Estates Operative | Employment | Vacancies | Working at Ryde School

WORK AT RYDE

Estates Operative
The Role This is a proactive role for a specialist who takes pride in visual excellence, operates advanced machinery with precision, and works collaboratively to deliver a world-class first impression for our students and visitors. The role is to manage planned preventative and reactive maintenance on a variety of different grounds & landscapes to support the Maintenance Manager and Estates Team in ensuring the delivery and maintenance of a safe and secure environment for all pupils, staff & visitors to Ryde School. Key Responsibilities Exceptional Sports Pitch Management Precision Preparation: Execute the making and preparation of seasonal pitches (Rugby, Football, Cricket, Athletics) to a professional standard Turf Science: Implement high-level maintenance programs including precision mowing, aeration, seeding, fertilising, and top-dressing to ensure elite playing surfaces. Liaison & Strategy: Actively advise teaching and coaching staff on pitch fitness and facility availability, ensuring the best possible experience for match days. Horticultural Excellence & Aesthetics Visual Impact: Maintain ornamental lawns, flowerbeds, shrubs, and hedges with a “Gold Standard” approach to ensure the site remains stunning and visually appealing for prospective parents and visitors.all year-round. Innovative Upkeep: Proactively manage tree and hedge maintenance, leaf collection, and weed control (COSHH) to keep the estate pristine. Machinery, Maintenance & Innovation Advanced Operation: Safely operate and perform routine servicing on specialist machinery, including tractors with 3-point linkages, ride-on mowers, and petrol/battery-powered tools. Mechanical Aptitude: Use your experience in mechanical repairs to troubleshoot and mend machinery, ensuring zero downtime for essential equipment Safety, Logistics & Teamwork Dynamic Response: Lead winter site management (Ice & snow clearing/gritting) with early starts to ensure school continuity. Event Excellence: Support the wide school community through event setups (Speech days, fixtures), car parking duties, and minibus driving. Safety First: Conduct rigorous safety checks on play equipment, fences, and pathways. This often involves chemical application (herbicides/pesticides) under strict COSHH regulations. General day-to-day operations: Working closely with the existing grounds team and the maintenance manager to manage the day-to-day ground and gardens function, to ensure the smooth running of the school’s operations. The Ideal Candidate Forward Thinking: You don’t wait for a list of tasks; you identify improvements and propose solutions to elevate the grounds. Dynamic & Flexible: You thrive in a fast-paced environment, comfortably pivoting between technical turf care and general estate support. Team-Centric: You value your colleagues and build strong relationships with staff and contractors to ensure smooth operations. Self-Motivated: You can work without supervision, prioritising your workload effectively against weather conditions and fixture lists. Growth Mindset: You are committed to self-improvement through our e-learning platform and external training courses. Requirements Proven experience in sports turf or high-end horticultural maintenance. Full, clean UK driving licence. Experience in mechanical repairs and machinery maintenance. Ability to work on a rota basis, including some evenings and Saturdays for match fixtures Relevant qualifications e.g. PA1/PA6 spraying, NVQ in Horticulture/Groundsmanship, are desirable. How to apply Candidates must fully complete a Ryde School Non teaching post Application Form, available below. To apply, or to ask any questions about the role, please email Mrs Mandy Parry, HR Administrator (MJP@rydeschool.net).

Estates Operative

The Role

This is a proactive role for a specialist who takes pride in visual excellence, operates advanced machinery with precision, and works collaboratively to deliver a world-class first impression for our students and visitors.

The role is to manage planned preventative and reactive maintenance on a variety of different grounds & landscapes to support the Maintenance Manager and Estates Team in ensuring the delivery and maintenance of a safe and secure environment for all pupils, staff & visitors to Ryde School.

Key Responsibilities

Exceptional Sports Pitch Management

Precision Preparation: Execute the making and preparation of seasonal pitches (Rugby, Football, Cricket, Athletics) to a professional standard
Turf Science: Implement high-level maintenance programs including precision mowing, aeration, seeding, fertilising, and top-dressing to ensure elite playing surfaces.
Liaison & Strategy: Actively advise teaching and coaching staff on pitch fitness and facility availability, ensuring the best possible experience for match days.

Horticultural Excellence & Aesthetics

Visual Impact:

Maintain ornamental lawns, flowerbeds, shrubs, and hedges with a “Gold Standard” approach to ensure the site remains stunning and visually appealing for prospective parents and visitors.all year-round.
Innovative Upkeep: Proactively manage tree and hedge maintenance, leaf collection, and weed control (COSHH) to keep the estate pristine.

Machinery, Maintenance & Innovation

Advanced Operation: Safely operate and perform routine servicing on specialist machinery, including tractors with 3-point linkages, ride-on mowers, and petrol/battery-powered tools.
Mechanical Aptitude: Use your experience in mechanical repairs to troubleshoot and mend machinery, ensuring zero downtime for essential equipment

Safety, Logistics & Teamwork

Dynamic Response: Lead winter site management (Ice & snow clearing/gritting) with early starts to ensure school continuity.
Event Excellence: Support the wide school community through event setups (Speech days, fixtures), car parking duties, and minibus driving.
Safety First: Conduct rigorous safety checks on play equipment, fences, and pathways. This often involves chemical application (herbicides/pesticides) under strict COSHH regulations.
General day-to-day operations: Working closely with the existing grounds team and the maintenance manager to manage the day-to-day ground and gardens function, to ensure the smooth running of the school’s operations.

The Ideal Candidate

Forward Thinking: You don’t wait for a list of tasks; you identify improvements and propose solutions to elevate the grounds.
Dynamic & Flexible: You thrive in a fast-paced environment, comfortably pivoting between technical turf care and general estate support.
Team-Centric: You value your colleagues and build strong relationships with staff and contractors to ensure smooth operations.
Self-Motivated: You can work without supervision, prioritising your workload effectively against weather conditions and fixture lists.
Growth Mindset: You are committed to self-improvement through our e-learning platform and external training courses.

Requirements

Proven experience in sports turf or high-end horticultural maintenance.
Full, clean UK driving licence.
Experience in mechanical repairs and machinery maintenance.
Ability to work on a rota basis, including some evenings and Saturdays for match fixtures

Relevant qualifications e.g. PA1/PA6 spraying, NVQ in Horticulture/Groundsmanship, are desirable.

How to apply

Candidates must fully complete a Ryde School Non teaching post Application Form, available below. To apply, or to ask any questions about the role, please email Mrs Mandy Parry, HR Administrator (MJP@rydeschool.net).

Important Notes for Applicants

Ryde School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and applicants must be willing to undergo child protection screening appropriate to the post, including checks with past employers and the Disclosure and Barring Service.

Ryde School is committed to the principles of equal opportunity, diversity, and inclusion. Ryde School does not discriminate on the grounds of race or colour, nationality or national or ethnic origins, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, pregnancy or maternity, marital or civil partnership status, gender reassignment, age, and disability. Applications are welcome from a diverse range of backgrounds.

Offers of appointment are subject to satisfactory references, confirmation of qualifications and DBS clearance.

Ryde School is an equal opportunities employer.

Ryde School is a Registered Charity No. 307409