Apprentice Caretaker
HEDINGHAM SCHOOL AND SIXTH FORM
Halstead (CO9 3QH)
Closes in 6 days (Friday 31 October 2025 at 11:59pm)
Posted on 15 October 2025
Contents
Summary
We are seeking a motivated and reliable Apprentice School Caretaker to join our site team. This is a fantastic opportunity to gain hands-on experience in facilities management while working towards a nationally recognised qualification. Your role will be to help maintain a safe, clean, and welcoming environment for pupils, staff, and visitors.
- Wage
-
£24,413 a year
- Training course
- Property maintenance operative (level 2)
- Hours
-
You will usually be in the week. You will be working a full 37-hour week and will be working before school starts and after when the pupils have left the school. Some weekend work may be required but you will be informed of this as you go along.
37 hours a week
- Start date
-
Monday 3 November 2025
- Duration
-
2 years
- 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
You will be a key member of the care taking team and your responsibilities will include:
- Assist with the day-to-day upkeep of school buildings, grounds, and facilities
- Support with basic repairs, maintenance tasks, and decorating
- Help ensure the site is secure, including opening and locking up buildings
- Monitor and replenish cleaning and maintenance supplies
- Set up rooms for school events and activities
- Report any health and safety concerns promptly
- Work alongside experienced caretakers and external contractors
- Learn and apply best practices in site management and compliance
We are seeking to appoint an enthusiastic, practical, flexible and reliable Apprentice Caretaker to join the existing team responsible for keeping this large school site in good order.
As an apprentice you will learn and participate in a wide range of caretaking and general maintenance duties including painting and decorating, basic carpentry and plumbing.
You will be required to complete a Property Maintenance Operative (Level 2) apprenticeship through our training provider. This training will be delivered in the workplace via assessor/tutor visits.
Where you'll work
Hedingham School And Sixth Form Yeldham Road
Sible Hedingham
Halstead
CO9 3QH
Training
Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.
Training provider
SKILLCERT LIMITED
Training course
Property maintenance operative (level 2)
Understanding apprenticeship levels (opens in new tab)
What you'll learn
Course contents
- Plan the sequence of work required to carry out routine property maintenance operations.
- Identify and select the appropriate materials and components for property maintenance tasks, ensuring these are compliant with relevant regulatory requirements and manufacturer's specifications.
- Comply with statutory health and safety regulations and requirements.
- Comply with risk assessments, and organise the workplace, to safeguard themselves and the property.
- Comply with key regulatory and legislative requirements, including building regulations.
- Uses safe working practices when carrying out property maintenance tasks including the use of PPE, signage, barriers, access equipment and ensuring work area is prepared and reinstated.
- Select, and use work tools and equipment for property maintenance tasks, applying all safeguards, and ensuring the correct functioning of equipment.
- Safely isolate and secure electrical or electronic supplies prior to performing property maintenance operations.
- Apply and implement routine emergency system checks, testing and routine maintenance, identifying and reporting faults as required.
- Perform maintenance and repairs to plumbing systems, including fault identification, safe isolation of supply, replacing components and clearing blockages.
- Perform maintenance and repairs to external drainage systems, including clearing blockages and replacing components.
- Perform maintenance and repairs to environmental and energy management systems, including fault identification, safe isolation of supply, replacing components.
- Use carpentry and joinery skills to perform repairs to windows, doors and glazing units, and their associated fittings.
- Perform repairs to plastered surfaces, including surface preparation, fixing and mixing materials and compounds.
- Use painting and decorating skills to prepare surfaces for decoration, apply paint using brushes and rollers, and complete sealing activities using gun appliances.
- Perform tiling repairs, including setting out, surface preparation and cutting around obstacles.
- Perform flooring repairs, including setting out, surface preparation and cutting around obstacles.
- Perform planned, responsive or temporary repairs to buildings or their immediate surroundings, attending to minor defects within either masonry, roofing, fencing or railing, groundwork or landscaping.
- Select and use technical literature and other sources of information and data to address property maintenance problems.
- Record and report information, using digital and written techniques.
- Inspect own work, ensuring it is delivered to the given specifications.
- Comply with environmental regulations and procedures. Segregate resources for reuse, recycling and disposal.
- Use and adapt communication methods for different situations and when, working with colleagues and stakeholders, using industry terminology as appropriate.
- Provide customer feedback whilst maintaining customer service.
- Escalates issues beyond their level of competence and authority.
- Plan the sequence of work required to carry out routine property maintenance operations.
- Identify and select the appropriate materials and components for property maintenance tasks, ensuring these are compliant with relevant regulatory requirements and manufacturer's specifications.
