StokeCOLLEGE HEAD

Candidate Information Stoke-by-Clare, Suffolk

StokeCOLLEGE

This is a fascinating opportunity for an educationalist with an adventurous, entrepreneurial spirit to relaunch a school with a distinguished heritage. The support of the new Board of Directors and the necessary financial backing will be available to enable Stoke to become a forward-looking 21st century school with a strong local presence and a global outlook.

Context & VisionStoke College will undergo radical change and redevelopment over the coming months and years. This brief describes the College as it currently is, but should be read against the backdrop of the exciting vision that the new owners bring.

In 2019, ownership of Stoke College Educational Trust Ltd transferred to Cambridge Stoke College Ltd. and the College ceased to be a charity. This change was made to facilitate investment and a new team of investors took control of the College in November 2019. They are led by Mark Wang and Baodong Shi, both large-scale independent school operators in China’s Jiangsu province. Mark is an inspirational figure in international education and an accomplished businessman. A fluent speaker of both English and Norwegian, he studied at the United World College in Norway (UWC Red Cross Nordic) and subsequently at the University of Oslo. Founder of the UWC College at Changshu, he is also a Member of China’s National People’s Congress. The other directors include Josie Gau, who has been involved with Stoke College since 2015 and Ms Sherry Xu. Both are fluent English speakers, resident in the UK.

Their Directors want the College to grow to a roll of 350-400 pupils on the current site, with a continued commitment to providing an excellent and broad education, affordable to local families, whilst developing the school’s boarding capabilities to attract a growing international cadre of pupils in the Sixth Form. The aspiration is that Sixth Form pupils will achieve outstanding A-Level results enabling a high proportion to gain places at leading universities. The Directors have an excellent network of contacts globally which will enable the development of a strong feed of international pupils.

The new owners have no illusions about the school’s current limitations and challenges and are rapidly implementing a Development Programme entailing investment in excess of £10 million in the first phase, the bulk of which is earmarked for new buildings. Architects are already drawing up plans for the site which will include new classrooms, a new boarding block, enhanced and redeveloped recreational facilities and considerable refurbishment of the existing buildings and grounds.

The vision for the College also includes greater use of technology in the pupils’ learning.

The owners and Directors are keen to relaunch the school, possibly changing the name, in order to maximise the impact of the new vision and investment. They want the Head to play a significant role in developing the strategic direction of the school and whilst some decisions may have to be made before this appointment, they will seek the input of the Head Designate as soon as the appointment is confirmed.

Leadership/OrganisationThe College is currently overseen by the Interim Executive Principal, Mr. Joseph Francis, assisted by the College Bursar, Mrs Sabine Kite, and supported by the College Advisory Council, led by Interim Chairman, Mr Christopher Davis. The Advisory Council consists of educational consultants with considerable expertise and experience who directly support and advise staff and management, as well as performing many of the responsibilities conventionally associated with a Governing Body, such as managing complaints and appeals. The Council, to which the new Head will report, meets at least once a term.

Joe Francis is currently primarily responsible for a range of strategic priorities connected to marketing, staffing and the Development Plan. He oversees and is supported by an Acting Head of the Senior School and an Acting Head of the Junior School. The Senior Leadership team currently consists of the Executive Principal, the Bursar, the Acting Heads and deputies responsible for boarding and co-curricular.

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The AppointmentThe Directors of Stoke College are seeking to appoint an energetic and inspirational Head to succeed Mr Frank Thompson, who, after five years of dedicated service to the College, left in December 2019 to take up a new post as Head of St. Anselm’s School in Derbyshire. The start date for the new Head would ideally be September 2020 but a start date of January 2021 would also be acceptable. The Interim Executive Principal is in place to ease the transition period between Heads and build momentum towards the School’s relaunch. This is a unique opportunity for an ambitious and visionary educationalist to take a leading role in the transformation and regeneration of an independent school.

Overview & EthosStoke College is a lively independent day and boarding school for c120 girls and boys aged 4 to 18 years, with boarding possible for pupils aged 9 to 18 years. Originally founded in 1951, the College moved to its current site in Stoke-by-Clare, Suffolk in 1954 and today comprises an Early Years Foundation Stage setting, a preparatory school, and a senior school, which includes a Sixth Form opened in September 2017.

