Chief Master

King Edward’s School, Birmingham is a remarkable school and a supportive community, where there is a shared belief in the transformative power of an accessible education amidst a young, ethnically diverse city. It is also one of the most successful and significant boys’ schools in this country.

Founded in 1552 by Edward VI, King Edward’s School is the “founding father” of the King Edward VI Foundation and has always been a central institution in the city of Birmingham which it serves. It is located on a stunning 50-acre site in Edgbaston, which it shares with King Edward VI High School for Girls (KEHS), and educates 850 day boys, aged 11 to 18. It prepares boys exclusively for the IB Diploma. Fees for 2018/19 are £13,230 per annum. The Chief Master is a member of HMC.

In recent years, the Chief Master and Governors have strengthened their commitment to the belief that King Edward’s School should be a catalyst for social mobility, a place of academic excellence and a community whose strength derives from its social diversity and multi-cultural understanding.

The following comment, provided by parents in a research exercise, captures the ethos of the School perfectly and shows how much it is valued:

“striving for both academic and personal excellence for each boy; a very, very strong sense of acceptance of each boy as he is, and tremendous encouragement of each boy to succeed in every way both within and outside the School. I have been deeply impressed by a palpable sense of inclusivity, inspiration, cheerfulness and friendliness within a framework of strong discipline which is driven by strong values of fairness and justice”.

From 2006 to 2016, under the leadership of John Claughton, the School transformed both its curriculum and its academic performance, invested £18million in facilities, doubled the number of Assisted Places and developed an exceptional outreach programme. Then for two years, until his departure in Summer 2018, the next Chief Master was Dr Mark Fenton. He has strengthened the School further, inter alia, by introducing a number of improvements to the management systems and structures. Until Summer 2019, the School will be in the safe hands of Acting Chief Master, Keith Phillips, previously Second Master who has worked at King Edward’s for over 30 years.

The Governors now seek an exceptional educational leader who will build on this legacy and develop his or her own vision for the future, in which King Edward’s School continues to prosper, for the benefit of the boys and their families and the staff who work there. The next Chief Master will want to nurture all that is precious about the School’s culture, particularly the relationships between people, while continuously seeking to develop the School for the challenges and opportunities ahead.

To have a more detailed conversation about the role, please contact one of the consultants handling this appointment:

Caroline Stephens: carolinestephens@rsacademics.co.uk / +44 (0)7885 561980
Russell Speirs: russellspeirs@rsacademics.co.uk / +44 (0)7879 607078
Vicky Tuck: vickytuck@rsacademics.co.uk / +44 (0)7756 005380

Further information about the role and details on how to apply can be found here

Closing date: 4.00pm on Sunday 7th October 2018

King Edward’s School, Birmingham is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people. The post is subject to an enhanced DBS check, satisfactory references and a medical check.