Apprentice Groundsperson

Summary

An exciting opportunity awaits you at our prestigious College located in a stunning riverside setting. The successful applicant will be joining us at an exciting time when we have 6 new rugby/football pitches. And are currently building a new full size artificial hockey pitch, MUGA and cricket nets, due to be brought into operation early 2025.

Annual wage: £13,312 to £23,795.20 a year
Minimum wage rates (opens in new tab)
Training course: Sports turf operative (level 2)
Hours: Monday to Friday, 8.00am to 5.00pm.
40 hours a week
Possible start date: Thursday 9 January
Duration: 1 year 6 months
Positions available: 1

Work

As an apprentice, you’ll work at a company and get hands-on experience. You’ll gain new skills and work alongside experienced staff.

What you’ll do at work

We are dedicated to ensuring our grounds are maintained to the highest standards and as our sports facilities expand, we are looking for someone who is keen and enthusiastic to develop a career in grounds care, who we can support through an appropriate apprenticeship scheme. Offering hands-on experience, you will gain new skills and work alongside experienced staff.

Shiplake College offers a beautiful working environment, supportive colleagues and excellent free lunches. Staff are encouraged to make use of the on-site gym facilities and open-air swimming pool, during the summer months, alongside the opportunity to make the most of our riverside location.

As a Groundsperson, you will be part of the grounds team and your responsibilities will include:

Preparing and maintaining to a high standard our sports pitches including 3 cricket pitches, grass tennis courts, 8 rugby/football pitches and artificial playing surface
Sports turf maintenance tasks including marking out of pitches, mowing, scarifying, aeration and applying fertilizers
Operating and maintaining grounds maintenance equipment such as mowers, strimmers, leaf blowers, and tractors
Assisting with sports turf renovation activities such as top dressing and overseeding
Pre-season preparation and end of season renovation of the cricket pitches
Ensuring cleanliness and tidiness in tools, workshops, and storage rooms
Conducting regular inspections to ensure the safety and quality of playing surfaces
Assisting with the planning and scheduling of grounds maintenance tasks

Where you’ll work

Shiplake Court

Shiplake

Henley-on-Thames

Oxfordshire

RG9 4BW

Training

An apprenticeship includes regular training with a college or other training organisation. At least 20% of your working hours will be spent training or studying.

College or training organisation

THE WINDSOR FOREST COLLEGES GROUP

Your training course

Sports turf operative (level 2)

Equal to GCSE

Course contents

Apply the correct rates and range of materials to sports turf surfaces (e.g. grass seed, granular fertilisers, bulky top-dressing, turf and root zone).
Set and mark out the sports turf surface in accordance with the relevant governing body rules (including line marking, the 3-4-5 squaring technique, and marking arcs and semi-circles).
Prepare machinery and equipment to ensure their safe and effective use when carrying out sport turf tasks.
Maintain levels of soil moisture using either irrigation or drainage systems.
Inspect the condition of sports turf, make observations and communicate findings (e.g. PQS, weeds, pests, diseases, thatch content).
Prepare the ground and established grass areas as part of sports turf renovation tasks (e.g. overseeding, turfing).
Carry out cylinder mowing of sports turf surface(s) in accordance with set requirements.
Carry out repair of sports turf surfaces using relevant equipment and machinery (e.g. divot repair, foot hole repair, animal damage).
Prepare and safely operate a tractor and it's attachments.
Select and use relevant communication styles (e.g. verbal, written, digital) to convey information to different audiences (e.g. clients, staff, suppliers).
Adopts a systematic approach to troubleshooting and solving day-to-day resource or equipment issues.
Identify a range of turf grasses (vegetative and seed). (Including, perennial ryegrass smooth stalk meadow grass, annual meadow grass, fescue grass (fine), bent grass).
Carry out maintenance of sports turf surface using relevant equipment and machinery (including scarification, and aeration).
Dispose of waste in a safe and sustainable manner.
Apply the correct rates and range of materials to sports turf surfaces (e.g. grass seed, granular fertilisers, bulky top-dressing, turf and root zone).
Set and mark out the sports turf surface in accordance with the relevant governing body rules (including line marking, the 3-4-5 squaring technique, and marking arcs and semi-circles).
Prepare machinery and equipment to ensure their safe and effective use when carrying out sport turf tasks.
Maintain levels of soil moisture using either irrigation or drainage systems.
Inspect the condition of sports turf, make observations and communicate findings (e.g. PQS, weeds, pests, diseases, thatch content).
Prepare the ground and established grass areas as part of sports turf renovation tasks (e.g. overseeding, turfing).
Carry out cylinder mowing of sports turf surface(s) in accordance with set requirements.
Carry out repair of sports turf surfaces using relevant equipment and machinery (e.g. divot repair, foot hole repair, animal damage).
Prepare and safely operate a tractor and it's attachments.
Select and use relevant communication styles (e.g. verbal, written, digital) to convey information to different audiences (e.g. clients, staff, suppliers).
Adopts a systematic approach to troubleshooting and solving day-to-day resource or equipment issues.
Identify a range of turf grasses (vegetative and seed). (Including, perennial ryegrass smooth stalk meadow grass, annual meadow grass, fescue grass (fine), bent grass).
Carry out maintenance of sports turf surface using relevant equipment and machinery (including scarification, and aeration).
Dispose of waste in a safe and sustainable manner.

Your training plan

This training plan has not been finalised. Check with this employer if you’ll need to travel to a college or training location for this apprenticeship.

Requirements

Let the company know about other relevant qualifications and industry experience you have. They can adjust the apprenticeship to reflect what you already know.

Skills

Communication skills
Team working
Physical fitness
An appetite to learn
Eligible to work in the UK

Other requirements

Physically fit, adaptable to changing schedules and working in various weather conditions. Right to work in the UK.

About this company

Shiplake College is an HMC co-educational boarding and day school offering a holistic education for around 520 pupils from Year 7 to Sixth Form. There has been a co-educational Sixth Form since 1998 and in September 2023 girls joined in Year 7 as we look to the future as a fully co-educational place of learning. As well as providing a fantastic learning and living environment for young people, Shiplake offers an enjoyable, challenging and rewarding working environment.

https://www.shiplake.org.uk (opens in new tab)

Company benefits

Shiplake College offers a contributory pension scheme and excellent free lunches. Staff are encouraged to make use of the on-site gym facilities and open-air swimming pool during the summer months.

After this apprenticeship

Possible permanent employment as a Groundsperson

Ask a question

The contact for this apprenticeship is:

Shiplake College

Claire Smith

csmith@shiplake.org.uk

01189 704 848

The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC1000283129.

Apply now

Closes on Tuesday 31 December

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Company’s application instructions

If successful, the employer will contact applicants directly.

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