Grounds and Gardens Manager

Nestled in 250 acres of beautiful Dorset parkland, Canford School is one of the leading co‑educational boarding and day schools in the UK educating some 660 pupils aged 13-18. With a commanding reputation built on excellent academic achievement, breadth of education and a fresh lively approach, Canford also offers a superb sports and co‑curricular programme which is seen as amongst the best in the independent sector.

The recent announcement of the creation of the Canford Schools Group and the merger with Dumpton School, heralds a bold new phase in Canford’s evolution, with several further partnerships anticipated.

Reporting to the Director of Estates, the Grounds and Gardens Manager is directly responsible for delivering all the school’s grounds maintenance and improvements, including sports pitches, formal gardens, a golf course, and a large historic tree collection. The Manager leads four in‑house grounds trade teams, and various external specialist contractors and suppliers. They are ultimately responsible for determining the requirements and managing the execution of all planned and reactive grounds maintenance work, preparation, improvements and inspection / testing regimes, and will also assist the Director of Estates with other capital and alteration projects which impact on the grounds and trees as required.

Successful applicants should have experience of professional grounds management within a school or educational campus environment, be a professional head of grounds extensively experienced within a school or educational campus environment, or be a professional with an expertise in specialist sports (such as golf) or arboriculture.

The maintenance and development of all buildings, plant and grounds at Canford School is the responsibility of the Director of Estates and his team. The team prides itself on providing a high‑quality service in a fully compliant, timely and cost‑effective manner, and for excellent communication with other colleagues throughout the school.

Reporting to the Director of Estates, the Grounds and Gardens Manager is directly responsible for delivering all the school’s grounds maintenance and improvements, and for providing an excellent service. The Manager leads four in‑house grounds trade teams, and various external specialist contractors and suppliers. They are ultimately responsible for determining the requirements and managing the execution of all planned and reactive grounds maintenance work, preparation, improvements and inspection / testing regimes, and will also assist the Director of Estates with other capital and alteration projects which impact on the grounds and trees as required.

• To carry out the duties of a Grounds and Gardens Manager in accordance with recognised professional standards.
• To provide leadership and expertise in all key grounds areas – sports grounds, gardens, trees, parkland and golf, ensuring the highest levels of presentation whilst minimising impact on the daily and seasonal school routines. Whilst the post‑holder is likely to have specific strengths and experience in particular areas, it is essential that a sound base knowledge of all the key areas at Canford is acquired quickly.
• To be responsible for both the established aspects of short term and long term planned grounds maintenance programmes, and all the annual inspection and testing programmes within set budgets. Ensure natural turf and artificial surfaces are prepared, maintained and renovated to meet the required sports‑specific standards.
• Lead on the development and enhancement of ornamental and ecological areas, ensuring they are safe, biodiverse, impactful, efficient to manage and enhance the overall presentation and perceived quality of the school.
• To delegate responsibilities to team members, developing a culture of trust and pride.
• To assist the Director of Estates in running grounds aspects of capital and alteration projects where these impact on grounds and trees.
• To manage the keeping of the whole park in a manner which respects the built heritage and the importance of the historic tree collections / specific national collections.
• To control the…