Principal

The British School Kathmandu is seeking a highly-skilled Principal to lead our outstanding school into its next chapter.

The Principal will provide organisational leadership, working closely with the Board of Governors.  The successful candidate will be fully aligned with the school’s values and use them to guide their leadership of teaching and learning, safeguarding, wellbeing and staff development.

The British School Kathmandu is a not-for-profit and a non-selective school, which has a rich history of educational excellence, inclusion and kindness in Nepal, over 60 years. The British School Kathmandu currently educates around 500 students from ages 3-18 from over 30 different countries, from both local and expatriate families, who trust us to care for and educate their children. Our students achieve excellent results, above UK averages, but more importantly, they are kind and a delight to teach. Set within a leafy campus in Lalitpur, Kathmandu, TBS is a small school with a big heart.

The school is a founding member of the Federation of British International Schools in Asia (FOBISIA) and a fully accredited member of the Confederation of British International Schools (COBIS). It is a British School Overseas (BSO) school and our most recent BSO inspection is October 2025. The patron is H.E. the British Ambassador to Nepal.

The role

The candidate will be confident and strategic leader who will continue to develop the school’s:

• Teaching and learning approaches

• Staffing and professional development

• Student engagement and experience

• Safeguarding and student welfare

• Enrolment, budget planning and resource management

• School performance and student outcomes

• Accreditation and compliance

• Parent, community and stakeholder relations

• Board reporting and governance

The Candidate

We are seeking a leader who combines educational excellence with strategic and operational awareness and who understands how to continue the caring and principled approaches that make our school thrive.

The successful candidate will demonstrate:

• Proven executive leadership experience, ideally as a Head, Principal or equivalent senior leader in a high-performing British international school.

• Strong expertise in teaching, learning, curriculum and student achievement, in line with British pedagogy.

• Experience of leading sustainable school improvement.

• Experience of financial planning, quality assurance, accreditation and safeguarding.

• An empowering and collaborative leadership style that builds trust and develops teams.

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.

• Strong cultural intelligence.

• A commitment to equity, diversity, inclusion and international-mindedness.

• The vision, presence and credibility to lead the school through its next stage of development.

This is an opportunity to lead a well-established, successful and ambitious international school in one of the world's most unique locations.

The British School Kathmandu has strong foundations, a diverse international community and a clear commitment to academic excellence, wellbeing and student opportunity.

The next Principal will have the opportunity not simply to maintain that success, but to shape the next chapter of our school’s development.

Qualifications

A recognised teaching qualification and relevant undergraduate degree are required, together with a UK-recognised school leadership qualification.

What We Offer

• Competitive salary

• Housing allowance

• Medical insurance

• Contract Completion Incentive

• Annual flight allowance

• Freight allowance at the beginning and end of the contract

• Education for school-aged dependent children in line with our admissions policy

Further information about the school, role, responsibilities and package is provided in the attached Candidate Information document.

How to Apply

Interested and suitably qualified candidates should submit all of the following by 12 noon (Nepal Time) Thursday October 29th 2026:

• A completed application form

• A letter of application explaining your suitability and motivation for joining The British School Kathmandu and relocating to Nepal for the duration of the contract

• A current CV 

Safeguarding, equality, inclusion and belonging

The British School Kathmandu is committed to safeguarding children and young people. All post holders are subject to appropriate vetting procedures, including checks with past employers, a satisfactory Disclosure and Barring Service check, a Prohibition Order Check and the successful application of an ICPC (International Child Protection Certificate). Our safeguarding and safer recruitment policies are shared with all prospective candidates.

The British School Kathmandu is dedicated to creating a safe, respectful and inclusive school environment where all students and staff can be happy, confident and resilient, irrespective of any protected characteristics, including those identified in the Equality Act 2010.