Information for applicants to non-teaching posts at Tiffin

Thank you for your interest in this post. I do hope that in reading this information about the post and School, and by looking at our website, you will feel inspired to submit an application. With a vibrant and friendly staff, and a location close to Kingston town centre, Tiffin is an excellent school to work in. I look forward to receiving your application.

Mike Gascoigne

Headteacher

Specific Post: Handyperson

The Sites and Premises Team play an important role at Tiffin School ensuring that the School’s facilities are maintained to a high standard and provide a safe and secure environment for teaching.

At present the team consists of four members, the Premises Manager, two Caretakers and a Handyperson.

The Premises Manager is responsible for Health and Safety, the procurement and supervision of maintenance contracts, refurbishment and building projects and the allocation of works to the other members of the premises Team. He is directly responsible to the Headteacher.

The caretakers work on a shift system which alternates between an am shift and a pm shift on a weekly basis and includes weekend working for which overtime is paid. They are responsible for ensuring that the school is opened and closed securely, that the site is clean and tidy, that rooms are set up in accordance in accordance with curriculum requirements and external lettings, and that deliveries etc. are distributed around the School site. They also carry out some routine maintenance checks.

The role of the Handyperson is a particularly important one having responsibility for carrying out first line emergency repairs, carrying out cyclical refurbishment works, ensuring that various Health and Safety tests and records are kept up to date, and liaising with the Premises Manager regarding the need for contractors attendance. These jobs while mostly concerned with the Main London Road site may also require attendance at the School’s sports ground at Hampton Court (Grist’s) and at its rowing facilities (Canbury Boathouse). A more detailed list of responsibilities can be found in the attached job description.

They are also required to support the caretaker’s work where two people are required to complete it, and also to cover for them under certain circumstances.

This is a position where no two days are the same and versatility is a byword. The current size of the site is such that all teaching facilities must be available for use on a daily basis and the contribution that this post holder makes is vital in ensuring that. Please see the job description and person specification for more detail.

Tiffin School: Introduction and Background

Tiffin School is a boys’ selective state school of 1,158 pupils located in the centre of Kingston upon Thames. Its origins date back to 1638, and it has occupied its current site in the heart of Kingston since 1929.

Today, Tiffin School is one of the leading state schools in the country, educating boys from Kingston and its surrounding areas in South West London. The School attracts boys from a wide range of diverse backgrounds, and is judged to be outstanding by Ofsted.

The School is highly acclaimed for its ethos of combining the outstanding academic achievement of a traditional grammar school environment, with a wide offering of activities particularly in sport and the performing and creative arts. Rugby, cross-country, rowing, basketball, badminton, cricket and tennis all thrive, and regular Saturday fixtures are held at our sports grounds at Hampton Court.This is captured in the School’s vision statement “Inspiring students to engage, aspire and excel.”

Tiffin’s Location: Kingston upon Thames

The School’s Kingston town site provides all of its teaching and learning facilities and some sports facilities. The School is very fortunate to also have extensive playing fields in Hampton Court, where sport is played every afternoon, and at weekends, and its own boathouse in Kingston.

Tiffin is located a 5 minute walk from the town centre, and railway and bus stations, and is easy to travel or commute to: there are regular suburban trains to London Waterloo via either Wimbledon, or Richmond, and buses from Kingston travel to all parts of West and South London.

School Facilities

The School has very good facilities which have been developed over the years. The centre of the School is arranged around a garden that has the original 1929 building matched with the award winning, Learning and Resources Centre (LRC) built in 2004. The six main buildings which make up the site, together provide extensive facilities such as twelve fully equipped science laboratories, three art rooms and a drama studio.There is a large hall for assemblies which is also used for public performances, as well as a separate Dining Room and Sports Centre. The School is continuing to follow its master plan for the development of the site, and a new wing of three classrooms was opened in February 2015.

The School site in Kingston contains our all-weather floodlit artificial pitch. In addition, our playing fields at Hampton Court provide extensive playing facilities for rugby, cricket, cross country and football, and our boathouse, which we run in partnership with Kingston Rowing Club, is by the Thames near the centre of Kingston. We are most fortunate to have such facilities available that allow us to provide a range of sporting opportunities for our students and also provide a source of funding through third party lettings in the evenings and at weekends.

Professional Development

Tiffin invests in its staff through both internal and external professional development. Yet we also give a trust to our staff, as professionals, to carry out their job with the minimum bureaucracy necessary. All staff undergo induction.In all aspects of the support and administrative life of the School, Tiffin is fortunate to have a dedicated and committed support staff that allow the School to operate in such an effective way.

Staff and their Welfare

There are at present about 70 teaching staff and 40 non-teaching staff at Tiffin. The School is a most friendly place to work, and there is an excellent and vibrant mix of both experienced and newer staff. It is a place where young staff can learn and progress, or older staff can hone their talents. There is a very good camaraderie among the staff, helped by the socials and events which are organised. Welfare of staff is a key concern of the management. We have our own salary scales which reflect the local government scales for Outer London, and non-teaching staff are able to join the Local Government Pension Scheme.Where the type of work requires it, uniform and Personal Protective Equipment will be made available.

How to Apply

Please see below forfurther specific information about the post. The application form can be sent by email to or by post to Mrs H Edwards, Tiffin School, Queen Elizabeth Road, Kingston upon Thames, Surrey. KT2 6RL, to arrive by the closing date of Thursday 25 February

If you have particular questions about the post, then please contact Helen Edwards at the School on 0208 939 4326.

