Facilities Manager – SEND School – Wandsworth

SENDhelp is recruiting a Facilities Manager for an all-ages specialist SEND school in Wandsworth. This is a hands-on premises role with responsibility for helping to keep the school’s buildings, grounds and essential systems safe, secure and fully operational.

The successful candidate will have relevant facilities, premises or site-management experience. Previous experience in a school, college or other setting for children and young people would be beneficial, but strong transferable experience from another regulated environment will also be considered.

The role

As Facilities Manager, you will oversee the day-to-day operation and maintenance of the school site. This will include identifying repairs, coordinating contractors, monitoring building systems and ensuring that essential premises checks and records are completed.

You will need to be comfortable working across different areas of the site, including plant and boiler rooms where appropriately trained and authorised. The position requires a practical approach, good organisational skills and the ability to respond calmly when urgent maintenance or security issues arise.

Although this is not a classroom-based role, you will work on a busy school site attended by vulnerable children and young people. Professional conduct, safeguarding awareness and the ability to work sensitively around pupils with additional needs are therefore essential.

What you will be doing

• Overseeing the safe and effective day-to-day operation of the school premises

• Carrying out regular site inspections and reporting maintenance concerns

• Arranging repairs and coordinating approved contractors

• Monitoring planned and reactive maintenance work

• Helping to maintain the security of the buildings and grounds

• Supporting fire-safety, water-hygiene, health and safety, and other statutory premises checks

• Maintaining accurate compliance, maintenance and contractor records

• Monitoring heating, lighting and other building systems

• Checking plant and equipment and escalating faults to suitably qualified contractors

• Ensuring contractors follow the school’s safeguarding, security and health-and-safety procedures

• Supporting the opening and closing of the site where required

• Responding to urgent premises issues and helping to minimise disruption to pupils and staff

• Working with school leaders to identify maintenance priorities and site improvements

• Following safe working practices at all times

What we are looking for

Essential requirements

• Relevant experience in facilities, estates, premises or site management

• Practical knowledge of building maintenance and safe working practices

• Experience coordinating contractors and external service providers

• Good understanding of workplace health and safety

• The ability to identify faults and arrange appropriate repairs

• Strong record-keeping and organisational skills

• A reliable, proactive and professional approach

• The ability to communicate clearly with staff, contractors and visitors

• An understanding of safeguarding responsibilities when working around vulnerable children and young people

• Willingness to complete all required school compliance and safeguarding checks

Desirable experience

• Previous facilities or premises experience within a school, college or specialist education setting

• Experience working on a site used by children or vulnerable people

• Knowledge of school premises-compliance procedures

• Experience monitoring plant rooms, heating systems or building-management systems

• Relevant training in areas such as health and safety, fire safety, legionella awareness, asbestos awareness, COSHH or facilities management

• Experience supervising premises, cleaning or maintenance staff

Specific technical work must only be completed by candidates who hold the appropriate training or qualification. The Facilities Manager will be expected to recognise when a task needs to be referred to a competent specialist contractor.

What SENDhelp offers

• Competitive PAYE pay

• No umbrella-company deductions

• A dedicated SENDhelp consultant

• Support with onboarding and compliance

• Interview preparation

• Relevant training

• Ongoing support throughout your placement

• Access to opportunities within specialist and inclusive schools

As a specialist SEND recruiter, child safety and welfare is our number one priority. That is why we conduct thorough checks on all our candidates, and ensure that they abide by our Candidate Code of Conduct.

All Candidates will be required to provide an Enhanced DBS that is actively registered on the Update Service, or apply for one as part of the onboarding process. This is in addition to other mandatory compliance checks in line with the DfE guidelines. For further information please see our Safer Recruitment Policy.

SENDhelp is an equal opportunities employer.