The College is known for its strong identity as a kind, caring yet ambitious school where every child is known, supported, and encouraged to become a self-confident, successful and capable member of society. With an ethos of “learning for life”, the College seeks to ensure that all pupils develop broad minds, a respect for others, and a desire to make a positive contribution to society.

This is achieved through facilitating strong academic progress, providing a breadth of purposeful experiences and varied opportunities, and by being a caring, secure and happy community that allows confidence to grow, talents to blossom and weaknesses to be strengthened. The balance of academic studies with arts, technologies and sports sits within a community framework which nurtures communication, friendship and the soft skills which matter so much in life.

Learning at Stoke College is described as “fun” where “everyone is valued”. Every child is taught according to their needs and abilities. The space and freedom offered by the parkland setting adjoining the River Stour and the College’s unique atmosphere of kindness and support foster an extremely positive and creative learning environment.

History Stoke has an educational pedigree stretching back to 1415, when it was founded as a college for priests. In 1534, Dr Walter Haddon wrote of the college “how that place seemed in a manner to be made on purpose for scholars, both to learn themselves, and to teach others: and that its situation was such that above all others it is best suited for honest and ingenious pleasures.” The last Dean was Matthew Parker, future Archbishop of Canterbury under Elizabeth I, and a founder of the Church of England.

The substantially intact late medieval Dean’s Lodging has only recently been uncovered buried beneath the current main house’s 17th century brick exterior. The ancient dovecote is said to preserve some of the finest decorative medieval brickwork in Britain and survives exceptionally complete.

In 1951, a small school named ‘Grenville’ was founded in Clare in a building known as ‘The Norfolks’ by joint Principals, Miss Elliot and Miss McLeod. This school grew and new premises had to be found. The house proved ideal and the school moved to its current location in 1954. In 1973, it was decided that the name of the school should be changed to Stoke College.

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Location & FacilitiesStoke College sits within a beautiful and historic campus of 29 acres in the small village of Stoke-by-Clare, near Haverhill, on the borders of Suffolk, Essex and Cambridgeshire. While situated in a tranquil, rural area, the market town of Clare (which in recent years has been voted as one of the top 50 rural locations to live in by The Sunday Times) lies two miles to the west with Sudbury (12 miles), Bury St Edmunds (18 miles) and Cambridge (24 miles) all within easy driving distance.

Pupils come from professional and farming backgrounds, mostly living within a 25-mile radius of the College, from all three bordering counties. The College operates a network of bus routes from Newmarket and Cambridge, Braintree and Dunmow, Colchester and Sudbury and Saffron Walden, calling at towns and villages en route.

Increasing numbers of international students are being welcomed from around the world. The College’s proximity to London Stansted Airport (50 mins) makes it easily accessible.

The beautiful main house, part of which was designed by Lutyens, is surrounded by educational buildings including a sports hall, a performing arts centre, classrooms for Design Technology and Domestic Science, two IT rooms and an Art Studio. There is a small, floodlit tarmac play area, several sports pitches and an outdoor swimming pool, currently not in use. The site is Wi-Fi enabled and pupils bring in their own devices. The boarding facilities in the main house and in the stable block have been recently refurbished and comprise small dormitories and washing facilities.

Some of the buildings and the grounds have suffered from lack of investment in recent years and this will be addressed as part of the Development Plan referred to in the Future Vision section.

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School Structure & CurriculumChildren join the College at the traditional intake years of Reception, Year 3, Year 7 and Year 12, and are also able to join in other years if there is space in the year group. Children enter the College with a wide range of abilities and are integrated very quickly, achieving well in relation to their starting points in many subjects. Pupils benefit from small class sizes and a close academic relationship between teacher and pupil at all levels of the College.

Academic ability is assessed using the PIPS and MidYIS systems developed by the University of Durham, and the ability profile of the children closely matches that of pupils nationally. The broad and balanced education both in and beyond the classroom enables the academic, artistic and physical potential of each child to develop.

The whole College works on a fortnightly timetable in which most lessons are 50 minutes in length to maximise the variety of learning experiences. An enrichment programme has recently been introduced to the senior school and the development of soft skills of self-presentation, public speaking, performance, teamwork and social awareness is encouraged.

