Director of Admissions

Are you an empathetic Leader with excellent organisation and customer service skills?

Bedales seeks an energetic and enthusiastic Director of Admissions for this high-profile role with overall responsibility for admissions at Bedales Senior, Prep and Pre-prep schools.

This is an opportunity for a forward-thinking professional to fulfil a key ambassadorial and leadership role in one of the country’s most innovative and influential boarding and day schools.

The Director of Admissions will be a member of the senior leadership team, working closely with the Head and other members of the team to oversee the smooth running of the School, ensure its future prosperity and deliver its recently launched new strategy, aiming to cultivate a community of lifelong learners.

The postholder will oversee the admissions processes, ensuring a high-quality recruitment experience that reflects the School’s distinctive ‘work of each for weal of all’ ethos. This position is key to shaping and implementing strategies for recruitment to maintain the Whole School at full capacity in all year groups, in liaison with the Heads and External Relations colleagues.

The role of Director of Admissions is a demanding and wide-ranging senior post requiring a proactive and outgoing approach. The successful candidate will be an articulate, persuasive and credible ambassador for the School and will possess excellent communication and relationship-building skills. They will be able to convey Bedales’ distinctive ethos with enthusiasm and conviction and will possess the ability to assess the range of capabilities and potential of prospective students.

As part of the broader External Relations department, the Director of Admissions leads our skilful and helpful Admissions team of four, working closely with families of applicants, guiding them from initial enquiry through to the induction of new students.

We’re looking for someone who has the ability to oversee multiple projects simultaneously, while balancing the need to think about strategic objectives and the day-to-day customer experience journey: a ‘people-person’ who is empathetic when managing and collaborating with colleagues during exceptionally busy periods, who is robust in making tough decisions and can handle difficult conversations with tact and diplomacy.

Bedales School is a unique educational establishment, set in the beautiful Hampshire countryside. We seek to create an environment where questioning, divergent thinking and freedom to learn from mistakes are all encouraged. Central to our success is the sense that each person is a member of our community and whose voice is entitled to be heard and treated with respect. Both our staff and students expect of each other the best kind of relationships – co-operative, authentic and trustful.

Experience & Background

The successful candidate will have a track record of successful leadership, either with experience of managing admissions and parent relationships in an educational setting, or from areas outside admissions and a school environment where candidates can demonstrate relevant transferable skills.

You will have excellent skills in oral and written communication as well as in listening, ability to form strong relationships with staff, parents, students, prospective students and visitors and to engage proactively and confidently with a wide range of audiences. You will have a natural empathy and demonstrate an ability to assess the range of capabilities and potential of young people.

With knowledge of the independent school sector and a commitment to education, you will be outgoing and proactive, showing the enthusiasm and gravitas to be an outstanding ambassador for the School.

With an ability to lead and manage a team and also to work independently, other key skills include organisational, discretion, flexibility, attention to detail, data management and analysis, and proficient use of the MS Office suite. 

Salary

The salary will be dependent on experience and will be commensurate with the seniority and level of responsibility for this role. The post holder will be automatically enrolled in the School’s pension scheme. 

Benefits

• Free on-site parking
• Funded Healthcare Cash Plan
• Pension with Royal London
• Private Health Insurance
• Salary Extras Benefits Platform
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Free lunch is provided during term-time 
• Sport facilities are available for staff use

How to Apply

For further details on how to apply, please visit the recruitment portal on the Bedales Schools website via the Apply button.

Closing date: 5pm on Monday 8th April 2024.

Application discussion via MS TEAMS: Thursday 18th & Friday 19th April 2024.

Interview date: Tuesday 23rd April 2024.

Pre-Appointment Checks

All candidates will undergo a Safeguarding Suitability Interview and application for an Enhanced DBS and Barred List check and be asked to provide evidence they are eligible to work in the UK, on an ongoing basis, at the shortlist stage of the selection process.

This post is Regulated Activity.                                                                         

Safeguarding Statement

Bedales is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff to share this commitment. All candidates will undergo a Safeguarding Suitability Interview and child protection screening appropriate to the post, including checks with past employers, a Prohibition from Teaching and Management Check and the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS).

The safeguarding responsibilities of the post include:

• safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children;
• fostering a culture of openness, safety, equality and protection;
• providing a safe and welcoming environment where both children and adults feel secure, able to talk and believe that they are being listened to;
• playing a key role in prevention of harm and an equal responsibility to act on any suspicion or disclosure that may indicate a child is at risk of harm;
• when concerned about the welfare of a pupil, acting in the best interests of the pupil.

All staff have a key role to play in identifying concerns early and in providing help for children.

The post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and the school is therefore permitted to ask job applicants to declare all convictions and cautions (including those which are "spent" unless they are "protected" under the DBS filtering rules) in order to assess their suitability to work with children.