EDUCATIONAL ESTABLISHMENTS
This pitch may be more of a multi-use facility and is still in discussion with the
”
coaches. Rugby and hockey are our key sports and having a synthetic pitch for training is extremely useful
Careers and training
James gained qualifications in sportsground maintenance and greenkeeping at Hartpury College before starting his career in greenkeeping - hoping to become a professional golfer!
“I couldn’t see many opportunities for progression as a greenkeeper, so moved into grounds maintenance, including a role at Stratford Park in Stroud where I also had responsibility for aspects such as play equipment, before setting up my own landscaping business.”
He comments that, while his four-man grounds team have undertaken GMA (IOG) short courses, he’d like them to have access to more regular training, possibly on a day release basis.
“But the workload means it’s not an option at the moment. I’m focusing on industry events such as the Sports and Grounds Expo at Malvern for 2021 and then hopefully BTME 2022 where they can take advantage of some of the training.”
James’s own role sees much of his time spent behind a desk managing the workload, planning operations and preparing budgets, with a small amount of hands-on groundsmanship. He also develops projects, including the design of a new play area for the Cheltenham Dean Close Nursery.
“Budgets are tight, but we have introduced some novel ideas such as a ‘gardening club’ where parents and pupils help out by painting play equipment and planting raised beds,” he comments.
The demands of being both manager and hands-on operator are not lost on James.
“We’re really missing a head groundsman’s role to form a link between myself and the groundstaff, but hopefully that’s something that can be considered in the future,” he says.
98 PC December/January 2021
“This pitch may be more of a multi-use facility and is still in discussion with the coaches. Rugby and hockey are our key sports and having a synthetic pitch for training is extremely useful.” The tennis courts are also due for refurbishment in early 2021, and should prove a good investment, he suggests, with increased interest in tennis among pupils, parents and the community.
Machinery is mainly stored on the senior school side in large garages, but James hopes to build a store next to the sportsfields where a series of shipping containers currently hold paint, linemarkers and other small items of kit.
“It would be so much more convenient to have a second store so that kit used for the grass pitches is handy,” he comments. A more distant aspiration concerns the drainage system.
“There are no records or details of the
drains,” explains James, “But in the hot summer of 2018 when the pitches cracked, a drone photo showed lines indicating the position of the drainage pattern, and even old manhole covers. We found the outlet and it’s clearly blocked and collapsed, so I’d ideally want to restore the drainage at some point. It would be a great help in the depths of winter!”
The workload is immense and this year has been testing, but James and his team clearly have the will to make a success of it and the extensive, well cared-for facilities will continue to attract pupils to the Dean Close Foundation.
Gardener Gala Delbrooke-Jones mows in the interesting surroundings of the art block
Dean Close School sports facilities Fifty acres of sports grounds
Six main rugby pitches which form the cricket outfields
Six cricket squares plus single strips on outfields
Two synthetic pitches, one water based, one sand based
Covered astroturf pitch
Ten hard tennis courts (also used for netball)
Eight-lane synthetic cricket nets
Gardens and grounds (including gardens for staff houses)
Extensive areas of woodland and forest
school managed in partnership with Cheltenham Tree Services
Other facilities:
Sports hall for basketball, football, hockey, badminton, tennis, volleyball, netball and cricket
Fitness suite fitted with training equipment and weights, dance/aerobics studio, seminar room, a viewing gallery also feature
New sports pavilion has been erected opposite the sports hall
25m indoor pool Two squash courts
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