In the prep school, children enjoy a curriculum that ensures the acquisition of life-long core skills and benefit from outdoor-based learning experiences, including weekly Forest School sessions in the College’s woodland area which help develop communication and problem-solving skills and emotional well-being.

Specialist teachers from the senior school teach several subjects within the prep school and these close links ensure that the transition from prep to senior school is smooth and seamless. Mandarin Chinese has also been recently added to the prep curriculum.

Children enter the senior school in Year 7, with new children joining those that have moved up from the prep school. An extended curriculum widens pupils’ horizons and children take on more responsibility for themselves. While the College’s goal is to achieve the best academic results, each child cultivates learning in a context of inspiration rather than academic pressure.

At GCSE level, as well as the core subjects of English, Mathematics and the Sciences, options include French, Spanish, Mandarin, Statistics, Art, Geography, History, Food and Nutrition, Business, Music, PE, Drama, Computer Science and ICT.

In 2019, the school’s GCSE results were above national averages with the total number of GCSEs passed at grade C/4 or above being 87%, around 17% higher than the national picture. English, Mathematics and Science were also all well above national averages. English achieved 93% (grades 9 - 4), Mathematics 82%, Combined Science 75% and Separate Sciences 100%. The Mathematics department saw 20% of students achieve grades 9 – 7 (A*/A) and 93% of eligible students achieved five GCSEs at grades 9 - 4, and 80% of the eligible students achieved five GCSE grades 9 – 4, including English and Mathematics.

The recently opened Sixth Form reflects the same unique ethos of strong pastoral care and personalised learning in small groups which characterises the prep and senior schools. Students have access to a personal tutor and a wide-ranging curriculum, including the Extended Project Qualification, to best allow them to pursue their preferred subjects. For students who join the College from overseas, personalised English as a Foreign Language sessions are also offered. The College provides guidance on university access through the UCAS process and careers advice.

Each Sixth Former has their own dedicated personal study space and they benefit from a truly focused learning environment within a dedicated Sixth Form facility. They wear business dress and are given greater autonomy and opportunities to welcome visiting speakers to the College. Sixth Formers also take trips to local areas, such as Cambridge, to not only support academic learning but also have broader cultural experiences and widen their perspective on the world.

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The College celebrated its first set of A-Level results in 2019, with 50% of Mathematics candidates achieving an ‘A’ grade. ‘A’ grades were also achieved in Computer Science and the Extended Project Qualification. Total ‘A’ grades achieved were 17%, and 56% were achieved at A*-C. Most students achieved their first-choice place at university with courses including Economics and Mathematics at Royal Holloway, University of London; Computer Science (Artificial Intelligence) at the University of Kent; and Business Management at the University of Westminster.

Learning DevelopmentPupils with SEND make good progress as a result of the skilled support that they receive from the specialist Learning Development Unit (LDU). A dedicated team of specialist teachers help around a quarter of pupils to develop their literacy and mathematical skills sufficiently to enable them to overcome barriers to learning and achieve their full potential at all levels. Their work was particularly noted and praised by the inspection team during the 2016 ISI inspection, who found that pupils with SEND were:

secure in their knowledge and understanding as a result of the excellent specialist support provided by the learning development unit, which employs a variety of successful strategies to build on pupils’ learning and tailors activities to suit individual aptitudes and needs.

International StudentsThe College places a high value on integrating all cultures and nationalities, preparing all children for a future when they will be working with people from different cultures and when travelling overseas will be the norm. Overseas students are welcomed and greatly valued.

For all students for whom English is a foreign language, the College provides specialist one-to-one or small group classes. The level of support required for each individual is determined during the admissions process and classes are tailored to individual needs.

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Beyond The ClassroomSport The College’s philosophy is enjoyment and fitness for all, aiming for each pupil’s personal best. Pupils participate in a wide range of sports; winter and summer; including football, hockey, netball, rugby, and cricket. Prep school pupils are taken to an indoor pool once a week so that all children learn to be confident swimmers.

