Groundsperson

This is a fantastic opportunity for someone passionate about sports turf and grounds care to take pride in maintaining high‑quality facilities used daily by our students and visiting teams. With a diverse forty‑acre site, no two days are the same, and you will be part of a supportive team that values craftsmanship, teamwork, and high standards.

Bedford Modern School (BMS) is an outstanding HMC independent co‑educational day school for students aged 7–18. Our community is a friendly, happy, and supportive one, and all 350 staff members—across both teaching and operational roles, help to make BMS an incredibly special place to work.

We are seeking a skilled and motivated Groundsperson to join our Estates team. You will play a vital role in maintaining and developing the natural and artificial playing surfaces to ensure they are safe and well presented to a high standard. A wide range of skills across cricket, football, and rugby so we can continue to develop and improve surfaces for students. To also assist with lawns, shrubs, plantings, and wider grounds across our forty‑acre site to keep it neat and tidy for all staff, students, and visitors. This hands‑on role requires a strong work ethic, attention to detail and a willingness to work outdoors in all weathers.

 Key Responsibilities

• Maintain natural and artificial sports surfaces, including the preparation and upkeep of cricket wickets, outfields, and synthetic pitches.
• Skills in the upkeep/improvement of cricket to include cutting, rolling, scarifying, aerating, watering, seeding, and top dressing.
• Prepare football and rugby pitches for home and away fixtures, ensuring surfaces are marked and presented to a high standard.
• Mark out pitches and set up goals and boundary markers.
• Conduct general ground’s maintenance including mowing, strimming, hedge cutting, planting, weeding and landscaping.
• Set up and use a range of sports turf and grounds equipment.
• Perform minor machinery maintenance.
• Ensure work is completed safely and in accordance with health and safety legislation, including noise and vibration regulations.
• Provide excellent customer service when interacting with students, staff, visitors, and the wider school community in this customer‑facing role.
• Assist with additional duties to support the smooth running of the Grounds Department and School, including preparation for high‑profile school functions and the implementation of the snow/frost plan.

 Person Specification

• Practical experience in grounds.
• Good knowledge of sports maintenance preferably cricket.
• Experience with sports turf equipment and pitch preparation.
• Self-motivated and shows initiative.
• Show pride in all aspects of jobs.
• Good working knowledge of health and safety relating to grounds work.
• Strong communication skills with the ability to interact confidently and professionally with members of the school community.
• Reliable, proactive, and able to work independently or as part of a team.

 Desirable:

• PA1 and PA6 - spraying certificates.
• Tractor driving experience.
• Understanding of health and safety and safe practices, including COSHH.

 What We Offer

• Competitive salary.
• Friendly and supportive working environment.
• Option to join a private healthcare scheme.
• Generous pension scheme.
• Training opportunities through the Harpur Trust.
• Free lunches during term time.

 Hours & Working Pattern

This is a full‑time role, working:

• 40 hours per week.
• Monday to Friday, 7.30am – 4.00pm.
• Plus 10 Saturdays per year on a rota basis to meet school needs.

 Closing date: 12^th April 2026

Interview date: Week commencing the 20^th April 2026

Please note, we reserve the right to close the vacancy early should we receive a sufficient number of suitable applicants.

We welcome applications from all parts of our community as we aspire to attract staff that matches the social and cultural diversity of our student intake.

Please note, we reserve the right to close the vacancy early should we receive a sufficient number of suitable applicants.

The School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

Applicants will be required to undergo child protection screening appropriate to the post, including checks with past employers and the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS). The School may conduct online searches on shortlisted applicants.

The post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. The School is therefore permitted to ask job applicants to declare all convictions and cautions on a self-declaration form in advance of attending an interview.  The successful applicant will be subject to an Enhance DBS check, references and other relevant checks.