Head of Grounds and Gardens
Independent Prep School
Tonbridge, Kent
£40,000 + Great benefits
Ready to step up, but nowhere to do it?
You’re probably already doing more than your job title suggests.
Keeping standards high. Solving problems. Stepping in when things need direction.
But you’re not the one in charge. In this role, you will be.
This is a unique Head of Grounds & Gardens role, responsible for a 150-acre estate set around a stunning historic building. The site brings together sports pitches, parkland, gardens and woodland into one of the most distinctive prep school environments you’ll come across.
It’s not just about maintaining it.
It’s about shaping a place that plays a real part in how children learn, develop and enjoy their time at school, because here, the environment genuinely matters.
This is a working Head role.
You’ll lead the team, plan the work and raise standards, but you’ll still be out there, hands-on. Not a desk job, and not a step away from the tools.
The foundations are strong. There is an experienced Estates lead, a capable team and a well-kept site. What’s missing is someone to take ownership day-to-day and move things forward.
The role has real variety.
You might be checking pitch conditions ahead of fixtures in the morning, on machinery mid-day, and planning improvements across the estate in the afternoon. Across the week, you’ll oversee pitch preparation, introduce smarter ways of working, and bring more structure and direction to the team.
You won’t be blocked from improving things. You’ll be expected to.
Most people who step into this kind of role are already doing it, just without the title or backing. They’re stuck as a No.2, bored of repetitive sites, or frustrated by environments where nothing changes. This gives you ownership, variety and visible impact.
You’ll lead a small, established team who know the site but need direction, not micromanagement. This is a live school environment, so you’ll work around the rhythm of the day and be involved in daily car parking operations. In return, you get a stable, well-run environment, a long-standing team, and a setting you can genuinely take pride in, with benefits including pension, free meals during term time, and access to school facilities.
You’ll need solid grounds experience, sports pitches, machinery and turf care, and the ability to lead from the front in a practical, no-nonsense way.
Interested?
Let’s have a chat. You don’t need a perfectly polished CV to start the process, just get in touch in confidence.
Click apply, or reach out directly to Tom Morrison at Sielo Search on LinkedIn.