Teams are fielded for most age groups from the age of ten upwards. Pupils represent the college at ISA regional and national competitions, such as the ISA Swimming and Cross-Country events, and the College often plays host to the ISA East Anglia football tournament.

The Performing & Creative ArtsStoke College has a strong tradition in music and drama with much celebrated annual senior and prep productions held either at the College or at Haverhill Arts Centre, to which members of the public are invited.

The music department offers a diverse range of opportunities. Drum, guitar and singing lessons are all popular and many prep and senior school pupils sing at events, such as Christmas and Easter services.

Both prep and senior schools take part in the summer Arts Festival. The best solo singers and solo instrument players in this competition also perform at a Gala Concert. The College band performs and art, dance and drama are also celebrated during the Festival.

Co-curricular ActivitiesSeveral after-school clubs are offered. In addition to daily sports options this year, for example, the offer includes Up-cycling, Coding Club, Modelling Club, Public Speaking, Car Maintenance Club and Fishing. The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award scheme was introduced in September 2016.

Extended DayThe College provides care for children before and after school, and overnight if needed. Children can arrive for Breakfast Club from 8.00am onwards. Day pupils can attend evening clubs and activities and a Prep Club followed by Boarders’ Supper and be collected any time up to 8.00pm.

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Boarding Life Professional and dedicated staff run the boarding house, and boarding is becoming an increasingly popular option. In September 2017, the first full-time boarders were welcomed and the College now operates a seven-day, full boarding service in addition to the established flexi and weekly boarding options offered to all pupils in Year 5 and above.

Boarders are accommodated in two gender-segregated boarding houses with well-equipped social spaces, filtered wi-fi, and laundry facilities. Boarding capacity has recently been increased and modernised following the conversion of the old Stable Block into a boys’ boarding house, and the expansion of boarding facilities for girls in the Main House, along with a pupils’ kitchen, games room and upgraded medical room.

The boarding team manages the accommodation, catering, activities and supervised prep sessions, providing a clear structure for study within a relaxed and friendly atmosphere as well as additional English support for those for whom it is a second language. At weekends there are cultural and social trips as well as an opportunity to catch up on the week’s work. There is also the opportunity to attend a Church of England Sunday service at the village church or Catholic Mass at historic Clare Priory.

Summer School During the summer holidays, the College offers a fully residential course for up to 70 international students. The College facilities are used to offer an English language programme, giving students the opportunity to meet new friends, learn new cultures and get a taste of British education and life in a boarding school in the UK.

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Pastoral Care & CommunityStoke College is a happy school and the well-being and personal development of the children are paramount. Children are open, confident and polite, with extremely good manners. There is a commitment by staff and pupils alike to promote sharing, respect, friendship, and kindness. To this end, the children are helped to develop positive relationships and respect for all members of the school community, through courteous, thoughtful behaviour and a simple framework of mutual respect.

The quality of the pupils’ personal development was seen as “Excellent” by the 2016 ISI inspection team, who recognised the success in this area. The College has a reputation for nurturing and caring for each child, and the pastoral care system underpins this reputation. The School Council is an integral part of the management of the college, providing a voice for pupils to bring ideas and give feedback on school life.

Consideration for others is a strong characteristic of the College community and structures such as the House system allow children of all ages to work together and support each other. The successes and contributions of all are appreciated and celebrated.

All pupils become involved in school and wider community projects, supporting charities to raise funds or donate gifts through termly non-uniform days, cake sales, the Royal British Legion poppy appeal, Harvest Festival and Christmas Bazaar. Recent projects have raised donations for the Suffolk Air Ambulance, World Wildlife Fund and the Haverhill Reach Project Food Bank.

Staff work closely with parents to ensure that every child is nurtured and their individual needs are met. Parents are hugely supportive and dedicated to working collaboratively with the College. Through the parent portal, parents can log in to receive half term grade reports and end of term, full written reports six times a year. They can also see their child’s timetable. ‘Show My Homework’, an online homework setting system, has recently been introduced allowing pupils and parents to monitor all homework set and manage deadlines easily.

A Parent Teacher Association provides both a communications link between parents and teachers and raises funds, normally via social activities, to enhance the College’s facilities.

The alumni network, Old Stokesians, continues to be developed and the College welcomes alumni and former parents to reunions and associated events.

