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Job Title: Facilities Manager
Location: Heath Farm School, Ashford, Kent, TN27 0AX
Hours: 40 hours per week | Monday to Friday | 7.30am - 4.30pm
Salary: Up to £32,000 per annum (depending on experience, not pro rata)
Contract: Permanent | 52 weeks
Start: August 2026
UK applicants only – no sponsorship available
About the Role
As Facilities Manager, you will oversee the operation and maintenance of the entire school site, leading a small facilities team while coordinating external contractors and ensuring statutory compliance across the estate.
Working closely with the School Business Manager, you will be responsible for maintaining a safe, secure and welcoming environment for everyone who visits or works at Heath Farm School.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead the day-to-day management of the school site, ensuring the buildings, grounds and facilities are safe, secure, well maintained and provide an excellent environment for pupils, staff and visitors.
- Manage all planned and reactive maintenance, carrying out general repairs where appropriate, coordinating contractors and ensuring the effective upkeep of the school's buildings, grounds, fleet vehicles and equipment.
- Oversee statutory compliance and health & safety, acting as the school's Asbestos Duty Holder and leading essential compliance activities including fire safety, water hygiene, emergency lighting, PAT testing, fixed wire inspections and other mandatory checks.
- Lead and supervise the facilities team, including facilities operatives and cleaners, ensuring high standards of cleaning, security, waste management, site presentation and service delivery across the school.
- Maintain effective operational systems, including site security, opening and closing procedures, emergency call-outs, record keeping, compliance documentation, procurement, contractor management and budget support.
- Work collaboratively with the School Business Manager and leadership team, undertaking regular site inspections, contributing to Health & Safety initiatives, supporting transport operations when required and helping to continuously improve the school's estate and facilities.
About You
- Previous experience in facilities, estates or site management.
- Experience managing contractors and supervising staff.
- Confidence using IT systems to maintain records and compliance documentation.
- The ability to prioritise workloads and respond calmly to emergencies.
- Excellent communication and problem-solving skills.
- Driving licence is required
About Us
Heath Farm is an independent SEN school that offers a unique and stimulating environment where every pupil can make outstanding progress in their personal development and enjoy success in their education. From our nurturing approach for primary pupils through to the relaxed working environment of the specialist College Provision, all students are encouraged to reach high standards in every aspect of their lives.
Our pupils present with a wide range of needs, including social and emotional issues, learning difficulties, mental health problems and associated conditions. However, they are able to enjoy extraordinary outcomes and be happy at school.
Acorn Education offers rewarding careers and meaningful challenges while making a real difference in young people’s lives. As a leading UK provider of specialist education for children and young people with special educational needs, and part of Outcomes First Group, we deliver innovative, evidence-based approaches that support measurable progress and lasting impact.
We are really proud to say that in 2025 Outcomes First Group were officially certified as a ‘Great Place to Work’ for the sixth year running.
Why Join Us?
We place pupils and vulnerable young adults at the heart of everything we do, so every day brings the satisfaction of making a real difference. We are committed to the safeguarding and promoting the welfare of pupils and young people. All applicants will be subject to social media checks and successful applicants to a fully enhanced DBS.
- Life Assurance
- Pension scheme with options to increase contributions
- “Your Wellbeing Matters” – mental health support and physical health checks
- Flexible Benefits Platform (Vista), including:
- Health, wellbeing and insurance benefits
- Hundreds of UK and international discounts
- Cycle to Work Scheme & Electric Car Purchase Scheme
- Critical illness cover
- Family Growth Support, including enhanced maternity/paternity leave and paid fertility treatment support
We reserve the right to close the vacancy early if we receive a high volume of suitable applications.
Outcomes First Group is committed to carrying out a fair, thorough and efficient recruitment process in line with Keeping Children Safe in Education. Whilst we aim to keep applicants informed throughout, Outcomes First Group does not accept liability for any loss of earnings or other associated costs incurred by applicants as a result of delays or changes in the compliance process. All stages of the compliance process are subject to necessary safeguarding checks and compliance with statutory requirements, which may affect timescales.
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