Independent schools

What was a drain is now a dream…

Since 2018 Ibstock Place School’s sports field had suffered from standing water during winter, and it was only after investigation work from AMS Contracting that the extent of the issue was revealed.

As the only grass area for sports at the school, it is a vital space for sports. During the year two football pitches transition to rugby pitches and then to athletics, keeping the area in constant use.

Ibstock Groundsman, Louis Macklin, joined the private school in August 2020, and inherited the drainage problem, but after a brief examination he called in AMS to explore further.

“When I joined I didn’t actually believe them when they told me about the issue,” Louis explained.

“I came in and got a verti-drain, reseeded and had everything looking nice and everyone was amazed with how it looked. And then the winter months came and I was thinking ‘now I understand’.

“In the winter months it would rain a little bit and we’d have standing water for about a month if it was dry after that. It just wasn’t draining and the pitches were overused, so the grass was ripping out and there were big mud sludges.

“The investigation work was a really valuable part of the process and meant that we could be confident in the plan that was put in place.

“Originally I was going around digging holes and I put two and two together, because the sports staff kept saying it’s ever since the irrigation went in. So I dug near the irrigation and I straight away found a pipe beside a drain run that had been severed through. AMS came in and we got some cameras and dug some more holes and it seemed like every drain run that was near an irrigation line was severed.

“The pitches were originally constructed in 2016 and in 2018 an irrigation company came in to install irrigation. I think because there were no plans to show where the original drainage was done. So, when they dug their trenches for the pipelines they cut through some of the drainage runs.

“The outlet was going through a wooded area that was also overgrown, and that was always flooding and water was sitting on top of the field because it had nowhere to go.”

AMS surveyed the land and used GPS to plot the field and wooded area to formulate a plan. With the original outlet pipe going into the neighbouring golf club’s trench, an attenuation basin had to be built to accommodate the additional water and the irrigation pipes moved to go in between the drainage runs.

With the project completed, Louis says the field is ‘draining like a dream’, while giving him time to raise the quality.

“It gives me time to get the standards of the actual field and playing quality up higher. We are a private school and they have always preferred for other schools not to come here because of the condition of the field and pitches. But slowly but surely, we’re getting into a position where they will want to host games here.” AMS Contracting is operated and managed by brother Myles and Ashley Strange. The brothers come from a long established farming background and have used that expertise to along with the latest industry technologies to offer high-quality results on budget and on time.

Services range from sports field drainage and earthworks to hydroseeding and solar farm maintenance. This concise but varied offering of services has led AMS to work with sports clubs, large building development companies, local councils, large scale landscaping companies and private owners.

Why the Ventrac 4500 is now our front-line machine

Adam Smith, the Head of Grounds and Gardens at Bishop’s Stortford College, has been delighted with the higher level of presentation and the work-hour savings, following the purchase of a Ventrac 4500 allterrain compact tractor. Supplied through local groundscare dealer, Upsons Mowers, the package initially included a 72-inch rotary mowing deck. Subsequently the College has added a Power Brush attachment.

Adam’s career in the industry has included numerous different roles - first as a mechanical technician with a European groundscare contractor, then as a product demonstrator followed by a sales role with a large regional UK dealer, a further sales role for Toro in Brisbane. On returning to the UK, he gained more sales experience with a John Deere dealer before a career switch to groundsmanship at nearby Haileybury Imperial College, before joining the Bishop’s Stortford team two years ago.

“Without a doubt the Ventrac has enhanced the overall appearance of our large grassed areas and its ability to mow on 40-degree slopes has cut out hundreds of hours of brush-cutting for the team” he said.

“There are only four of us, so every hour is vital. Strimming is such a time-consuming job, but we have now freed up hours that can spent on other important tasks around the facility. It has been a gamechanger.”

“We have some serious banks

ICL schools’ seminar was ‘amazing’

The ICL Independent Schools Seminar returned in full force after a two-year absence due to the pandemic.

Held at the all-new Sports Turf Academy within Leicester City FC’s world-class training facility, approximately 50 turf professionals from the Independent Schools sector attended the event to network and enhance their education.

With the last seminar taking place in 2019, many attendees saw it as a valuable opportunity to catch-up on trends and topics within the everchanging world of turf management.

“You’ve got to stay up to date. In the short amount of time between the seminars, things have moved on so quickly and less products have become available. If you don’t attend events like this and keep yourself aware, then you will get left behind.” said Gary Austin, Deputy Head Groundsman at Radley College.

ICL’s Dr Richard Collins was the first to take to the stage to provide an overview and update on the many research projects being conducted by ICL.

Richard explained the importance of research and trials, detailed the types of research being carried out by ICL including internal studies and those in partnership with leading universities and he also offered an insight into specific projects such as SMX – a soluble seaweed concentrate, and a variety of wetting agents.

Turf in the metaverse was up next as Syngenta’s Daniel Lightfoot addressed the exciting potential of digital agronomy. Daniel explained how digital activity will underpin the future of turf management, encouraging less chemical applications and more accurate biological ones.

ICL’s Henry Bechelet outlined strategies for effective renovations. Step-by-step, Henry went through the stages of a successful renovation process by covering everything from seed choice to early establishment and proven fertilisers to the use of supported technologies.

Host for the day and Head of Sports Turf and Grounds, John Ledwidge, then provided a fascinating insight into Leicester’s Sports Turf Academy. John explained how the Academy aims to inspire the next generation of sports turf students by offering an elite training environment, with access to the latest technology and expertise.