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FinancesThe College’s financial position is being transformed through the investment and financial under-pinning of Cambridge Stoke Education Ltd. While trading losses have been incurred in previous years, the Board of Directors will, in order to support the leadership of the new Head, invest significant sums to allow the College to become a free-standing, profitable entity. The Development Plan envisages a programme of investment over the next 3-5 years of over £10 million.

In addition, the build-up of international boarders will be facilitated by the directors’ connections and the College has developed a useful additional income stream from a growing and healthy holiday visits programme.

Fees For UK-based pupils, termly fees for the academic year starting in September 2019 are:

Prep School Day Pupils from £2,085 in Reception to £3,936 in Years 4 to 6

Senior School Day Pupils from £4,714 in Years 7 and 8 to £5,177 in Year 13

5-day Boarding Pupils from £7,082 in Years 5 and 6 to £8,323 in Year 13

7-day Boarding Pupils from £9,213 in Years 5 and 6 to £10,800 in Year 13

For international pupils, termly fees are £12,000 for all year groups. A small number of scholarships, based on educational merit and potential, and means-tested bursaries, as well as military bursaries, are offered by the College each year.

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Job DescriptionThe new Head will report to the Chair of the Advisory Council but also have privileged access to the Board of Directors. The Head will provide energetic yet thoughtful leadership of the College. They will put in place a Strategy that enables the College to grow and flourish in a manner that both delivers excellent academic and non-academic outcomes whilst also being financially sustainable for the long term.

The primary duties of the Head include (though are not necessarily limited to) the following:

Strategic Direction• Work closely with the Advisory Council to develop a Strategy for the

whole College. Such a Strategy to include detailed milestones, actions and resource plans with clear, measurable targets.

• Driven by the Strategy, complete and implement a Development Plan that prioritises projects and plans to deliver the strategic objectives.

• Engage with and, where appropriate, secure the support and commitment to the Strategy from the School’s stakeholder community including parents, staff, alumni and the wider community in the local area.

• Ensure that the aims, ethos and traditional values of the College are maintained albeit in such a way that they remain relevant and appropriate for the context and market within which the College must operate.

Organisational Leadership & Management• Provide the highest level of care and concern for the physical and

mental well-being of pupils and staff, demonstrating the highest personal standards of integrity and probity.

• Provide strong yet collegiate leadership of all staff, teaching and non-teaching, establishing a culture of excellence, transparency, team working and continuous improvement which is always embedded in a child-centric philosophy.

• Develop amongst all staff a strong understanding of, and commitment to, the culture and values of the College.

• Implement ‘best in class’ systems to recruit, develop and retain staff including implementing a robust and transparent system of job descriptions, clarity of roles and responsibilities, performance management and continuous improvement.

• Have overall responsibility for implementing a ‘best in class’ approach to pastoral care and discipline as well as unwavering commitment to Safeguarding.

• Oversee and ensure compliance with all applicable laws, regulations and guidance including, but not limited to, the Children’s Act, Data Protection and GDPR and Health & Safety.

• Attend all meetings of the Advisory Council and any other committees as required by the Chair, providing any reports, written and/or oral, as required.

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Educational Leadership• Oversee the continuous development of the College’s curriculum,

informed by the most up-to-date research and academic thinking whilst at the same time monitoring the teaching and learning.

• Oversee and keep under constant review the College’s processes and procedures for the monitoring, analysis and assessment of pupil performance, progression and development.

• Ensure the College’s approach to SEND & Learning Support is kept up to date with regulations and best practice and that, wherever practical, is fully integrated into the overall educational model of the College.

Development, Marketing & Stakeholder Management • Working with the Directors and the Chair of the Advisory Council,

enact the relaunch of the College to capitalise on its new ownership, vision and development plans.

• Ensure the College has an up-to-date marketing strategy and plan designed to raise the profile of the College and encourage a stream of new applicants in order to support the targeted growth.

• Ensure the College develops and maintains strong links with its alumni network.

• Maintain and, where appropriate, enhance the College’s profile within the education sector including with any professional and representative bodies of which the College is a member.

