About The Role
The Premises Manager will be responsible for ensuring the school’s premises are maintained to a high standard. Providing a safe, secure and positive welcoming environment for students, staff and visitors. This role involves both indoor and outdoor working to oversee the maintenance, security, cleanliness and tidiness of the school buildings and grounds, as well as managing health and safety compliance to ensure the school always meets its statutory compliance obligations across grounds, facilities and buildings. The role will suit someone who likes breadth and depth, with the ability to adapt and respond quickly. This is a school where every day is different.
The Diocese of London is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults through the use of the Safer Recruitment practice guidance. This role is subject to acceptable pre-appointment checks, including a satisfactory Enhanced DBS Check.
Key responsibilities
1. Health and Safety
• Ensure compliance with health and safety regulations, scheduling and following up all required statutory inspections, completing regular in-house inspections, required risk assessments, and ensuring all documentation is accurate and up to date.
• Cooperate with external auditors and work with the School Business Manager and Headteacher to address identified issues in a timely manner. Manage relevant contractors to ensure they fulfil their health and safety commitments/SLAs to the school.
• Being aware of and complying with policies and procedures relating to health, safety and security, confidentiality and data protection and reporting all concerns to an appropriate person.
• Conduct regular health and safety checks around the school building (also weekly checks on specific fire alarm units and flushing of less used water outlets)
• Maintain accurate records relating to flushing and fire alarm statutory compliance on a weekly basis.
• Ensure the premises are locked at the end of the day, except for Scouts late night on a Thursday evening which will be covered by our keyholders. All windows and lights to be turned off at lock up.
2. Security
• Manage the security of the school premises, including locking and unlocking buildings, monitoring the alarm systems and CCTV, leading on actions from the Security Audit and responding to security incidents.
• Responsibility for providing parental access to the school and childcare out of term time.
3. Maintenance and Repairs
• Maintain the buildings and facilities to a high standard, ensuring they are safe, clean, tidy, and in good working order. Carry out handyman duties in respect of minor repairs, maintenance, and decorating.
• Oversee and coordinate all maintenance and repair work undertaken by a third-party, ensuring timely completion and high standards.
• Ensure all remedial actions identified in audits and inspections are actioned to completion, or where necessary raised with the Headteacher to agree actions.
• Proactively address maintenance and repair issues and respond in a timely manner to matters reported by staff.
4. Grounds and Site Management
• Maintain the school buildings and grounds to be safe, clean, tidy and in good condition always. Address any issues identified, such as damage, faults, pestilence, and security.
• Twice weekly leaf blowing in both playgrounds to ensure playgrounds are free of litter.
• Daily sweeping of sand in early years playground.
5. Cleaning
• Liaise with the cleaning company, to ensure the school is always kept clean and tidy, and that school facilities (toilets, washbasins, showers, hygiene) are well maintained and fully stocked throughout the school day and out of term time. Work with the Cleaning Supervisor to ensure COSHH records are accurate and up to date, and that all health and safety protocols (such as substances being safely stored in locked cupboards always).
6. Contractor Liaison
• Coordinate with external contractors and the Local Authority across service, maintenance, repair and school-improvement work. Foster and maintain positive and constructive working relationships.
• Where required, work with the SBM on the tendering process when appointing contractors, ensuring appropriate standards and processes are followed.
• Lead on coordinating works across the school, ensuring contractor competence and oversight of all their work. Gather and record all required documentation in an orderly and tidy manner. For larger projects, support the diocese by providing any assistance required, and ensure the health and safety of all personnel on the school’s site during the works.
7. Inventory Management
• Maintain an inventory of Premises-related equipment and supplies, ensuring appropriate registers (e.g. tools, equipment, COSHH) are maintained, equipment and supplies are stored safely, and that all equipment is maintained to a safe standard.
• Arrange for safe and suitable storage, repairs, and replacement or safe disposal where necessary.
8. Emergency Response
• Act as the primary contact for emergency situations, including fire alarms and security breaches.
• Respond to emergency situations or other urgent issues involving the estate as necessary.
9. Training
• Ensure that you and relevant staff are always in-date with the necessary training to maintain full competence and compliance. Complete all relevant training the school considers necessary for this role and working within a school, including attending whole school training during school inset days where required.
10. Audits
• Collaborate with external auditors (e.g. Health & Safety, Fire, Security) to provide information and support required, improve internal processes and record-keeping where identified, address remedial actions identified, establish a culture of ongoing improvement and adherence to compliance requirements.
11. Administration and Record Keeping
• Maintain accurate, sufficient and tidy records of effective premises compliance management, e.g. activity checklists, risk assessments, COSHH, Asbestos Management, Legionella Management, Gas servicing, etc.
• Maintain up to date documented key procedures, such as opening and closing the school, fire alarm protocols, security alarm protocols.
• Undertake twice termly risk assessments for both playgrounds and other areas of the school building.
• Stocktake cleaning materials weekly to ensure sufficient stocks available for cleaning staff.
12. Budget Management
• Work with the School Business Manager and Headteacher to set the annual premises budget, manage expenditure, champion cost-effective solutions for maintenance and repairs, and to identify longer-term higher-cost projects that the school will need to plan for.
13. Communication
The success of this role depends largely on good communication with the Headteacher and School Business Manager to review premises management issues, and to agree the priority of actions going forward. However, the role requires excellent communication skills in general, across all stakeholders.
14. General
• Support with school events, room set ups for assemblies, deliveries and furniture moves.
• To undertake all reasonable requests from the Headteacher and School Business Manager that supports good estate management and the general wellbeing of the school.
Category
Requirements Essential/
Desirable
Experience Experience of premises management, caretaking or cleaning roles using a wide range of equipment
Essential
Basic site maintenance and DIY skills. Essential
Willingness to participate in other development and training opportunities Essential
Experience working in a school or educational setting Desirable
Experience of compliance monitoring and record keeping for statutory checks Desirable
Skills and Abilities Able to follow cleaning guidelines as laid down by the school. Essential
Requirement to participate in premises related training/development as/when identified by line manager as essential for performance of the post
e.g. Health and Safety training, COSHH, Manual Handling, Asbestos Awareness amongst other courses Essential
Willingness to carry out any reasonable cleaning tasks as directed by the School Business Manager/Headteacher Essential
Punctuality Essential
Have a flexible approach and willing to use own initiative. Essential
Willing to work as part of a team with the agency cleaners and the premises manager, but also prepared to undertake tasks independently
Certification in areas such as fire safety, legionella awareness or asbestos management Essential
Desirable
Skills/Abilities Ability to complete statutory requirements in relation to flushing and fire drills and document all statutory information Essential
Ability to effectively use ICT to support learning, or to undertake training to do so Essential
Ability to communicate effectively both verbally and in writing
Essential
To have a positive approach to problem solving in relation to the school site Essential
Support and contribute to the Christian ethos of the school through the value of service. Essential
Willingness to take an active interest in the school Essential
Ability to manage multiple contractors and projects simultaneously Desirable
Budget monitoring and basic financial management skills Desirable
Safeguarding Demonstrate working knowledge of applying child protection and safeguarding procedures, keeping up to date with KCSIE regulations Desirable
Personal qualities Full UK driving licence and access to own vehicle Desirable
Knowledge Awareness of Asbestos Management requirements Desirable
Equal Opportunities
The Diocese of London is committed to creating and sustaining a diverse and inclusive workforce which represents our context and wider community. We are aware that those of Global Majority Heritage/United Kingdom Minority Ethnic (GMH/UKME) and disabled people are currently under-represented among our clergy and workforce, and we particularly encourage applications from those with the relevant skills and experience that will increase this representation.