Grounds and gardens operative

Job title and organisation: Grounds and gardens operative - The Grammar School at Leeds
Salary: GS3/4 GSAL point 18: £27,265 - point 20: £28,474
Hours: 37 hours per week Mon-Fri, plus rota for Saturdays 1 in every 4 weeks as overtime
Contract: Permanent, all year round
Location: The Grammar School at Leeds, Alwoodley Gates, Leeds, LS17 8GS

Closing Date: Wednesday 11 February

Do you take pride in keeping grounds green, vibrant, and thriving? Do you enjoy the outdoors and want your work to make a visible difference every day?

At The Grammar School at Leeds, we areseekinga dedicated and enthusiastic

Grounds and Gardening Operative to join our friendly Estates team.

In this hands‑on role,you'llhelp usmaintainandenhance the beautiful 130‑acre GSAL site, from our immaculate sports pitches to peaceful garden spaces and woodland areas. Whether you'reline-marking rugby fields, mowing lawns, planting seasonal displays, or supporting the upkeep of artificial surfaces like our 3G pitch, your work will help create a safe,invitingand inspiring outdoor environment for our pupils, colleague sand visitors.

You'llalso play a key part in gardening and horticulture across the site,from raised beds and planters to composting and caring for flower borders. No two days are the same, and you'llbe part of a supportive team that takes pride in every stripe, bloom, and boundary line.

• Maintain and enhance the 130‑acre GSAL site, including sports pitches, gardens, and woodland areas.
• Line‑mark rugby fields, mow lawns, plant seasonal displays, and support upkeep of artificial surfaces such as the 3G pitch.
• Participate in gardening and horticulture across the site, including raised beds, planters, composting, and flower borders.
• Work as part of a supportive team to ensure grounds look their best in all weather conditions.

• Experience in grounds or garden maintenance, practical knowledge of sports turf care and horticulture.
• A horticultural qualification and a tractor‑driving qualification (or willingness to work towards one) would be an advantage.
• Proactive and flexible attitude, happy to roll sleeves up in all weathers and collaborate with colleagues.

Thegrounds departmentisa small and friendly team.

Theydotendto work together on the larger projects butnormally workalone butcancall on colleaguesforassistanceasrequired.

The estate sits in a rural area of North Leedsin quite surroundings away from busy roads and the generalhustleandbustleofschools basednearthe city centre.

The Grammar School at Leeds (GSAL) is one of the leading schools in the north and traces its history back to 1552.

GSAL was awarded North Independent School of the Year 2024 and Independent Secondary School of the Decade in 2021 and continues to be a friendly, fun and supportive environment with high investment in pupil and colleague wellbeing, while insisting upon and maintaining high expectations.

We value our GSAL community and offer a wide range of benefits including:

• 25 days annual leave per year plus eight statutory bank holidays (pro rata for part‑time roles)
• School closure days in the Christmas holidays in addition to annual leave entitlement (usually an extra 3 days annual leave)
• Optiontopurchaseup to 10 additional days of annual leave
• Subsidised childcare provided for colleagues’ children during school INSET days (from the age of 3 up to age 11)
• Personal pension plan with Aviva up to 5% employee contribution and 10% employer (with the facility to pay higher or lower employee contributions)
• Training and CPD available including inset days
• Colleague lunches: three courses for £2.40 available during school lunchtimes plus free tea, coffee and hot chocolate
• Access to free private GP appointments via Health Hero
• Access to our Employee Assistance Programme well‑being app, Vivup, offering telephone counselling, financial and legal advice plus 6-8 face‑to‑face counselling sessions
• Beautiful lunch time walking routes around our 130 acresite
• Onsite gym and swimming pool available for staff use within set times as well as staff classes such as Pilates, meditation, kettlebells, spinning and bootcamps
• Salary sacrifice schemes for cycle to work
• Free car…