Head

Knighton House is an IAPS girls' Prep School, with a girls' and boys' Pre-Prep, in Durweston, Dorset. There are 120 children on the school roll including 40 in the Pre-Prep.

The school has a unique uniform (red dungarees until Year 7) and a very special ethos. Founded as a ‘home from home’ by John and Peggy Booker in 1950, Knighton pioneered a warm and caring approach to Prep School life - at a time when the norm was very different.

This ‘nurture not pressure’ approach is still the essence of Knighton today. It is an approach that is loved by children and parents but it is also proven to deliver excellent results. All Knighton leavers go on to their first choice senior schools, with a third securing awards and scholarships. The school’s Personal Enrichment Programme looks far beyond the bounds of the Common Entrance and Scholarship curricula. Old Knightonians - including distinguished figures in all walks of life - use the confidence that Knighton gives them to go on to build happy and successful lives.

Knighton House is one of the most beautifully situated schools in the country, set in 30 acres of rolling chalk downland in Dorset’s Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The heart of the school is a large manor house on the old Bryanston Estate that includes classrooms, dormitories and common rooms.

Developing organically the school has added classroom blocks, dining hall and a sports hall, a music school, hard tennis courts and astroturf pitches. After sixty-five years renting this beautiful site from the Crown Estate, in 2015 the School purchased the freehold, further improving its sound financial position.

Knighton House aims to provide an outstanding all round education for its pupils. This is an outdoor school. Pupils are free to roam across the lawns, paddocks, orchards and woods and teachers incorporate the beautiful surroundings into the children’s learning. Riding is a big part of life at Knighton and many girls keep ponies at the school. Sport and music, drama and art are given equal prominence - Knighton’s Hockey teams are developing a strong reputation while its choir, one of the glories of the school, regularly performs in public across Dorset and beyond.

Candidates wishing to apply should:

• Download the application pack and form
• Send a CV and a completed application form, with covering letter to Justin Perry, Knighton House Bursar: bursar@knightonhouse.co.uk  
• For an informal discussion about the post please contact Justin Perry on 01258 450711

Closing Date 16th January 2017