We are actively seeking to recruit a self-motivated apprentice to join our highly skilled, results-driven team in maintaining the hard and soft landscaped areas and sporting surfaces to the highest standards achievable.
If you have a passion for the outdoors lifestyle, a desire to learn and a willingness to achieve, a position in our team is waiting for you.
As this is an apprenticeship, you will attend Plumpton College for your learning through one day per week during term time.
Hours: 37.5 hours, Monday to Thursday, 07.30am to 16:00pm. Friday 07:30am to 14:45pm. Unpaid 45 minute lunch.
Salary: £18,000 per annum
Application deadline: 24th October 2025. Interviews may occur before this date.
About the Employer
Christ’s Hospital is an independent co-educational boarding and day school set in 1200 acres of rolling countryside. The School has extensive sports facilities including cricket, rugby and football pitches; tennis and netball courts plus two synthetic pitches. There are also large formal planted and grassed areas with large environmentally friendly areas designed to attract bees, butterflies, bats and birds. We have exciting new facilities coming to the school including a new state of the art 6 lane all weather running track with an extended activity trail, all of which will be maintained by the grounds team.
What will the apprentice be doing?
Duties will vary day to day, but will involve:
- Assist with lawn care, cultivation, weed control and planting
- Carry out seasonal tasks such as mowing, strimming, pruning, leaf clearance, and planting
- Prepare and maintain sports pitches for cricket, rugby, football, tennis, and netball
- Support the upkeep of environmentally friendly zones designed to attract wildlife including bees, butterflies, bats, and birds.
- Assist with the development and maintenance of new landscape features and biodiversity initiatives.
- Learn how to safely use a range of equipment and machinery.
- Conduct routine inspections of grounds and report any hazards or maintenance needs.
Training Provider: Plumpton College
Training at Plumpton College will be one day per week during term time. You will achieve an intermediate apprenticeship upon successful completion of your end point assessment.
Plumpton College is a specialist training provider for the land, environment, animal science and food production sectors with a campus in the heart of the South Downs. We offer a variety of courses from, degrees, masters, part time and apprenticeships across 15 core subject areas which include horticulture, wine, bakery, butchery, agriculture (arable and livestock), forestry, and engineering.
What apprentices will learn
This position is currently classified as a Horticulture Apprenticeship. However, there is potential for the role to be delivered as a Level 2 Sports Turf Technician Apprenticeship, depending on the evolving needs of the business and the suitability of the candidate. Final confirmation of the apprenticeship pathway will be made in due course.
Level 2 Horticulture/ Landscape operative apprenticeship, including:
- Emergency first aid: Level 3 award in emergency first aid at work.
- Pesticides: PA1
- Importance and application of health and safety legislation
- Codes of practice and policies, including risk assessment, manual handling etc
- Concepts of good environmental and sustainable good practices, including an understanding of how to contribute to government led sustainability and zero carbon targets
- Environmental controls and compliance with regulations including pollution control, waste reduction, management and recycling.
- Impact of environmental conditions on plant growth and health
- Soil science including soil formation, characteristics, texture and components, biological processes and their impact on plant growth.
- Situations where special care should be taken including where heritage, environmental or planning designations may be present. The importance of complying with rules in place to protect the site.
- Maintenance, operational requirements, pre start checks and legislation for tools, equipment and machinery including operator competence requirements.
- The importance of maintaining records in a business setting.
- Methods for idenitfying plants and plant biology
- Main introduction routes for plant pests and diseases
- Biosecurity and phytosanitary measures
- Techniques for clearing sites and controlling weeds including identification and reasons for removal, techniques for control (including chemical) and situations for use
- Cultivate, improve and preserve soils by mechanical methods and or by hand including amelioration and mulching
- Types of turf, installation of turf and mowing of turf
- Use of digital tools and techniques for research and collaboration
- Put safety first and customer care
- Role of business policies, vision and values
- How project management informs a team to achieve objectives
- Propagate plants by cuttings and seed sowing (this might be indoors or outdoors). Including selection of suitable growing media and or soil
- Provide aftercare to recently installed turf and maintain established turf or species rich meadows including irrigation, maintenance, monitoring health and protection from use
- Identify if plants are suitable to site, purpose and aesthetics
- Maintain soft landscapes for example - staking or support, division, seasonal clearance, and re-planting
- Monitor and control plant pests, pathogens, and disorders using basic control methods (including application of chemicals or organic equivalents)
- Plant herbaceous and seasonal planting (for example bedding, herbs or bulbs)
- Prune plants to achieve healthy growth and form (including natural habit and formal or trained form)
- English and maths: Apprentices aged 16-18 without level 2 English and maths must achieve level 1 and take the test for level 2 before taking the end-point assessment.
Essential Criteria for the role:
- Communication skills
- Attention to detail
- Organisation skills
- Problem solving skills
- Presentation skills
- Logical
- Team working
- Creative
- Initiative
- Non judgemental
- Patience
- Physical fitness
- Detail oriented
- Independence
Qualifications: Math and English GCSE Grade 4 desirable or discussion for completion of Functional Skills Maths and English if not achieved.
Benefits
- Uniform and personal protection equipment provided
- Free lunch (term time only)
- Free on-site parking
- Pension Scheme
- Discounted leisure facility usage
- Employee Assistance Programme
Things to consider
- Having access to your own transport is highly recommended due to our location.
- Much of the work is outside in all weathers. The work itself will be quite physical. During peak season, early starts will be required. Being prepared for this is important.
- We offer free on site parking, an enhanced pension after our qualifying period and product discounts.
- You MUST not be in any other form of full-time or part time formal education (such as school, college or university) to be eligible to apply for an apprenticeship. Shorter course may not apply.
- You MUST have lived in the UK for a minimum of 3 years prior to the start of learning and be eligible to work in the UK.
- You MUST belocated in an area local to the apprenticeship or be prepared to relocate in time to start employment and study.
- This apprenticeship is approximately 24 months.
Job Type: Apprenticeship
Pay: £18,000.00 per year
Application question(s):
- Do you hold a UK driving license, if yes, do you own a car?
- Why do you wish to pursue a career in the grounds sector?
Work Location: In person
