Head Gardener

Head Gardener
Tiverton, Devon

About Us

Founded in 1604, Blundell’s is a co-educational independent school for pupils aged 11 – 18 years. Boasting excellent facilities and the best in pastoral care, we are committed to providing an outstanding learning experience for all students. Based in 90 acres of beautiful Devon countryside, Blundell’s fosters a friendly and open environment where both students and staff can thrive.

We are now looking for a Head Gardener to join us on a full-time, permanent basis, working 40.65 hours per week, including one Saturday in every three during term time.

The Benefits

- Salary of £28,000 - £30,000 per annum
- Four weeks’ paid holiday (pro-rata) plus bank holidays and additional “customary” days
- Company pension scheme
- Meals provided when the kitchen is in operation
- Branded uniform provided (as required)
- Relevant internal and external training provided
- Use of excellent on-site sports facilities
- Free staff parking
- Market-leading Employee Assistance Programme
- Cycle to Work scheme

This is a fantastic opportunity for a qualified horticulturist with comprehensive plant knowledge and garden management experience to join our historic school.

With a beautiful location in the Devon countryside, we can offer you the perfect setting to make your mark, designing and maintaining green spaces that will delight students, staff, and visitors alike.

What’s more, we are committed to your professional development and will support you with internal and external training to enhance your skills and expertise. So, if you want to play a key role in maintaining and developing our grounds to the highest standard, read on and apply today!

The Role

As Head Gardener, you will lead our Gardening team to maintain, manage, and develop the formal lawns and planted areas at both our Senior and Prep Schools.

Specifically, you will plan activities and designate jobs to the Gardening team, ensuring the efficient delivery of work and exceptional presentation of the school’s grounds.

You will also plan, care for and arrange seasonal floral displays for offices/events, as well as design and implement new planting schemes around both schools.

Additionally, you will:

- Carry out tree surveys and oversee tree works
- Work with pupils on gardening activities
- Ensure the safe use of all equipment, including mowers and strimmers
- Assist the Grounds team when required

About You

To be considered as the Head Gardener, you will need:

- An NVQ3, RHS3 or equivalent horticulture qualification
- Comprehensive plant and garden management knowledge
- Experience producing risk assessments and Safe Systems of Work
- A chainsaw licence
- A PA1 and PA6 qualification
- A full, valid UK driving licence

The closing date for this role is 7th December 2024.

Other organisations may call this role Head Groundskeeper, Estate Grounds Manager, Grounds Maintenance Manager, Lead Gardener, Senior Horticulturist, or Landscape Manager.

Webrecruit and Blundell’s are equal opportunities employers, value diversity and are strongly committed to providing equal opportunities for all employees and applicants for employment.  Equal opportunities are the only acceptable way to conduct business and we believe the more inclusive our environments are, the better our work will be.

Blundell’s is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

So, if you’re looking to play a leading role as our Head Gardener, please apply via the button shown. This vacancy is being advertised by Webrecruit. The services advertised by Webrecruit are those of an Employment Agency