PART I: ABOUT THE ROLE
The School seeks to appoint a Director of Admissions to lead a committed and experienced team at an exciting time of expansion. This is a key strategic role that will make an important contribution to the School’s strategic development. We are looking for an exceptional individual who has the intelligence, warmth, vision, leadership and communications skills to be an outstanding ambassador for Winchester in the UK and internationally.
Winchester has historically admitted c.140 boys each year for full boarding at 13+, with small numbers joining in later years. In 2021, the Governing Body set out a new vision for the expansion of the Sixth Form through admission of day pupils and, for the first time, girls. The admission of day pupils (both boys and girls) has been successfully implemented, and the opening of the girls’ boarding houses in September 2026 will be a significant milestone in the School’s history.
Applications are climbing year on year, and the Admissions team now needs additional capacity in preparation for a significant increase in Sixth Form pupils from September 2026. With wider changes in the education sector in the UK and globally, the School is also renewing its strategic planning for future enrolments. The role will require regular international travel.
The Admissions team currently consists of a Registrar, Deputy Registrar and four team members supporting admissions and events who have built strong and positive connections with feeder schools over many years. Winchester College is renowned for its personal touch, and the Registrar’s successful cultivation of relationships over the last decade has underpinned the quality of the School’s admissions. Housemasters at Winchester play a central role in admissions, and effective collaboration between them and the Admissions team is another vital element of our success in attracting the right pupils and families.
The School has expanded its bursary support significantly over the last decade, and has placed a high priority on strengthening relationships with a range of state schools to create a pathway for pupils of high potential. This remains a priority for the school, as part of its continued aims to attract the best and brightest pupils from all backgrounds, who will benefit from a Winchester education. The first intake of girl pupils graduated in 2024, with their success also underpinned by a welcoming, thorough and sensitive admissions process.
PART II: RESPONSIBLITIES
Key Responsibilities
Strategy & Leadership
Operations & Processes
Management
Reporting Lines
PART III: PERSON SPECIFICATION AND KEY QUALITIES
Professional Experience and Qualifications
Personal Attributes
PART IV: BENEFITS, TERMS AND CONDITIONSAND APPLICATION
Start date
Flexible start date for the right candidate with preference for commencement at the beginning of January 2025.
Hours of Work
This is a full-time role, 37.5 hours per week, 52 weeks of the year, and such other hours as are reasonably necessary to meet the needs of the College and the demands of the role.
Salary
Competitive salary, commensurate with qualifications and experience. Salary is paid monthly, in arrears, to a nominated back account in 12 equal payments.
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.
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 cycle of performance review offering the opportunity to reflect on professional practice and development opportunities.
The school also offers a wide range of apprenticeships supporting staff development and progression.
Pension and Life Cover
On employment, employees will be auto-enrolled into the College’s pension scheme according to legislative thresholds. Those who are not eligible for auto-enrolment may still elect to join the College’s pension scheme.
Initially, when joining the College’s pension scheme, employees will become a member of the College’s Group Personal Pension Plan (GPP). For this Plan, known as Tier 1, the employee contributes 4% and the employer 3%.
After 9 month’s membership of the Tier 1 plan, employees may opt to join Tier 2, which is also a GPP, where the employee contributes 5% and the employer 9%.
Employees in Tier 1 automatically qualify for a Life Cover of 2 times salary. On entry to Tier 2, Life Cover changes to 4 times salary.
Annual Leave
The College leave year runs from 1 September to 31 August. This position will be entitled to 32 days holiday annually, which includes the usual Public Bank Holidays. Any Public Bank Holiday occurring during term time is deemed to be a normal working day. All leave must be taken by prior arrangement and must be taken outside of the school’s term times.
Subject to the discretion of the school’s Bursar, a gift may also be given of extra time off during the Christmas period.
Wider Benefits
Probation, Notice Periods
The first six months of employment will be a probationary period. Regular reviews with line managers take place over the probationary 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 one month.
Once employment is confirmed, the notice period will be three months.
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 postholder 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 Leads.
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
Only applications completed on the school website will be accepted. Please attach a full CV with your application, and email a covering letter to [email protected].
Please note that applications will be dealt with as they arrive. Winchester College reserves the right to appoint before the deadline passes.
Closing date for applications: Noon on Tuesday, 24th September 2024.
