Caretaker - The Harbour School
Salary: Band D, £25,583 – £26,403 per annum, Plus generous sick pay and pension scheme
Hours: 37hrs per week, All year round
Please note: Part-time applications will be considered – please email for more information.
Full of variety. Full of purpose. Full of impact.
Join the heart of The Harbour School – Become our new Caretaker
At The Harbour School, we don't just educate – we transform lives. We're a vibrant, supportive, and inclusive community for children and young people aged 5 to 19 with social, emotional, and mental health needs (SEMH).
Now, we're looking for someone just as special to help keep our incredible school running smoothly. That someone might be you.
Reporting to our Facilities Manager, you'll be at the centre of school life – ensuring our buildings are safe, clean, welcoming, and always ready for action.
This isn't just about tools and tasks. It's about taking pride in every job, big or small, and making a real difference to the experience of our pupils and staff.
What you'll be doing:
* Security & Safety: Support site security, including locking/unlocking, alarm response, and regular patrols. Act as a secondary keyholder and ensure the safety of users during out-of-hours use.
* Cleaning Oversight: Monitor cleaning standards, respond to urgent cleaning needs, and liaise with cleaning staff/contractors to maintain a high standard throughout the school.
* Porterage Duties: Move goods that are delivered, or school equipment that needs to be relocated. Ensure rooms are set out as required for events.
* Maintenance & Repairs: Assist with both reactive and planned maintenance, including minor repairs, preventative upkeep, painting/decorating, and supporting external contractors.
* Grounds & External Areas: Maintain clean and safe external areas – from litter picking to clearing leaves and graffiti – and oversee grounds maintenance standards.
* Supporting Community Use: Help set up for evening and weekend lettings, provide a welcoming presence for community users, and ensure the site is ready for the next day.
Who we're looking for:
We need someone who takes real pride in what they do – someone who sees a well-kept, well-run school as a vital part of creating a safe, welcoming space for pupils and staff alike.
Someone who's:
* Positive, reliable, and loves a varied day
* Proactive – with a "can-do" attitude and a flexible approach
* Skilled and practical – comfortable using tools and solving problem
* Happy to roll up their sleeves and get stuck in
* Proud of their work and committed to high standards
* Great with people and a genuine team player
* Keen to be part of something bigger – a school where every day brings a new way to help
* Experienced in site management, maintenance or facilities (desirable), and has a good understanding of safeguarding, health & safety and compliance is essential.
Why work with us?
Because at The Harbour School, every role has purpose. As our Caretaker, you'll be part of a team that keeps the whole school moving – literally and figuratively.
You'll be supported, valued, and encouraged to grow. And most importantly, you'll go home knowing your work helped change someone's day for the better.
We offer:
* A supportive, inclusive and values-led working environment
* A strong, compassionate leadership team
* The opportunity to be part of something genuinely rewarding
* You'll be joining a school where your work matters – not just to the buildings, but to the lives of the young people who learn and grow inside them.
About Us:
The Harbour School is a multi-site organisation, with campuses at Bay Campus (including Primary at The Bay), The Bridge Campus, The Lighthouse Campus, and the Vista Campus (including The Horizon Service), all based within the city of Portsmouth. We also have an Outreach Support Team and a Hospital tuition service at the Queen Alexandra Hospital in Portsmouth.
As part of Delta Education Trust, The Harbour School's vision is "Learning together in pursuit of happiness." We work hard to create a space where students learn together to become knowledgeable, self-aware, independent, and happy individuals who make a positive difference, wherever life takes them.
Join us at The Harbour School – where every light you fix, every room you clean, every repair you complete… helps shape a brighter future.
Closing date: Friday 10th October
Interview date: Wednesday 22nd October
Click apply to be taken to our website, where links to the below documents can be found.
Please complete our Support Staff Application Form and return it to if you would like to apply. See our Caretaker Job Description for further details on the role and our Safeguarding Policy.
The Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people, this role involves directly working with children and significant contact with children, and therefore we expect all staff and volunteers to share the same commitment. Please ensure a full work history is completed in your application form including any gaps of employment. Applicants will be required to complete satisfactory enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check for this post prior to commencement. The Trust is an equal opportunities employer.
If successfully shortlisted the HR Department will also be conducting an individual online search including social media platforms of your 'name, education and employment', to demonstrate due diligence following 'Keeping Children Safe in Education' guidance. The search will not form part of the actual shortlisting process and any concerns arising from the search will be discussed directly with you.
Job Types: Full-time, Permanent
Pay: £25,583.00-£26,403.00 per year
Benefits:
* Cycle to work scheme
* Enhanced maternity leave
* Enhanced paternity leave
* Referral programme
* Sick pay
Work Location: In person