Head of English

THE ROLE

• St Andrew’s Prep School is seeking to appoint an inspiring, strategic, and dynamic Head of English who will champion excellence in teaching and learning and inspire a culture of exceptional literacy across the school. The successful candidate will report to the Deputy Head Academic and will provide purposeful leadership of the English Department. They will shape an engaging curriculum, uphold academic excellence in the Prep School, and strengthen links with the Senior School to support smooth pupil transition. Leading a team of dedicated teachers, they will be a strong communicator, passionate about education, and creative and diligent in their approach.
• Life in a full boarding school in a remote location requires adaptability, energy, and resilience. Above all, the post-holder will share our commitment to delivering a world-class education.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

The overarching responsibilities of the role include:

• Promoting the Christian ethos of the school.
• Establishing and developing a curriculum that engages and motivates department colleagues and pupils.
• Shaping a forward-thinking curriculum and coordinating enrichment opportunities.
• Monitoring pupils’ progress and attainment to ensure the highest academic standards.
• Ensuring the reputation and delivery of academic excellence within the Prep School English Department.
• Leading, managing, and supporting the team of English teachers.
• Developing and improving collaboration between the Prep and Senior School to ensure a seamless transition for pupils.
• Contributing to whole-school strategic priorities.
• Fostering a dynamic learning environment that inspires a love of reading, writing, and communication.
• Beyond that, we want staff who are committed to allowing students to thrive; first-class communicators; passionate about education and the students they teach; creative and diligent in their planning; and, given life in a full boarding school (in a remote location), are adaptable, energetic and resilient.
• Above all, what matters is a commitment to help us provide a world-class education for our students. St Andrew’s staff are characterised by the highest professional standards, and they form a vibrant and industrious community, integral to the culture of excellent professional development within the context of a full boarding school.

SKILLS AND ATTRIBUTES

• A strong personal empathy with the School’s Christian ethos
• Purposeful, proactive and sound judgement with the highest standards of personal integrity, energy, stamina, resilience, empathy, enthusiasm, and a sense of humour
• Academic curiosity
• Supportive, encouraging, compassionate and inclusive
• Impressive personal presence and presentation
• Literate and numerate, excellent in the use of IT and with a keen eye for detail
• A passion and appreciation for quality literature
• High work standards evidenced by a consistently thorough detailed and organised approach
• The presence, intellect, tact and credibility to represent the School at all levels and to a variety of audiences, both internal and external
• Vision, creativity and imagination combined with the ability to operate at a strategic level
• First class oral and written communication, and presentation skills
• High levels of discretion and confidentiality
• The ability to manage and prioritise a diverse workload, to meet deadlines and to work calmly under pressure