Facilities Manager

Location: Akeley Wood School
Job Title: Facilities Manager
Contract: Full Time, Permanent.
Salary: £40,000 per annum
Start Date: September 2026

About the School - Akeley Wood School

Akeley Wood, part of Blenheim is a thriving, co-educational independent school set across three beautiful campuses in the Buckinghamshire countryside. We educate pupils from 12 months to 18 years, offering a warm, inclusive and ambitious environment where every child is known and supported to achieve their best.

We provide inspiring spaces for learning, from woodland outdoor areas to specialist classrooms, creative arts studios and modern sports facilities. We are proud of our strong pastoral culture, our focus on individual strengths and our commitment to helping pupils grow into confident, curious and compassionate young people.

About the Role

The Facilities Manager will play an integral role in the safe and efficient running of our school campuses, ensuring that the facilities and grounds deliver a brilliant student, colleague and parent experience. This role is responsible for ensuring that the school is well maintained, and the infrastructure, facilities and equipment are safe, secure and fit for purpose. They will ensure full compliance with our legal obligations and the smooth operations of our estate.

The Facilities Manager will take pride in how the school is presented, have a can-do attitude to fixing things when needed: they are the guardians of high standards.

What you will be doing - Key Responsibilities

• Takes overall responsibility for premises and facility management across the school
• Health & Safety Coordinator for the school including First Aid, compliance, audits and inspections
• Accountable for ensuring facilities compliance across the school campuses, including fire safety, evacuations and security lockdowns
• Oversees annual repair and maintenance schedules, statutory maintenance and inspections in accordance with legislation
• Conducts regular site walks to assess the presentation, function and working of the school grounds and facilities
• Managing third party contractors to complete facility repairs, upgrades and minor refurbishment works
• Central co-ordination and management of accidents, incidents and near miss investigations, reporting and escalation
• Responsible for site security, key holder duties, and opening and closing of premises including weekends and events
• Manage the site teams across the campuses and medical room staff, including rotas, performance management and support
• Provide and support SLT in the development of property and facility improvement and development projects for the site(s)

What you'll bring - Qualifications, Skills and Experience

Essential

• Full UK Driving License and access to a car are required - As this person will be required to work across sites
• Relevant degree or vocational qualification.
• A self-starter who can operate with autonomy and learns quickly.
• A skilled line manager who can lead and motivate individuals with differing levels of experience and seniority.
• First class organisational and practical skills.
• Proficiency with electronic platforms such as Microsoft Teams and app-based Facilities Management systems.
• Ability to remain calm under pressure with an organised approach and attention to detail.
• Experience of managing facilities, ideally across multiple sites or locations.
• Experience of managing annual maintenance budgets, planned preventative maintenance (PPM) and unplanned costs efficiently.
• Experience of managing large, complex events within a busy service-driven environment.
• Willingness to take a hands-on approach alongside oversight of site teams.
• Ability to attend call outs where necessary, including out of hours and night-time.

Desirable

• Practical skills such as carpentry, painting and decorating, and plumbing repairs.
• IOSH Health & Safety qualification.
• First Aid qualification.

Safeguarding Commitment

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people. All staff are expected to follow safeguarding policies and engage in relevant training. Any safeguarding concerns must be reported in line with school procedures. This post is subject to an enhanced DBS check.

Why Join Us?

At Blenheim Schools, you will make a real difference every day, positively impacting the lives of pupils and vulnerable young people. We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all children and young people.

All applicants will be subject to social media checks and successful candidates to an enhanced DBS. We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive a high volume of suitable applications.

Blenheim Schools are committed to a fair, thorough, and efficient recruitment process in line with Keeping Children Safe in Education. While we aim to keep applicants informed throughout, we do not accept liability for any loss of earnings or other costs incurred as a result of delays or compliance processes.