Head of Academic Drama

Whitgift is a leading independent day and boarding school for nearly 1500 boys, with over one hundred boarding pupils, set in an attractive 48-acre parkland site in South Croydon enjoying excellent links to London, Surrey and the south coast.

Whitgift is a highly stimulating and rewarding school in which to work; a new Vision for Whitgift 2025 has recently been developed, and the School is now embarking on the challenge of implementing these values. 

Drama at Whitgift has an outstanding reputation, enabling boys to perform to professional standards throughout their school lives.  We are looking for a well-qualified and inspirational Head of Academic Drama. Outstanding teaching, organisational and people skills will be essential.  The successful candidate will have extensive support from the Director of Drama, but there is also the opportunity for considerable innovation and flexibility as to how Academic Drama will develop over the coming years.

Drama is an enormously popular subject throughout the school and is taught from Year 6 through to A Level, imbedding a culture of creative curiosity and theatrical rigour throughout. Drama is a popular subject at GCSE, and is also offered at A Level and IB, ensuring a wide range of teaching opportunities and an influx of bright, capable boys into the department. The Drama department comprises of two full time teachers and a Graduate Drama Assistant, but the department works closely with the English Department, and the expert theatre technicians of the school’s AV department.

Whitgift’s theatrical facilities are housed in a newly renovated and dynamic Performing Arts Centre where the auditorium is configured to meet the needs of the production be it in the round, traverse or thrust.  Big School, Whitgift’s main assembly hall, converts to a tiered-seating auditorium for major productions.  In addition to these excellent spaces, productions have been performed outside in the Andrew’s Quadrangle and Founder’s Garden. The Drama Studio is another versatile teaching, rehearsal and performance space.

In return a generous salary and benefits package will be offered.

We welcome applications from all parts of our community as we aspire to attract staff that matches the social and cultural diversity of our student intake. 

For further information and an online application form, please visit www.whitgift.co.uk/vacancies For any queries, please telephone the Human Resources Department on 020 8688 9222 or email SchoolHR@whitgift.co.uk   

For more specific queries please feel free to contact Mr J C Hammond (Director of Drama) on jch@whitgift.co.uk

Applications will be reviewed daily and we invite interested candidates to apply as soon as possible. 

Closing date: Midnight, Thursday 1 December

Whitgift School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of young people, and applicants must be willing to undergo child protection screening including checks with past employers and the Disclosure & Barring Service.