First round of interviews will be held on Thursday, 26th September 2024.
Those wishing for an informal conversation about this role please kindly email [email protected].
If you have any questions about this vacancy or the recruitment process, please email [email protected]
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 General Data Protection Regulation and Data 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.
If you have any queries or comments about this policy or how personal data is processed by the school, please contact the Bursar and his team by emailing: [email protected] or by writing to: Data Protection, The Bursary, Winchester College, College Street, Winchester, SO23 9NA.
PART V: ABOUT WINCHESTER COLLEGE
In February 2021, Winchester announced a bold new vision and a significant programme of change. ‘Winchester College in the 21st Century’ describes the School’s ambitions for its future and heralds the start of an exciting new phase in Winchester’s development.
Winchester was a pioneering institution when it was founded in 1382 and this new vision will ensure the School continues to be a leader and influencer of great education on the modern global stage. The commitment to provide an intellectual education of exceptional quality and breadth remains unaltered, as do the values which have underpinned Winchester since its foundation. ‘Winchester College in the 21st Century’ will build on these strengths and bring multiple benefits to current and future generations of Wykehamists.
Winchester currently has 735 pupils. Over time, the School plans to admit each year a minimum of 30 day pupils into the Sixth Form (of whom roughly half will be girls) and up to 50 girl boarders. The School will be some 900 pupils, roughly the same as Rugby and Harrow, but smaller than Sevenoaks, Oundle, Wellington and Eton. The number of pupils boarding at the College will remain the same.
The new vision for Winchester includes the following significant changes:
Increasing Access
Academically, Winchester is among the very best schools in the country and is sought after for its combination of superb teaching, pastoral care, sports and activities.
At all levels Winchester encourages pupils to look beyond the curriculum. Div is our unique programme of general cultural studies and offers an excellent preparation for university study. In these lessons, pupils engage with a wide range of subjects, from English Literature to Ancient History to the History of Science.
Pupils in the Sixth Form study linear A-level courses and will ordinarily study three A-level subjects and an Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) alongside Div. Linear A-levels are complemented by the flexibility of the EPQ where pupils are able to more deeply explore their cross-curricular research interests. The EPQ encourages pupils to develop first-class research skills, to synthesise information from a variety of differing sources, and to become accustomed to the demands of independent study.
Music has been central to life at Winchester ever since its foundation, and the school is unique in having maintained its Choral Foundation to the present day. The Music Department is now one of the leading departments in the country, and offers outstanding opportunities to all.
Sport is a major part of Winchester life. There are many fixtures against other schools, and in late 2024 the redevelopment of the sports facilities will see a state-of-the-art complex open that will allow all pupils to enjoy and participate in a variety of sports, whilst simultaneously enabling the most talented and driven pupils to train and compete at the highest level.
Much energy is also invested in the Combined Cadet Force, the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme, Community Service, and in links with local primary and secondary maintained schools. This commitment provides pupils with many opportunities to work for the benefit of others, inside and outside the classroom, developing the knowledge and skills, and the rights and responsibilities, which will enable them to grow into valuable and productive members of society.
Pupils eat all meals in their boarding houses, talking with their Housemaster/mistress, and interacting with friends, visitors and teachers. We believe that conversational ability, developed both inside and outside the community, equips pupils to talk to anyone, about anything, in practically any situation.
This unparalleled combination attracts pupils from across the world, making Winchester a truly international and diverse community which celebrates every pupil’s individuality, passions and potential.
Winchester College is committed to maintaining the founder’s original intention of offering an outstanding education to any pupil who would benefit from it, regardless of their financial circumstances, and many of the pupils in the College are being helped financially through the school with substantial bursaries.
Winchester College embraces diversity and inclusion in the workplace and is committed to promoting a fair and supportive environment for all our employees. We work hard to create an inclusive culture where different perspectives are recognised, and our staff feel valued for their individuality and share a sense of belonging. Our aim is to reflect the diverse nature of society and of our pupil body. We are seeking to attract a diversity of talent at all levels, so that our pupils understand and benefit from the breadth and depth of such a diverse community. This means recruiting from the widest possible pool of talent.
Sustainability
Both staff and pupils at Winchester College are committed to being the most sustainable school possible. You can learn more about our goal of creating a more sustainable school here.
Full details about the school may be found at www.winchestercollege.org.