PART I: ABOUT THE LIBRARY
Winchester’s libraries, archive and collections preserve the history of the school, and provide a unique learning resource. We have three main libraries for the pupils and staff to use and in addition each boarding house has its own small library.
Moberly Library, which has a stock of around 30,000 items, is the main school library and occupies a beautifully beamed 14th century building which formerly housed the school brewery. In addition, the library subscribes to numerous online resources, as well as periodicals.
Moberly Library is used extensively for reading, teaching and research throughout the day and is currently open to pupils and staff 8.30am – 6.00pm, Monday to Friday, 8.30am – 1.00pm on Saturday.
Moberly Library is supplemented by the separate libraries in the Science and Art departments. The Science Library focuses mainly on Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Medicine and Engineering and is the home of the school’s Natural History Society book collection. The Art School Library covers all aspects of fine and decorative art, architecture and also offers a variety of film and photography equipment for the pupils to borrow. Whilst these libraries come under the aegis of the Head Librarian, their day-to-day operation is devolved to the Science and Art departments.
Applicants will be interested to note that the school also has a substantial library containing some 10,000 rare books and manuscripts (the Fellows’ Library). It was established at the beginning of the 15th century, and is one of a small number of ancient libraries to have survived with part of its medieval collection in situ. The library, managed separately by the Fellows’ Librarian, has a particularly strong collection in Biblical scholarship, English Literature, cartography, and the history of science. The successful candidate for the post of Head Librarian will often work in collaboration with the Fellows’ Librarian: for example, there are regular exhibitions of rare books and manuscripts in Moberly Library.
PART II: ROLE OF HEAD LIBRARIAN
The Head Librarian will be an enthusiastic champion of the role of the library at the heart of the school. They will be responsible for developing strategies that encourage academic departments to ensure that this vibrant, dynamic resource is embedded in teaching and learning, and that it is used as a driver for independent learning, research, wider reading and reading for pleasure.
The Head Librarian reports to the Dean, Academic & Strategy, and ultimately the Headmaster.
Key Responsibilities
The successful candidate will be able to/responsible for:
Person Specification
The successful candidate will be/have:
In addition, they will:
Diversity and Inclusion
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.
PART III: BENEFITS, TERMS AND CONDITIONS, AND APPLICATION
Start date
The College is looking to make an appointment to start as soon as possible.
Hours of Work
This is a full-time post, 40 hours per week, during term time with the addition of 4 weeks during the school holidays to allow for meetings, open days and extra commitments.
Salary
The full-time equivalent salary for this role will be circa £45,000 (gross) per annum / pro-rata equivalent will be circa £35,000 (gross) per annum. The salary is paid monthly, in arrears, to a nominated back account in 12 equal payments. Salary levels are reviewed on 1 September annually and this appointment will be next reviewed in September 2025.
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 appraisal 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 the statutory holiday requirements. These are presently 28 days (including Bank Holidays) per annum. 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.
Wider Benefits
Probation, Notice Periods
The first four 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.
The College may extend the probationary period if it is deemed to be required. During the probationary period the notice required by either party to terminate employment will be two weeks. Once employment is confirmed, the notice period will increase to eight weeks.
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].
Closing date for applications: Noon on Monday 15th July 2024.
To apply please click on 'Apply Online' at the bottom of this post.
Please note that applications will be dealt with as they arrive. Winchester College reserves the right to appoint before the deadline passes.
Interviews are expected to be held in late July/early August.
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 IV: 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 over 700 pupils. In September 2022, the College welcomed day pupils – now numbering 40, including 34 girls - into the Sixth Form and will continue to do so, over time expanding the entry each year to include girl boarders in due course.
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 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.
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.