Assistant Caretaker Apprentice
HITCHIN GIRLS' SCHOOL
Hitchin (SG4 9RS)
Closes in 27 days (Friday 19 December 2025 at 11:59pm)
Posted on 20 November 2025
Contents
Summary
To help provide a clean, safe and secure environment for users of the buildings and grounds of Hitchin Girls’ School and to contribute to the maintenance of the buildings, fixtures and fittings to a high standard.
- Wage
-
£24,796 a year
- Training course
- Property maintenance operative (level 2)
- Hours
-
Monday to Friday between 8am to 4pm.
37 hours a week
- Start date
-
Monday 5 January 2026
- 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
- To carry out general porterage duties, including movement of parcels, furniture and equipment within the school.
- The setting up of furniture, equipment and resources for school events including assemblies, exams, meetings etc.
- To undertake daily litter clearance, emptying outside bins and sweeping to ensure a clean and tidy site.
- To undertake cleaning in and around the school buildings during the day where necessary.
- Clear and clean up at the end of meetings and/or lets and prepare the areas for normal use.
- To carry out regular cleaning and maintenance of external areas around the building to include drains and gullies, paths and roadways, steps, courtyards etc.
- To be a designated key holder with responsibility as required for the security, opening and closing of the buildings, and for emergency access to the premises.
- To support the operation of building equipment including boilers, heating systems, electrical systems etc.
- To undertake regular premises and equipment checks and tests in accordance with the school maintenance schedule, as designated by the Premises Manager.
- To have a proactive approach to the identification and resolution of premises related faults and maintenance work.
- To support the maintenance, repair and decoration of buildings, rooms, equipment and resources to a high standard and in line with safety and legislative requirements.
- To respond to reports of health and safety issues and hazards and resolve as appropriate.
- To report to the Premises Manager any damage or faults to the buildings or fixtures and fittings and carry out temporary repairs or actions to make it safe.
- To share with others attendance at the premises outside of normal school hours to support evening and weekend lettings and other use of the school buildings and site.
- To support the work of the Premises Manager and the other members of the site team.
- To ensure the safe use of power and other tools to undertake repairs and maintenance etc.
- To liaise with the cleaning staff and maintenance contractors/builders etc. as required.
- To build and maintain good working relationships with staff and users of the school site.
- To maintain a visible presence whilst on duty and remain contactable via the school’s designated mobile phone.
- To carry out any other duties as may from time to time.
Where you'll work
Hitchin Girls'' School
Highbury Road
Hitchin
SG4 9RS
Training
Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.
Training provider
HERTFORD REGIONAL COLLEGE
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
Working towards completing the Level 2 Property Maintenance Apprenticeship Standard. Work-based learning with attendance at Hertford Regional College one day per week to achieve the knowledge, skills and behaviours.
Requirements
Essential qualifications
GCSE in:
- English (grade 9-1)
- Maths (grade 9-1)
Share if you have other relevant qualifications and industry experience. The apprenticeship can be adjusted to reflect what you already know.
Skills
- Communication skills
- Attention to detail
- Organisation skills
- Team working
- Initiative
- Timekeeping
- Motivated
- Reliable
- Flexible
- Willingness to learn
Other requirements
Some flexibility in the hours worked may be required to provide cover for the absence of other site staff or to support school events and external use of the buildings. During school holidays, some variation may be required to working hours depending on the use of the buildings.
About this employer
Hitchin Girls' School is a high-achieving, all-ability school serving the local community with 1364 students on roll, including 314 in the Sixth Form. Having been rated Outstanding by Ofsted in 2013, we again achieved Outstanding in every area reported on in November 2024. The school occupies a pleasant site at the top of Windmill Hill with its own playing fields and woods. As well as general classrooms, we have specialist teaching areas for Art and Design, Computing, Drama, Food Technology, Graphics and Resistant Materials, Mathematics, Music, PE, Science and Textiles.
After this apprenticeship
There will be opportunities for progression and a permanent position subject to performance.
Ask a question
The contact for this apprenticeship is:
HERTFORD REGIONAL COLLEGE
The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC2000001633.
Apply now
Closes in 27 days (Friday 19 December 2025 at 11:59pm)
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