A Bursar’s Guide to School Grounds Maintenance in Surrey: Safety, Term-Time Scheduling & Choosing the Right Contractor

Maintaining school grounds is unlike maintaining any other site. A school field is a playing surface, an outdoor classroom, a sports facility and a first impression for every visiting parent – often all in the same week.

For bursars, site managers and facilities leads across Epsom, Ashtead, Leatherhead and the wider Surrey area, the challenge is finding a grounds maintenance contractor who understands that a school is not simply a large lawn with some hedges around it.

At All Seasons Garden Maintenance, we provide structured communal and commercial grounds maintenance across Surrey, and schools are among the most demanding – and rewarding – sites we look after.

This guide walks through what genuinely matters when you appoint a school grounds maintenance contractor: safeguarding, scheduling around the school day, surface safety, and getting value from a fixed specification.

Why Safeguarding Comes First: DBS-Checked Grounds Maintenance Teams

The single most important difference between a school contract and a domestic one is safeguarding. Any contractor working on a site where children are present needs to take this seriously, and you are entirely right to ask the question before anything else. Reputable school grounds contractors should be able to confirm that their operatives are DBS-checked, that they understand they must never be alone with pupils, and that they follow your school’s signing-in and visitor protocols without being chased.

Our DBS-checked grounds maintenance teams arrive in branded uniform and identifiable vehicles, sign in at reception, and work to an agreed safe-working plan that keeps machinery and pupils completely separated. Where possible we schedule the noisier, higher-risk tasks – ride-on mowing, strimming, hedge cutting – for times when children are not using the affected areas.

Term-Time Scheduling: Working Around the School Day

Grass does not stop growing because it is exam season – but a ride-on mower next to a Year 6 SATs hall is a problem. The best school grounds maintenance is planned around the school calendar, not against it.

That means heavier work in holidays and at weekends, quieter routine work scheduled before drop-off or during designated periods, and a clear understanding of sports fixture dates so pitches are presented at their best for match days.

We build a term-by-term plan with each school we work with, covering routine grass cutting and lawn care, seasonal hedge and shrub work, leaf clearance during autumn, and the more intensive renovation work that is best done during the summer break.

Surface Safety and Risk: More Than Just Mowing

School grounds carry specific safety obligations. Slippery leaf-covered paths, moss on play areas, overgrown sightlines near gates and car parks, and trip hazards on sports surfaces are all genuine risks on a busy site.

A good contractor treats these as part of the job, not as extras. Regular patio, path and hard-surface cleaning keeps pedestrian routes safe, while consistent edge and sightline management keeps access points clear.

• Playing fields and sports pitches – cutting at correct heights, marking support, and aeration to reduce waterlogging and cancellations
• Play areas and safety surfacing – keeping surfaces clear of algae, moss and debris that create slip hazards
• Boundaries and sightlines – managing hedges and shrubs around gates, drop-off zones and CCTV lines
• Hard surfaces and paths – jet washing to remove the slippery build-up that causes most outdoor falls

Choosing the Right School Grounds Contractor: A Checklist

When you go to tender or review your current provider, the questions below separate a true grounds maintenance company from a domestic gardener taking on a job that is too big:

• Are operatives DBS-checked, and can they evidence it?
• Do they carry full public liability insurance appropriate to a school setting?
• Will you receive a written specification setting out exactly what is done at each visit?
• Can they schedule around term time, exams and fixtures?
• Do they provide risk assessments and method statements (RAMS)?
• Are they local enough to respond quickly when something needs attention?

All Seasons has been established in the Epsom area for over a decade, is fully insured, and works to a written specification on every commercial and communal grounds contract we hold.

Call All Seasons Garden Maintenance on 01372 610566 or request a free site assessment today.