Located on the edge of the city of Southampton, Springwell School is a designated day special school for children aged from 4 - 11 years with complex learning difficulties including speech and language disorders, autism, and challenging behaviours.
We are a warm, ambitious, and inclusive Special Educational Needs (SEN) school committed to providing high quality education and care for children with a range of complex learning and behavioural needs. Our pupils thrive in an environment where every achievement is celebrated, individuality is valued, and nurturing relationships come first.
The Role
An exciting opportunity has arisen to join our dedicated team as an Assistant Site Manager within our specialist SEN school.
Working closely with the Site Manager, you will play a key role in ensuring the school site is safe, secure, well-maintained, and fit for purpose. This is a varied and hands-on role where no two days are the same, and where your contribution will directly support the learning environment for our pupils. This role will work across both the main Springwell School site in Thornhill and the satellite site at Wood Close, Sholing.
The ideal candidate will be enthusiastic, reliable, takes personal pride in their work, is able to use their own initiative, is hardworking and can work together to ensure our school remains a clean and safe place for our children to learn. There may also be an opportunity for additional hours during the holiday period and at other times during term time to meet required deadlines.
Key Responsibilities
- Act as a key holder, responsible for access to, and security of, the school site to include emergency and out of hours call as agreed with Site Manager
- Maintain a safe environment, ensuring Health and safety Regulations are adhered to
- To detect and report defects and required maintenance works
- Carry out minor repairs as required
- To drive the school minibus and transport pupils between our two sites when required
- Ensure all major utilities are operating correctly
- Assist with the safety and cleanliness of outside areas, including removing litter and clearing drains
- Assist with the safety and cleanliness of outside areas, including drains and removing litter
- Clean and check the minibus daily/periodic basis
- Ensure major utilities (heating, lighting, water) are operating correctly and safely
Please refer to the Job Description and Person Specification for the full responsibilities of this role and knowledge required.
About you
- Hold a full clean driving licence
- Hold a minibus driving licence qualification (or willingness to work towards)
- Have significant, relevant maintenance experience/trade skills
- Are energetic, and physically fit in order to carry out a variety of duties
- Excellent communication skills
- Have enthusiasm, reliability and resilience
- Are able to work in a team to a schedule and use your own initiative
- Ability to use and operate small industrial, electrical and mechanical equipment
- Understand the importance of confidentiality and commitment to safeguarding
- Flexible to the changing demands of the post
- Willingness to undertake formal and informal training
- Experience of working within a school or SEN environment would be advantageous but is not essential.
What we offer
- Competitive salary with regular salary progression
- Opportunities for CPD
- Free on-site parking
- Pension Scheme
- Support and training
- Monday – Friday working pattern
- Excellent development opportunities to grow within a positive and supportive team
- Employee Assistance Programme
- Mental Health and Wellbeing Support
The working pattern is:
Monday to Thursday – 11:00 am – 6:30 pm
Friday – 11:00 am – 6:00 pm
With some flexibility around these hours to cover for the Site manager.
Start date
A start date of the 1st of September 2026, or earlier should all satisfactory pre-employment checks be completed prior to this date.
How to apply
To apply for this post please complete the application form and return to Rachel Ambrey, HR Lead, by email to [email protected]. Alternatively, please post your completed application to HR at Springwell School, Hinkler Road, Thornhill, Southampton, SO19 6DH, or drop into our main Reception. We do not accept CV's.
Interview process
If successfully shortlisted, you will have a tour of the premises followed by a 3-panel face to face interview.
Safeguarding
Springwell School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Offers of employment will be subject to the full Safer Recruitment process including an enhanced disclosure and barring service check and a full online check of social media platforms as per the updated guidance in KCSIE 2022.
If you do not hear from us regarding your application by Monday 29th June 2026, unfortunately this means that you have been unsuccessful on this occasion. We thank you for your interest and wish you every success in your future applications.
Please note that we reserve the right to close a vacancy earlier than the advertised date if we receive applications that meet the criteria. We may also interview candidates at a mutually convenient time before the closing date, so please submit your application as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.