REHABILITATION OF OFFENDERS ACT 1974 (EXCEPTIONS) ORDER 1974 (AS AMENDED IN 2013)

Tiffin School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff to share this commitment. The post you are applying for is subject to an order under Section 4(4) of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. Applicants must therefore provide information about all:

  • convictions
  • cautions
  • warnings
  • reprimands
  • binding over or other orders
  • pending prosecutions
  • criminal investigations

that are not “protected” as defined by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (as amended in 2013).

EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES

Tiffin School is an equal opportunities employer and its policies, including the need to guard against false assumptions based on an applicant’s sex, race, colour, nationality, ethnic or national origins, disability, religion, age, marital status, working pattern, sexual orientation or gender reassignment, are followed at all stages of the selection procedure.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

POST:HANDY PERSON

HOURS: 36 per week

FACTOR / ESSENTIAL CRITERIA / DESIRABLE CRITERIA
Skills, Knowledge and Aptitudes /
  • A reasonable standard of literacy and numeracy commensurate with the scope of the job.
  • Able to communicate effectively with a wide range of contacts e.g. staff, pupils, parents, governors, contractors etc.
  • Competent in a range of skills e.g. carpentry, painting, decorating, plumbing, glazing etc.
  • Able to organise and prioritise workload.
  • Able to use initiative.
  • Able to work independently or as part of a team.
/
  • Basic IT Skills
  • Working knowledge of Health and Safety rules, regulations and their implementation.

Experience /
  • Previous experience in a similar position.
  • Monitoring / supervising of contractors.
  • Regular routine maintenance of premises, power tools, hand tools and other maintenance equipment.
/
  • Experience of working in an educational environment
  • Experience of working unsocial hour’s or shift work
  • Familiarity with fire / security systems

Disposition /
  • Enthusiastic.
  • Self-motivated.
  • Solution focused particularly when under pressure
  • Flexible approach to work.
  • Trustworthy and reliable.
/
  • Good sense of humour

Qualifications and Training /
  • Willingness to attend training courses to support job requirements.
/
  • City and Guilds Trade Qualification
  • Full driving licence.

Special Requirements /
  • Good physical fitness.
  • Good time keeping.
  • Capable of lifting and carrying heavy weights e.g. furniture, building materials
  • Able to work at height.
  • Empathy towards the needs of children in a learning environment.
/
  • Willingness to assist with school events

Handyperson

Main Responsibilities / Duties of Job

  • To be responsive to mobile phone (supplied) when on duty.
  • Responsive and planned repairs and maintenance to the School buildings, (including the Harper Pavilion at the Grist’s sports grounds, and Canbury Boathouse), environment, fixtures and fittings in line with the post holder’s competence. For example:

Doors and windows – glazing, renewing sash cords, easing / adjustment, installation of locks and door furniture.

Cyclical and responsive redecoration of classrooms, remedial work to remove graffiti, application of specialist treatments to external surfaces.

Minor plumbing works such as replacement of tap washer, clearing blocked sinks, gutters and drains.

Construction and repair to gates and fences.

The replacement of defective lighting units (bulbs, tubes and starters only) and the cleaning of fittings / diffusers.

The repair / maintenance and construction of internal joinery features such as desks, benches, display boards and bookshelves.

  • To keep clean and maintain all of the Schools sites and premises equipment in good working condition, to ensure that it is stored correctly and that the workshop is kept in a kept clean and tidy and generally fit for purpose.
  • To establish and maintain a list of sites and premises equipment and develop and maintain a booking system for it.
  • To report to the Premises Manager any maintenance items which are beyond the post holder’s competence or experience and which require the attendance of a specialist contractor.
  • To order goods and services via the Schools purchasing system within the terms set down in the Schools finance policy.
  • To ensure that regular maintenance inspections, required under the School’s Health and Safety Policy, are carried out and that appropriate records are maintained and are readily available for inspection.
  • Directing contractors / statutory undertakers to the relevant location and ensuring that works are carried out satisfactorily, safely and according to the School’s requirements and signing off works on completion.
  • To regularly inspect the School’s mechanical heating and ventilation systems to ensure satisfactory operation and report any defects to the Sites Manager.
  • To record utilities meter readings on a monthly basis
  • To be a registered key holder for the School and attend site if contacted by the School’s security monitoring stations.
  • To carry out specified procedures in the event of fire, flood, breaking and entering, accident or major damage and attend site out of normal working hours when necessary due to such emergencies.
  • Maintain security procedures for the School property and grounds including the routine opening and closing of facilities and the operation of the intruder alarm systems both during and outside normal working hours.
  • Preventing trespass and unauthorised parking on the School premises.
  • To provide holiday or sickness cover as necessary for other caretaking staff and carry out their duties, including shift, out of hours and weekend attendance. These duties will include the following although the list is not exhaustive:-

The routine opening and closure of the School buildings and site generally.

Setting up of classrooms and other areas required for specific activities such as exams and performances

The supervision of the cleaning contractors and ensure that the School is cleaned to the appropriate standards and specification and that the appropriate Health and Safety rules are adhered to.

Ensuring that all hard and soft playing areas, car parks and paths are clean and free from litter.

The supervision of school lettings including the setting out and clearance of any furniture or equipment that may be required and generally liaising with hirers

Ensuring safe access to the School buildings and grounds during inclement weather such as flooding or snow. To clear and salt paths where necessary.

To take delivery of stores, equipment, materials and other goods and to distribute them to the relevant departments or take into store.

  • Carrying out any other duties that may reasonably be allocated, from time to time, by the School’s managers, that are commensurate with the purpose and grade of the job.