About Us

Ochil Tower School is a thriving educational and residential community, where 27 children and young people, aged 8-21, with special and complex additional support needs live, learn and grow together.

The aim is always to create a beautiful and calm experience. Ochil Tower School is set in seven acres of stunning Perthshire countryside. This enables its children and young adults to feel more relaxed and better able to forge relationships with peers and staff. They are then more able to build self-esteem, confidence, and their capacity for resilience.

The School provides excellent care and education and is not short on ambition. In October 2018, it opened a new Life Skills Centre. This facility is for young adults aged 18 – 21 and is designed to help them so that they are better prepared for the challenges of living an independent adult life by developing their skills in learning, life, and work. OTS has also been focussed on extending the residential provision to 52 weeks. The Board of Trustees have a commitment to further enhancing and developing the opportunities for the young people, the residential houses, and their plans to build new educational facilities for the school.

In response to the pupils' high social and educational needs, the school focuses on creating imaginative and flexible approaches to develop self esteem, confidence and an interest in broad learning and educational aims. This is facilitated by a flexible social pedagogical approach which combines care and education as mutually affecting arenas of lifelong learning. It is the task of the educator to recognise and build on the individual strengths of each young person and use their interests to help them engage in their learning. We are a Camphill community which incorporates the ethos of Waldorf education and Camphill values into our 24h curriculum which is based on the Curriculum for Excellence. 

The role

We are seeking a dedicated and enthusiastic Assistant Gardener to join our team. The ideal candidate will assist the head gardener in maintaining, renovating and conserving the living environments across Ochil Tower School in line with best organic horticultural standards. These environments include herbaceous gardens, mature lawns, extensive hedging, large mixed beds with ponds, a small field, woodlands, and walled gardens with a kitchen garden. 

As these environments provide therapeutic and learning benefits to our children, young people, and staff, they play a key role in the delivery of our 24 hour curriculum. The purpose of this job therefore includes assisting in preparing class and house activities in the gardens and woodlands. The assistant gardener will also help ensure the living environment and related estate facilities are fit and safe for purpose, in line with our sustainability aims and the broader work of the Estate & Facilities Team. 

Responsibilities

• Promote a positive ethos and culture in the Garden team, working closely with the Head Gardener and the wider Estates and Facilities Team, consistent with Ochil Tower School’s vision, purpose and core values.

• To assist in the day-to-day and seasonal care and maintenance of the gardens and woodlands across Ochil Tower School by undertaking weeding, pruning, trimming, barrowing materials, composting, mulching.

• To maintain the lawns by mowing, strimming, edging and other tasks requested by management.

• To maintain the grounds by leaf blowing, sweeping, and power washing. and other tasks requested by management.

• To assist the head gardener in working with care and education staff so that they can support the children and young people to engage with: edible garden produce and healthy eating; the natural environmental and outdoor learning; and biodiversity within the different living environments in Ochil Tower School. 

• To assist the wider Estates & Facilities Team in tasks which require team-based, collective effort where necessary, and to report any hazards and remedial issues promptly. 

• Work in accordance with all Ochil Tower School policies and procedures, including health and safety procedures and safe use of tools. 

• Attend supervision, annual performance review, training and other meetings, as required.

• Undertake any other reasonable duties in line with skill level and experience, as may be requested by management. 

Knowledge, Skills and Experience 

Essential 

• Knowledge of Health and Safety practices. 

• Good communication and interpersonal skills, both written and oral, with attention to detail and the ability to work effectively with a range of stakeholders.

• Strong organisational and time management skills, with an emphasis on maintaining order and cleanliness throughout the working day. 

• Willingness to learn about machinery for example the ride-on mower and hedge trimmers.

Desirable

• Basic working knowledge of, and passion for, organic horticulture and biodiversity (or a genuine interest in developing this understanding). 

• Demonstrable skill in manual tasks including weeding, pruning, hoeing, raking, digging, trimming, mowing and composting. 

• Experience of safe use of a range of horticultural hand tools and machinery.

• Experience of growing crops for a kitchen garden.   

• Ability to identify and maintain a range of plants according to their habit and seasonal needs. 

• Confidence in using and maintaining horticultural machinery. 

• Experience of working in a children's additional support needs in education or childcare setting.

Desired Qualifications

• Formal work-based training or apprenticeship in horticultural practice

• NC in horticulture or equivalent or higher horticultural qualification

• Driving licence 

• First Aid qualification 

• Safe Ladder training 

Requirements

• This post requires PVG membership in relation to working with children/adults 

• The Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 ( Exclusions and Exceptions) ( Scotland) Order 2013 applies to this post. 

Benefits

• Salary: £24,960.00 including breaks

• 40 hours per week Mon-Fri

• 7 weeks annual leave

• Enhanced sick pay

• Enhanced maternity pay

• Employee assistance programme

• Cycle to work scheme

• Opportunity to develop professional skills and knowledge

• Workplace pension scheme

Applications for this post will close 5 May 2024.

If you have any queries about the role please contact Kirsty Alexander, our Head Gardener, on kirsty.alexander@ochiltowerschool.org