PART I: THE ROLE OF SCHOOL CHAPLAIN
Winchester College seeks to appoint an Anglican priest as a School Chaplain from either April or September 2023, following the departure of the previous post-holder to an incumbency in the Church in Wales.
The school was founded by William of Wykeham, Bishop of Winchester, in 1382. Wykeham specified the need for three chaplains, as still exists today, and links with his cathedral remain strong. The Headmaster is the school’s Ordinary and the Dean of Chapel leads the chaplaincy team.
The successful candidate must be in Anglican holy orders and must be able to teach to a high standard in one or more of the academic subjects offered at Winchester College. They will possess a strong academic pedigree, demonstrate a profound pastoral commitment, and have the passion, faith and stamina to minister in good times and bad to a community of 700 pupils.
The new Chaplain will take a full pastoral, liturgical, and catechetical role within a chaplaincy team. That team currently comprises the Dean of Chapel, a Senior Lay Chaplain and a further Chaplain (who was ordained deacon in 2022 and will be priested this summer, and who is also taking on a housemastership from September 2023). The chaplains are expected to take a full part, with the Dean of Chapel, in the planning, organising and leading of school worship, and to assist in the pastoral and spiritual care of all pupils. The Dean of Chapel in turn, sits on the school’s Pastoral Support Group and meets regularly with the Second Master to share in their pastoral oversight.
Services take place regularly in the College Chapel, in St Michael’s Church, and in Chantry. Boarders make a commitment to one Sunday service each week, which day pupils are also welcome to attend, and all pupils attend one weekday service each week, during term. Voluntary Evensongs, Eucharists, and Complines, and seasonal celebrations complete the weekly pattern of worship. The whole school gathers for services in the Cathedral about five times a year. Between 20 and 30 pupils are prepared each year by the chaplains for Confirmation in the College Chapel. The Christian Union and the Parents’ Prayer Group meet regularly and are led by one of the chaplains. There is a growing number of occasional offices (weddings, baptisms, funerals, and memorial services) held in the chapels throughout the year. A thriving Roman Catholic community has strong links with the Abbey of Douai, which provides celebrants for the weekly Roman Catholic Mass. A group known as Faith Circles, for pupils of other faiths, meets every Sunday. Several other spaces are adaptable for religious worship, including School and New Hall. Chaplains are expected to visit the boarding houses regularly to meet pupils and conduct informal services and discussion groups.
There is an exceptionally strong tradition of choral music at the College, with past organists including Thomas Weelkes, Jeremiah Clarke and SS Wesley. The treble line is provided by the Quiristers, who are part of the original foundation, and are educated at Pilgrims’ School. The choir regularly records, broadcasts and tours, under its current director, Howard Ionascu. Chaplaincy to the choir is an important part of the chaplains’ ministry.
Full details about the school may be found at www.winchestercollege.org.
Those wishing for an informal conversation about this role are invited to speak to the Dean of Chapel, the Headmaster or Second Master, first contacting Rebecca Meads, HR Manager in the HR Department, [email protected] .
Responsible to: The Dean of Chapel.
The successful candidate will be/have:
PART II: BENEFITS, TERMS AND CONDITIONS, AND APPLICATION
Salary
Winchester College has its own generous salary scale, which is above the national scale. In addition to salary, the school allocates a Special Responsibility Allowance (SRA) to those with additional roles, which will be negotiated at the appropriate level. This appointment will commence in either April or September 2023.
Accommodation
Accommodation is provided within the buildings of the College.
Induction and Continuous Training and Development
The school is fully committed to the induction, training and development of all our staff, with staff supported to grow and reach their full potential. All staff are well supported when they arrive, with help and advice available from Heads of Department, Housemasters, and the Director of Studies, who has specific responsibility for overseeing the induction process.
All members of the Common Room are encouraged to subscribe to external CPD courses. In addition, we deliver a range of training, run by both our own staff and external providers, varying from highly practical First Aid courses to seminars and learning lunches on many aspects of teaching and learning.
There is an annual professional development review offering the opportunity to reflect on professional practice and development opportunities.
Private Health Care and Pension
The successful applicant will be enrolled in the school’s Corporate Health Scheme in accordance with the current rules of the Scheme. Membership of the Scheme does not extend to family members and is a taxable benefit in kind.
Pension, and Life Cover (4 times salary) are part of the package.
Annual Leave
This is a Teaching position which benefits from school holidays.
Sports Facilities
The school offers all staff free access to its sports facilities, including a gym, tennis courts and a new 25-metre swimming pool (to open in 2023). Exercise classes, including spinning and circuits are also offered.
Probation, Notice Periods
The first twenty-four months of employment will be a probationary period. Regular reviews with line managers take place over the probation period with the opportunity to discuss progress, identify any areas for action and ensure that there is appropriate guidance and support in place to enable successful completion of the probationary period.
During the probationary period, the notice required by either party to terminate employment will be eight weeks. Once employment is confirmed, the notice period will increase to one full term.
Disclosure Check
As Winchester College is an educational establishment, a condition of employment will be that the successful candidate must consent to the school obtaining an Enhanced Level Disclosure check through the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS). This will reveal all spent and unspent convictions, warnings, cautions and bind-overs. A policy on the recruitment of ex-offenders is available on the school’s website.
Safeguarding is one of the primary responsibilities of this role. The jobholder is responsible for promoting and safeguarding the welfare of children and young persons for whom they are responsible, or with whom they come into contact with, and will need to adhere to and ensure compliance with the school’s Child Protection and Safeguarding Policy at all times. The postholder should be conversant with the responsibilities and procedures detailed in this policy and with the Department for Education’s Keeping Children Safe in Education. If, in the course of carrying out the duties of the post, the School Chaplain becomes aware of any actual or potential risks to the safety or welfare of children in the school, they must report any concerns to the school’s Designated Safeguarding Lead or in their absence, the Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead.
References and Other Pre-employment Checks
The appointment will be dependent upon the receipt of a successful medical check and satisfactory references. The College will usually seek references from shortlisted candidates before interview and may approach previous employers for information to verify particular experience or qualifications. At least one referee must be the current or most recent employer. Where applicants are not currently working with children but have done so in the past, one referee must be the person by whom they were most recently employed when working with children.
HOW TO APPLY
If you have any questions about this vacancy or the recruitment process, please email [email protected].
Closing date for applications: 0900 on Monday 28 November 2022.
Interviews are due to be held 01 December 2022.
The school reserves the right to appoint prior to the closing date.
Data Protection
Winchester College collects and processes relevant personal data as part of its everyday operations and is obliged to process it in accordance with the Data Protection Act 2018. The school is the Data Controller of this data under the Act and is registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office; its registration number is Z5751669.
Any queries about this policy or how personal data is processed by the school should be referred to the Data Protection Liaison Officer.