Head of Senior School Sport – Sport & Exercise (Maternity Cover)

Reporting to: The Director of Sport & Exercise

Location: Highgate, North London                

Type of position: Term time, Full time. Fixed term.                             

To apply: Applications should be made via Highgate’s website https://www.highgateschool.org.uk/work-with-us/

For any queries please contact Alice Taylor, HR & Recruitment Officer, Highgate School, North Road, London N6 4AY. Recruitment@Highgateschool.org.uk

Closing date: Sunday 30 January. Applications will be considered on receipt, and we reserve the right to close an advert early if we find a suitable candidate. Interviews will take place on 3, 4 and 7 February 2022.

Highgate School supports anonymous recruitment. This means we hide your personal, identifying information to remove bias from the hiring process. We encourage applications from candidates who experience barriers and inequity due to their ethnicity, gender identity, physical or mental health, sexuality, and/or socio-economic background.

Highgate is committed to the safeguarding and welfare of children. Applicants must be willing to undergo child protection screening appropriate to this post, including checks with past employers, overseas police check if necessary and the Disclosure and Barring Service.

THE ROLE

Sport and Exercise (“SpEx”) at Highgate has a reputation for excellence and innovation in teaching and coaching and we are looking to appoint a well-qualified and experienced manager to take on the role of Head of Senior School Sport.

This role sits at management level alongside the Head of Senior School Exercise, Head of Junior Sport and Exercise, Head of Pre-Prep Sport & Exercise and Head of SpEx Operations. It is an exciting opportunity for an experienced manager to play a key role in one of the largest departments at the school, which is vibrant and forward thinking and has benefitted from significant investment in both staff and facilities.

As Head of Senior School Sport, you will lead the management and delivery of Sport in Years 7-13, directly line managing a large and committed team of professionals leading each of our Sports. The role is suitable for someone passionate about the value of sport for young people, who has a proven track record of coaching excellence, developing sporting passion and talent in others, and who understands the part sport has to play in school communities. It is an exciting opportunity for someone who has demonstrated an ongoing commitment to sport or already has experience of leading a sporting programme. 

You will have a clear vision for coaching across each stage and sport in the senior school and as Head of Senior School Sport you will have particular responsibility for ensuring consistency of sporting experience across all pupils and sports, whether at entry or elite level. Experience of working with external providers, community outreach programmes or elite level sport are also desirable qualities. You will be line-managed by the Director of Sport & Exercise and will have responsibility for delivering on the Sport objectives set out in the Department Development Plan. You will work closely with our Deputy Director of SpEx and Head of High Performance and the Head of Athletic Development to develop opportunities for our top sportsmen and women to excel.

The successful applicant will be knowledgeable about recent developments in coaching and show commitment to being involved in the evolution of the SpEx programme. They will have the ability to lead by example, manage a large team of highly qualified staff and role model the leadership behaviours that inspire both staff and pupils. They will teach and coach across the SpEx programme as required, promote high levels of pupil participation in sport, develop potential and drive excellence across all sporting pathways.

In the first two terms you will take the lead of an ‘A’ team in one of our focus sports; Hockey, Netball or Football. Preference will be given to those with a proven record of higher level coaching experience at School, Club or Performance Sport. In the summer term you will be expected to lead age groups in either Athletics or Cricket. Experience of organising and leading overseas sports tours is essential. A commitment to extra-curricular practices and sports clubs is essential to ensure the quality of pupil experience. You will have the imagination, drive, enthusiasm and interpersonal skills to challenge and support our pupils to make the most of their opportunities and ability.

To succeed, you will need proven relevant management experience, the ability to communicate effectively with a wide range of people and an adaptable flexible approach. The role offers excellent career development potential at the TES Independent School of the Year. We are looking for someone who strives for excellence and leads by example, and as a dedicated practitioner will be committed to the further development of the Sport programme at Highgate.

THE SCHOOL

A culture of community, kindness and belonging

Highgate is a different kind of independent school. We are a school whose charitable ethos is an inextricable part of both staff and pupil DNA. Highgate doesn’t exist in a bubble, but is connected to, and part of, a community. We have partnerships with over 60 state schools across 7 London boroughs, and, in 2017, Highgate co-founded the free sixth form school, The London Academy of Excellence Tottenham (LAET), with Tottenham Hotspur Football Club as principal business sponsor.

From the Pre-Prep right up to the Sixth Form, we are actively seeking to embed a real sense of belonging at Highgate. Everyone who works and studies with us deserves to feel they are part of an environment that:

• welcomes them
• enables them to be themselves
• understands them
• encourages questioning, self-knowledge, and self-expression
• helps them not just to manage, but to thrive, to discover and pursue their passions, and to develop as individuals and members of a community.

To do this, we are evaluating diversity in our professional, curricular and co-curricular life, exploring how to attract pupils and staff from all backgrounds to work and learn at Highgate and providing opportunities to share our own experiences as well as learning from alternative perspectives. Our work on inclusion at Highgate involves pupils, staff, alumni, parents and carers.

Award-winning success

Founded over 450 years ago in 1565 by Sir Roger Cholmeley, Highgate is one of the UK’s leading co-educational independent schools for pupils aged 4-18. There are currently in the region of 1,850 pupils split across our Pre-Preparatory School, Junior School and Senior School sites, in conjunction with approximately 600 teaching and support staff. We are proud to be able to claim some of the top academic results across the UK, as well as titles of Independent School of the Year 2019 and Independent School of the Year for Social Mobility 2019. Highgate has recently been named the Sunday Times London Independent School of the Decade by Parent Power, The Sunday Times Schools Guide. “Ranking in the top 25 independent schools in the UK for its results in the examination hall, Highgate achieves well for its children. But it also makes a difference for many more children beyond its own gates.” Alistair McCall, The Sunday Times.

Staff wellbeing

Highgate recognises the value of staff wellbeing which we promote by encouraging a strong work-life balance, trying our best to support flexible working requests, providing a nutritious food offering and offering access to sporting facilities including our recently renovated swimming pool. Our ethos is to be a reflective community and we encourage mindfulness throughout our school, for example by offering weekly prayers in our chapel. We also encourage an open culture throughout our school, with our directors having an open-door policy and making use of regular staff surveys.

We also encourage our employees to be continuously engaged in their role by providing opportunities to participate in the wider life of our school, such as taking part in trips or societies and getting involved in partnership projects.