Dulwich Prep London is an exciting place to work – with over 800 pupils, it is the largest boys’ prep school in the UK and is situated in one of the most beautiful parts of the world’s most cosmopolitan city. The school’s strength is its community: our staff, who are professional, passionate, and brilliantly collegiate (CPD is massively important); our pupils, who are inquisitive, challenging learners with a spring in their step, and our parents, who are hugely supportive, appreciative, and ambitious.
Having recently announced that in September 2025 we will open a senior school and extend our provision from 2 to 16 years, we are now excited to recruit a strategic, enabling, and compassionate individual to join our senior leadership team in the role of Head of Seniors to join the school on 27 August 2024.
This is a rare opportunity. With a devotion to pastoral excellence and outstanding academic performance, your clarity of vision will enable you to realise the school’s ambitious expansion plans. The Head of Seniors will be responsible for the organisation and subsequent development and growth of Years 9 to 11.
Our provision will offer something different, with a smaller, more personalised, boutique feel to the senior educational environment. Starting with Year 9 and organically growing to our first cohort sitting their GCSEs in the summer of 2028, the successful candidate will lead, nurture, and inspire our boys, gathering ideas on how the senior section can develop to the day of their GCSE exam results.
We are looking for an individual who is excited by the opportunity to create and nurture a brand-new senior section of our well-established leading boys’ preparatory school and to be accountable for the pastoral and academic success of the first cohort of pupils taking their GCSEs. The role will require someone who has confidence in achieving academic value-added success and who will be driven to deliver the quality assurance of Teaching and Learning across Key Stage 4.
Above all, we seek an individual who will embody the Dulwich Prep London Values, modelling them to ensure pupils demonstrate empathy and compassion within their educational journey and beyond.
Key Knowledge Requirements
- Honours degree, excellent academic credentials and PGCE with QTS or equivalent qualification giving QTS.
- Strong awareness of business principles within an independent school context.
- Thorough appreciation of the advantages of a through-school, all-boys experience from Nursery to 16+.
- Genuine interest in how preparatory education feeds through to a Senior School environment and a recognition of the associated benefits for all pupils.
- Continuing professional development which indicates leadership aspirations.
- Excellent knowledge of and experience delivering the National Curriculum from Years 7 to 11.
- Familiarity with the daily running of a busy, high-performing school, as well as the accompanying legislative, compliance, and inspection frameworks.
Personal Competencies & Qualities
- Enthusiastic individual possessing drive, energy, and commitment, with a presence which engenders confidence and respect from pupils, parents, and colleagues.
- Alignment to the Values ethos of Dulwich Prep London, including celebrating equality, individuality, and difference, and incorporating each pupil’s personal choice into their learning.
- Ability to plan, prioritise and manage a varied workload. Focuses on what needs to be delivered: understands what is required and responds promptly.
- Team-focused with a collaborative and flexible approach. Willing to adapt and respond to priorities, sharing knowledge and promoting good practice among staff at all levels.
- Proactive, ‘can do’ attitude to all tasks. Cooperative, helpful, and accommodating with other team members and staff. Welcomes challenges and meets them with enthusiasm.
- Good communication and persuasion skills with an ability to remain calm under pressure, displaying agility and ownership of problems within your sphere of influence.
- Seeks out additional duties, uses own initiative and consistently strives to maintain a high standard of work.
Competitive Salary range of £68,000 to £82,425.
- Closing Date: Friday 17 November 2023, 12.00pm.
- Longlist Interviews: Wednesday 29 November 2023, Shortlist Interviews: Thursday 30 November 2023
- Applicants who are successful at the longlist stage will be invited to return the following day to attend the shortlist stage.
- Start Date: Tuesday 27 August 2024
Please read the Job Description and Application Explanatory Notes below. Completed application forms, Equal Opportunities Form, along with a cover letter explaining your suitability for this role, should be emailed to Mrs Tamsin Hutson, Human Resources Manager.