AND APPLICATION
Start date
As soon as soon as possible.
Hours of Work
Monday - Friday: 08.00 – 16.30 with 30 minutes for lunch and 10 minutes morning break. You will be expected to respond to occasional out of hours emergency call-outs for which a minimum of 2 hours overtime will be paid. Additional working hours for this role will be authorised by the Works Manager and either given as approved time off in lieu (TOIL) or paid at the overtime hourly rate.
Salary
Competitive salary, depending on qualifications, skills and experience.
Salary is paid monthly, in arrears, to a nominated bank account in 12 equal payments. Salary levels are reviewed on 1 September annually and this appointment will next be reviewed in September 2024.
Uniform
Certain items of uniform will be provided, including polo shirts and sweatshirts. All items must be kept clean and in good repair; laundering will be the responsibility of the individual.
Holidays
The College leave year runs from 1 September to 31 August. This position will be entitled to the statutory holiday requirements. These are presently 5.6 weeks, including Bank Holidays. Any Public Bank Holiday occurring during term time is deemed to be a normal working day. All leave must be taken by prior arrangement with the Works Manager and for which four weeks’ notice is required. Generally, staff are discouraged from taking holidays during school holidays as the major workload is when the College properties are empty, although some exceptions will be made.
Probation and Notice Periods
The first four months of employment will be a probationary period. During this time, conduct and performance will be reviewed. The College may extend the probationary period if it is deemed to be required. During the probationary period the notice required to terminate employment will be one week (by either the employee or employer). 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.
Wider Benefits
Enhanced 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. The postholder should be conversant with the responsibilities and procedures detailed in this policy and with the Department for Education’s Keeping Children Safe in Education. If, in the course of carrying out the duties of the post, the Carpenter 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 Leads.
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
Only applications completed on the school website, with a covering letter will be accepted..
Please note that applications will be dealt with as they arrive.
Those wishing for an informal conversation about this role are invited to contact Paul Legg, Works Manager, pl@wincoll.ac.uk.
If you have any questions about this vacancy or the recruitment process, please email recruitment@wincoll.ac.uk.
Further information about the school can be found at www.winchestercollege.org.
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 General Data Protection Regulation and Data 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.
If you have any queries or comments about this policy or how personal data is processed by the school, please contact the Bursar and his team by emailing: dataprotection@wincoll.ac.uk or by writing to: Data Protection, The Bursary, Winchester College, College Street, Winchester, SO23 9NA.
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 boys and 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.
Diversity and Inclusion
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.
Sustainability
Both staff and pupils at Winchester College are committed to being the most sustainable school possible. You can learn more about our goal of creating a more sustainable school here.