The day concluded with a memorable behind the scenes tour of the club’s state-of-the-art training facility and the consensus was that the attendees were pleased to see the return of the seminar.

“I’m taking so much away with me,” said Chris Moody, Head of Grounds at Ratcliffe College. “Firstly, it has shown me just how much research goes into each and every ICL product. I found the digital technology presentation fascinating; it was a real eye-opener and I’ll be downloading the app as soon as I can, especially as it is free at a time when we’re all trying to keep within our budgets.”

It was the first ICL seminar Ipswich School has attended, said Head Groundsman Martin Cull. “We came today not really knowing what to expect but it has been amazing. Seeing all the research gives you even more trust in the products. Talking to other like-minded people and finding out how they deal with certain issues has also been very useful.”

“We haven’t got a huge budget, so the timing of product application is essential,” added Martin’s colleague Ollie Jones.

“Therefore, the biggest thing I’ll be taking away with me from today is knowing exactly when to use products. It has been a real privilege to attend - the facilities here are breathtaking.” n www.icl-sf.co.uk

across the 130 acres and I was looking for a machine that would save us from the hours of brushcutting. Upsons suggested the Ventrac and, at first, I wasn’t too sure; to be honest it looked a bit ‘Mickey Mouse’, but once we’d had it demo-ed we were immediately won over. Andy Richards came over from Haileybury for the demo and he has bought one as well. We have a good working relationship and, on occasions, lend each other attachments. It’s simple with the Ventrac linkage system, there’s no complicated set up, you just drive out of one and drive in to the next.

“Before the Ventrac we were using a 50hp tractor with a rearmounted roller mower, but it was so cumbersome with limited maneuverability in tight spaces. We have several outdoor teaching spaces, such as the arboretum, and getting around the trees and outdoor furniture was a major problem. The Ventrac alleviated this immediately as it has a centre-pivot steering system and can turn tightly. Again, this saves many workhours and is much more efficient.

“This has become our front-line machine; its low ground pressure means we can go out at any time, even in some of the very wet areas and you feel really safe on the banks, it’s a machine you can trust. We have a natural spring that rises near our Pre-Prep School and we can’t usually get in there before late May, but with the Ventrac we cut it in February.

“The weight transfer system works well and by turning it down, the striping effect when using the roller deck is excellent. I particularly like the rear three-point linkage. We can hitch up our Sisis brush units and use the Ventrac as the tow vehicle on our synthetic surfaces. It has such a light footprint, much better than a utility vehicle and we can also brush in stripes on our natural surfaces, if required.”

MM seed fit for King’s

MM grass seed is working wonders for the King’s Bruton Foundation according to Director of Grounds, Graham Kitley.

The King’s Bruton Foundation, in Somerset, comprises three schools – King’s Bruton, Hazlegrove Preparatory and Bruton School for Girls. The three boarding schools are united by a common set of values and principles and bound by a shared history that stretches back five hundred years to the foundation of King’s in 1519.

Standards are everything to the Foundation and that also applies to the extensive twenty-two acres of grounds which are managed by Graham Kitley. With twenty years’ experience of working in independent schools, it is safe to say that the grounds and sports facilities are in good hands.

Before being promoted to the position of Director of Grounds in July 2021, Graham spent just over four years working solely on the Hazlegrove site. He now oversees the King’s Bruton and Hazlegrove sites and the two separate grounds teams.

“How the schools are presented is incredibly important. We take pride in the grounds because it is the first thing you see when you arrive, and first impressions are everything,” said Graham.

“Furthermore, both of the Headmasters are very sport minded people, and it is important that the pupils are out playing as much sport as they can on the very best facilities.

“As a grounds team we are backed by the School and the Bursar in terms of budget for products and machinery.”

Graham admits to being in a fortunate position and insists on using only the finest products. This was certainly the case when it came to choosing a grass seed.

“I speak to many people in the industry about products and it became apparent that a lot were using MM seed. Because everyone was raving about the benefits of MM, I thought I’d try it. It did exactly what everybody said it would do and it has been phenomenal ever since.”

MM is one of the most respected brands in the UK amenity industry, with over 40 years of experience and knowledge. The extensive product portfolio is second to none with performance proven mixtures that are used at many leading venues in the UK and Europe.

All the varieties have an excellent breeding pedigree and have been selected and bred for their ability to deliver a range of quality turf characteristics.

Graham uses MM50 - a hard-wearing ryegrass mix and MM7 – a mix of fine leaved ryegrass, fescue and bent which is suitable for fine turf.

“Across both schools, we use MM50 on all our cricket pitches and all our formal lawns, and then we use MM7 on our golf greens.

“We have such a short turnaround period between terms, and I need to have faith in the products,” he continued. “MM seed has excellent germination and is up and growing strong within days. This is particularly beneficial because it allows us to get on with other jobs while having confidence in the seed to be working away.

“It also responds well over the winter, and we have very little disease. The recovery is good, the colour is good, and it has never let me down.

Graham purchases MM seed from David Bevan of Agrovista Amenity and was quick to praise the support he receives.

“David and Matt Gresty, MM and Designer Sales and Brand Manager for DLF UK, are both brilliant in looking after me in terms of what I need. They are both very knowledgeable and are always available to talk to, and I’ve never had any problems with MM seed. Quite simply, I order what I need, it arrives on time, and it always works.” n www.mm-seeds.co.uk

Director of Grounds, Graham Kitley