Groundskeeper Apprentice

HURSTPIERPOINT COLLEGE LIMITED

HASSOCKS (BN6 9JS)

Closes in 14 days (Sunday 22 February 2026 at 11:59pm)

Posted on 6 February 2026

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Summary

We are looking for an apprentice to join our Grounds Team. Here you will help maintain high‑quality sports facilities and the wider estate. You’ll gain hands‑on experience in pitch preparation, gardening, machinery use, and year‑round outdoor maintenance while working as part of a supportive, skilled team.

Wage

£14,722.50 to £23,809.50, depending on your age

National Minimum Wage

Check minimum wage rates (opens in new tab)

Salaries are reviewed annually.

Training course
Sports turf operative (level 2)
Hours
The typical schedule is Monday to Friday, from 08:00 to 16:30. Additionally, overtime is available on Saturdays during the summer term.

37 hours 30 minutes a week

Start date

Monday 16 March 2026

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

The main duties and responsibilities of the jobholder include, but are not limited to:

  • Working as part of the Grounds team to maintain our busy and prestigious sport facilities, along with the rest of the external estate. This will involve tasks such as various types of pitch marking and preparation, including Cricket, Rugby, and Athletics
  • Keeping the gardens, thoroughfares, and highway footpaths clear and free from litter and debris at all times
  • Safe use and routine maintenance of all powered mechanical equipment, vehicles, and tractor operated machinery necessary for the job, this also includes hand tools and marking equipment
  • Carrying out gritting, salt spreading, snow clearing, as necessary, including footpaths and car parks throughout the school
  • If required, assisting the gardening staff as necessary with routine gardening duties including preparation, planting, seeding, turfing and maintenance of gardens, amenity areas, trees, shrubs, lawns and grass areas as well as pruning and hedge cutting
  • Assisting the other members of the support staff to prepare outdoor areas for events and functions

All duties are to comply with current legislation governing Health and Safety at work and the control of Substances Hazardous to Health and relevant codes of practice.

Where you'll work

HURSTPIERPOINT COLLEGE
COLLEGE LANE
HURSTPIERPOINT
HASSOCKS
BN6 9JS

Training

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

Training provider

PLUMPTON COLLEGE

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.

Training schedule

  • Sports Turf Operative Level 2
  • The training will take place in person, bi-weekly at Plumpton College

Requirements

Desirable qualifications

GCSE in:

  • English (grade 4)
  • Maths (grade 4)

Share if you have other relevant qualifications and industry experience. The apprenticeship can be adjusted to reflect what you already know.

Skills

  • Communication skills
  • Team working
  • Time-keeping skills
  • Flexibility
  • Adaptable

Other requirements

They would be motivated to learn practical groundskeeping and gardening tasks while demonstrating the capability to safely operate, or quickly learn to operate, machinery, tools, and vehicles. They should have a positive mind-set and have an understanding, or a willingness to learn Health & Safety procedures.

About this employer

Hurstpierpoint College is a successful independent school, and a significant medium-sized enterprise in mid- Sussex with around 480 employees and a turnover of some £30 million pa. It is both a stimulating and a pleasant place in which to work.


The College is amongst the most successful independent schools in Sussex. It is co-educational and comprises a Senior School, Preparatory School, and Pre Prep with over 1,300 pupils in all. Over half the pupils in the Senior School are boarders (weekly or flexible).


The General Grounds Person is a member of the Support Staff and part of the Grounds and Gardening Team of the College and reports to the Grounds Manager, although on a day to day basis will be directed by the Deputy Grounds manager or Senior Gardener. The Support Staff of the College are ultimately the responsibility of the Director of Operations.

Company benefits

  • Free lunches during term time
  • Parking on site
  • Membership of the College’s contributory pension scheme with The Pensions Trust
  • Childcare vouchers & optional BUPA private medical scheme

After this apprenticeship

If the applicant successfully completes the probation period and qualifies after the two-year apprenticeship, they will be offered a full-time position.

Ask a question

The contact for this apprenticeship is:

PLUMPTON COLLEGE

The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC2000013403.

Apply now

Closes in 14 days (Sunday 22 February 2026 at 11:59pm)