- Comply with statutory health and safety regulations and requirements.
- Comply with risk assessments, and organise the workplace, to safeguard themselves and the property.
- Comply with key regulatory and legislative requirements, including building regulations.
- Uses safe working practices when carrying out property maintenance tasks including the use of PPE, signage, barriers, access equipment and ensuring work area is prepared and reinstated.
- Select, and use work tools and equipment for property maintenance tasks, applying all safeguards, and ensuring the correct functioning of equipment.
- Safely isolate and secure electrical or electronic supplies prior to performing property maintenance operations.
- Apply and implement routine emergency system checks, testing and routine maintenance, identifying and reporting faults as required.
- Perform maintenance and repairs to plumbing systems, including fault identification, safe isolation of supply, replacing components and clearing blockages.
- Perform maintenance and repairs to external drainage systems, including clearing blockages and replacing components.
- Perform maintenance and repairs to environmental and energy management systems, including fault identification, safe isolation of supply, replacing components.
- Use carpentry and joinery skills to perform repairs to windows, doors and glazing units, and their associated fittings.
- Perform repairs to plastered surfaces, including surface preparation, fixing and mixing materials and compounds.
- Use painting and decorating skills to prepare surfaces for decoration, apply paint using brushes and rollers, and complete sealing activities using gun appliances.
- Perform tiling repairs, including setting out, surface preparation and cutting around obstacles.
- Perform flooring repairs, including setting out, surface preparation and cutting around obstacles.
- Perform planned, responsive or temporary repairs to buildings or their immediate surroundings, attending to minor defects within either masonry, roofing, fencing or railing, groundwork or landscaping.
- Select and use technical literature and other sources of information and data to address property maintenance problems.
- Record and report information, using digital and written techniques.
- Inspect own work, ensuring it is delivered to the given specifications.
- Comply with environmental regulations and procedures. Segregate resources for reuse, recycling and disposal.
- Use and adapt communication methods for different situations and when, working with colleagues and stakeholders, using industry terminology as appropriate.
- Provide customer feedback whilst maintaining customer service.
- Escalates issues beyond their level of competence and authority.
Training schedule
Property Maintenance Operative Level 2.
This is a full work-based trade apprenticeship. All of your training will happen onsite with no day release to college.
More training information
You will gain hands on experience and theory-based learning in a real working environment.
Requirements
Essential qualifications
GCSE in:
- English (grade 4-9)
- Maths (grade 4-9)
Share if you have other relevant qualifications and industry experience. The apprenticeship can be adjusted to reflect what you already know.
Skills
- Communication skills
- IT skills
- Attention to detail
- Organisation skills
- Customer care skills
- Problem solving skills
- Presentation skills
- Administrative skills
- Number skills
- Analytical skills
- Logical
- Team working
- Creative
- Initiative
- Non judgemental
- Patience
- Physical fitness
Other requirements
This position is suitable for candidates over 18 years of age due to the requirement for some lone working. This will include evening and weekend work as part of a rota covering school lettings. As this is a school you will be required to pass a DBS check and be comfortable working in a school environment.
About this employer
I am delighted to welcome you to Hedingham School, an 11-18 Academy situated in rural North Essex. At Hedingham School, we maintain the highest ambitions for our students. We have strong traditional values and we work relentlessly to ensure that every child's academic and personal development is fulfilled. We have high expectations for all pupils to succeed and grow into knowledgeable and confident individuals. We are committed to providing vibrant learning experiences, in and out of the classroom, that spark students thinking and curiosity. We offer extensive enrichment opportunities as well as a programme of leadership for students. We readily encourage students to take a full and active involvement in all facets of school life. I often describe Hedingham School as a school full of substance. We pride ourselves on the positive relationships between staff and students as well as the partnerships we forge with parents. Visitors to our school often comment on the calm nature of the building and are impressed with our students and their attitude towards learning. Our pastoral care is based on the close monitoring of student welfare and flexibility of support. We have a strong and popular House System which provides the basis for an important system of rewards and recognition. We have a growing and flourishing Sixth Form and see our students journey with us as a seven year path. Our sixth Form students are an asset, providing guidance and support for younger students as well as modelling the qualities we look to build in all of our students. I hope that you are able to find any additional information that you may require as you navigate our website. With Best Wishes Paul Finch - Headteacher
After this apprenticeship
For the right candidate and on completion of the apprenticeship there may be the opportunity to build into a full-time role afterwards.
Ask a question
The contact for this apprenticeship is:
SKILLCERT LIMITED
Adam Black
Adam.Black@skillcert.co.uk
The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC1000346508.
Apply now
Closes in 6 days (Friday 31 October 2025 at 11:59pm)
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