Caretaker

Job title: Caretaker

Hours: 37 per week 

Contract type: Permanent 

Salary: CSET 12 £26,016 per annum 

Location: Downend School

About the role 

We are looking for a handy, practical Caretaker to join our dedicated, friendly team on a permanent contract.

In this role, you’ll be the go-to person keeping our school safe, welcoming and running smoothly for our pupils and staff. Working closely with our School Operations Manager, your main duties will include:

• General DIY & Maintenance: Handling everyday repairs, fixing fixtures, and taking care of basic plumbing, electrics, or carpentry tasks.
• Security & Keyholding: locking up the school buildings, setting alarms, and making sure the site is secure.
• Grounds & Safety Checks: Doing daily walks to check the building, clearing drains, managing grit/snow in the winter, and running simple safety checks (like fire alarms and water testing).
• Supervising & Helping Out: Keeping an eye on external contractors or cleaners, moving furniture around when needed, and stepping in to help keep things clean and tidy.

About You

You don’t need a background in education to succeed here—we are looking for reliable tradespeople, handypersons, or DIY enthusiasts who take pride in a job well done.

The successful candidate will: 

• have solid experience or skills in building maintenance, plumbing, electrics, gardening, or cleaning. A specific trade qualification is a great bonus, but not essential.
• be energetic, motivated, and completely comfortable working on your own initiative without someone looking over your shoulder.
• be approachable, friendly, and ready to build good working relationships with school staff and the wider trust team.
• have a sensible approach to health and safety, and you're comfortable following straightforward safety procedures.
• be suitable to work around children and young people (the successful candidate will undergo an enhanced DBS check).

About us

At Downend School we provide a safe, supportive and challenging learning environment that aims to inspire and empower young people to grasp opportunity; to reach their potential and excel; to develop responsibility and integrity and to respect themselves and others.

We have a strong ethos based on our core PRIDE values of participation, respect, identity, determination and excellence. We set standards high and aim to nurture young people who are well equipped to become active and positive members of the school community and to develop the knowledge and skills necessary to succeed in a time of rapid change.

We are proud of the care and support we offer our students. We strongly believe in the value of creating a friendly and caring school community where youngsters feel a sense of belonging and feel valued and respected. Happy and motivated students will flourish and become successful young people. Above all, Downend is a happy school.

We can offer you:

• A supportive trust and school community
• Strong collaboration across the trust family of schools and access to a centralised team of specialists across all areas of school operations
• A commitment to high‑quality CPD, with dedicated time and budget for your development
• A values‑driven ethos where diversity, equity and inclusion are lived every day
• Recognition of continuous service (modification order) to protect employment rights and entitlements
• Local Authority Pension Scheme with generous employer contributions and death‑in‑service cover
• Occupational sick pay to support you during illness or unexpected emergencies
• Family‑friendly leave packages to help maintain a healthy work–life balance

In order to apply for this role please complete an application form by 9am, 4th September. Interviews will take place the week after the close date. Please let us know if you require any adjustments as part of the process. 

Further details and additional information about our school may be viewed on our website. 

Please know that depending on the number of applications received we may decide to close the advert early. If you do not hear from us by a week after the closing date then please assume that you have not been shortlisted for an interview. If you have previously applied for this role there is no requirement to apply again, all applications will be reviewed. We wish you all the best in your future and ask that you join our E-Teach Talent Pool so as to keep up to date with all of our latest current opportunities. 

Join us in Providing a Great Education for Every Child 

CSET is committed to equal opportunities and encourages applicants from all backgrounds and communities, as we recognise the importance and benefit this has for our students.