Deputy Head Outreach

 The School

Founded in 1432, Sevenoaks enjoys a global reputation as a centre of academic excellence and a flagship school for the International Baccalaureate. A co-educational day and boarding school, it offers a stimulating, intellectually demanding and balanced education for pupils from the age of 11 to 18. 

Inspiring facilities, together with expert, enthusiastic and imaginative teaching, provide rich opportunities for students participating in lessons, and a wide variety of sports and the performing arts. 

The school’s international make-up and outlook promote the principles of tolerance and open-mindedness. About 350 pupils board in the seven boarding houses, and students originate from some 40 countries worldwide. 

In 2013 the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI) awarded Sevenoaks School the rare accolade of ‘Exceptional’ for its students’ achievement. Sevenoaks was also the highest performing fully co-educational school, and the one with the largest cohort, in The Sunday Times Parent Power’s top 50 fee-paying schools for the IB in 2015. In November 2017 we were, for the second time in 10 years, awarded The Sunday Times Independent Secondary School of the Year.

The Campus

The school is situated in the Kent market town of Sevenoaks, and has a prime position at the top of the High Street. The 100-acre site, which includes a number of listed buildings, is beautifully landscaped and adjoins the medieval deer park of Knole.  London is only a 30-minute train journey away. Gatwick International Airport is also only 30 minutes away, and there are good transport links to other London airports and the Channel Tunnel.

Teaching at Sevenoaks School

Teaching here is immensely rewarding; we work in high-performing teams towards a shared endeavour. Everyone appointed to teach at Sevenoaks School is expected to actively engage in all aspects of our broad and well-rounded education. 

We want all our pupils to enjoy their subjects, to be inspired by their teachers and to become independent, lifelong learners. Teachers are enthusiastic and well-qualified graduates. 

Curriculum

At every stage, we offer a broad, deep and integrated curriculum. Every pupil is encouraged to be curious, creative, critically aware, and to develop his or her passion and talent to the full. Life is fast-paced, dynamic, and expectations are high. 

All of the 400-plus Sixth Form students pursue the International Baccalaureate Diploma, a programme the school has delivered for nearly 40 years. The Diploma is the best preparation for university and for work in a world of global competition. Even more important, it genuinely develops a rich inner life in our students, opening their minds to connections and possibilities within and across the subject disciplines. 

Deputy Head Outreach

This new post has been created to lead and shape our significant outreach activity and ambition, co-ordinating the wide range of external activities we currently undertake, and seek to develop, locally, nationally and internationally. 

The Deputy Head Outreach will work alongside the existing Deputies (Pastoral, Academic and Co-curricular), reporting to the Head. The Senior Deputy co-ordinates the work of all four Deputies, and all five senior posts work closely with the Head and Bursar on strategic and operational matters.

The Deputy Head Outreach will play an important role overseeing and harmonising existing external activities, including Marketing, Communications, Development, and Admissions. He or she will be responsible for overseeing the leadership and management of existing community outreach programmes: our sponsorship of Knole Academy, our work with twenty-six Kent IBCP schools in the maintained sector, our role as hub for the local primary school cluster involving 29 primary schools, and the Kent Academies Network (KAN) university access scheme. In addition, Governors have recently approved the launch of a Sevenoaks Summer School, building on the strengths of existing IB revision courses. A Summer School Director will be appointed, with the aim of expanding a broader external educational programme. This role will report to the Deputy Head Outreach.

A number of other initiatives are part of the Deputy Head Outreach’s remit: Sevenoaks School hosts a Science Gifted and Talented Summer School for Y5 state primary school children, and in 2014 this was expanded to Maths for Y6 pupils. To date approximately 760 students have participated in the summer schools and we are seeking to continue this commitment into the future.  

The successful candidate will be committed to ensuring that the school continues to provide educational opportunities for the wider community. He or she will initiate and develop programmes and manage budgets effectively to harness our resources for maximum impact. They will work closely with the other Deputies and the Bursar, and support staff.