Grounds Assistant Apprentice

Summary

The school is looking for a Grounds Assistant Apprentice with an appetite for learning and an interest in horticulture and grounds maintenance. This is a fantastic opportunity for anyone with a passion for sports and the outdoors. You will work with a small friendly and professional team developing your skills in Groundsmanship.

Wage

£15,200 a year

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£15,200 plus holiday entitlement of 30 days including Bank Holidays. Free lunch during term time. Employee Assistance Programme Free parking.

Training course

Sports turf operative (level 2)

Hours

There are two seasonal rotas ranging from 32.5 hours p/w in the winter to 35 hours p/w in the summer. Summer: Monday- Friday, 7:00am to 3:30pm. Winter: Monday- Friday, 7:30am to 3:00pm. A one-hour unpaid lunch break is provided each day.

36 hours a week

Start date

Monday 8 September 2025

Duration

1 year 6 months

Positions available

1

Work

Most of your apprenticeship is spent working. You’ll learn on the job by getting hands-on experience.

What you'll do at work

Preparing the grounds for the start of each term, measuring out and marking pitches (for football, rugby, cricket, tennis, croquet, athletics) and the golf course.
Carrying out the sports grounds maintenance programme and general grounds maintenance, including the astro pitch, according to the termly priorities.
Scarifying, aeration, fertilising and hedge cutting.
Switching over sports equipment according to the season and organising appropriate storage.
Mowing the sports grounds, marking out, spring and autumn renovation and erecting posts, nets, cricket frames and tennis posts.
Assisting with the basic upkeep and maintenance of mechanical machinery.
General school grounds and garden maintenance.
Keeping driveways and paths clear and safe in severe weather conditions.
Maintaining the benches and scoreboards.

Where you'll work

SUMMER FIELDS SCHOOL
MAYFIELD ROAD
OXFORD
OX2 7EN

Training

Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.

College or training organisation

WILTSHIRE COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITY CENTRE

Your training course

Sports turf operative (level 2)

Understanding apprenticeship levels (opens in new tab)

What you'll learn

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

Training will be provided in the workplace with a minimum of 6 hours per week ‘off the job’ training time.

You will need attend a Wiltshire College and University Centre training session on teams once a week during term time. Plus attend 10 master classes at major sporting venues in Southern England.

Requirements

Desirable qualifications

GCSE in:

English (grade 4/C - 9/A*)
Maths (grade 4/C - 9/A*)

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
Attention to detail
Problem solving skills
Logical
Team working
Initiative
Patience
Physical fitness
Enjoys being outdoors

Other requirements

This position involves working outside in all weathers and manual handling. You must enjoy being outdoors in all weathers. You must have an interest in machinery maintenance and a keen interest in a wide range of sports. The successful applicant will need to complete the relevant pre-employment checks, including an enhanced DBS check.

About this company

Summer Fields is a boarding and day school for approximately 320 boys aged 4 to 13 years. The school is situated in Summertown, two miles north of the centre of Oxford and has 70 acres of superb grounds. The school’s motto is “a healthy mind in a healthy body” and as such sport and the grounds facilities are important to the life and success of the school. The school is well resourced and concentrates on football, rugby and cricket for a term each but in addition, there are many minor sports available, including the use of the school’s golf course.

https://www.summerfields.com (opens in new tab)

After this apprenticeship

Following successful completion of your apprenticeship you may apply for permanent employment as a Grounds Assistant at the school.

Ask a question

The contact for this apprenticeship is:

WILTSHIRE COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITY CENTRE

The apprenticeship team

apprenticeships@wiltshire.ac.uk

08453452235

The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC1000325170.

Apply now

Closes in 30 days (Sunday 13 July 2025)

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