• Maintain an awareness of the local market and independent schools with a view to identifying opportunities to enhance the College’s position in the market.

• Develop and build on the College’s excellent relationships with its network of leading universities.

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Person SpecificationThis is a role for an adventurous and entrepreneurial individual. The relaunch of Stoke College is an exciting project involving the transformation of a small, all-through school into a medium-sized, internationally focused school with a more significant presence in its local and the national markets. The Directors will be looking for an educationalist who embraces this challenge and has the energy and strategic vision to make it happen.

One of the most urgent tasks will be to promote and market the College and its relaunch both locally and internationally, and therefore an enjoyment of and capability in marketing and PR is essential.

They should champion a child-centric approach. He/she must have a strength of character and a genuine, open-minded enthusiasm for the importance of providing children with many and varied experiences. A thorough knowledge of the latest pedagogical research and development will be essential, and some experience of the international market is highly desirable.

Technology is likely to play an increasing role in the College in enabling outstanding and yet affordable education, and the Head will need to demonstrate an openness and understanding of the potential for technology as a key facilitator in the pupils’ learning and development.

The successful candidate will lead by example and be hands on yet delegate effectively when appropriate. Key attributes will be strong interpersonal and mediation skills with a presence and personality to inspire all stakeholders. Further skills will include confidence when communicating with members of the College and wider community, and the ability to speak publicly and inspire others.

Stoke College has a reputation for being a nurturing family community with happy children and dynamic teachers. Mutual respect, sound morals and care for each other are qualities of paramount importance. The Directors will therefore be looking for someone with warmth, who is compassionate, thoughtful, reflective and who cares deeply about each member of the College and wider community, with an understanding of and empathy for boarding life and what it stands for. He/ she will bring an emotional literacy that enables a sensitivity and an understanding of children from age four through to Sixth Form.

Qualifications & Experience• A university degree and classroom experience are essential. An

additional postgraduate qualification in a relevant field would be an advantage.

• A proven track record of success in a variety of educational – and/or commercial, management and leadership – contexts is important, especially bringing teams through a period of change and development.

Leadership Experience• Experience of being able to delegate and prioritise effectively in a

school environment.

• A proven track record of leading by example to ensure the safety and security of all children and staff.

• The ability to balance the preservation of traditional values and behaviours with a forward-thinking and modern outlook.

• Demonstrable ability to make difficult decisions under pressure in a manner that engenders respect and evidences strong moral leadership.

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Business Management• Experience of devising, managing and delivering business objectives

within the confines of the budget and business plan agreed with the Advisory Council.

• Experience of being able to deploy, manage and, where necessary, reallocate resources (whether financial, human or physical) to deliver the strategic plan.

• Understanding of, and affinity with, the independent boarding school market.

• Familiarity with and understanding of developments in respect of testing, examinations and university entrance, and how these are likely to impact on the Independent School sector in the future.

• Awareness of developments and needs of the market for international students both overseas and in the UK.

• Knowledge and experience of marketing and PR in the school environment.

Personal Skills & Values• Ability to lead, inspire and delegate.

• Ability to set the highest standards of teaching and pastoral leadership and demand, as well as stimulate this in others.

• Outstanding communication skills with high levels of emotional intelligence demonstrating the ability to listen, motivate and direct and the experience and judgement to adapt style to specific situations.

• A people-centred person, always visible and open, and able to assume the role of principal ambassador for the College with current parents, prospective parents and other stakeholders in the local community and wider education sector.

• Knowledge of, and ability to manage as appropriate, financial, risk, regulatory, compliance and legal matters that may impact on the College.

• Excellent judgement, decision-making and problem-solving skills.

• Integrity and the ability to earn and maintain trust from others.

Terms & ConditionsThe formal contract, detailing terms and conditions, will be drawn up on appointment. The main provisions are likely to include:

• A highly competitive remuneration package with a salary commensurate with the seniority and challenges of the post and the experience of the successful candidate.

• The Head (and family) will be provided with a rent-free 4-bedroom house adjacent to the College site with rates, utilities and services covered by the College.

• A discount on fees for the Head’s children at the College.

• Pension provision through the College’s Aviva defined contribution scheme.

Applicants must be willing to undergo child protection screening appropriate to the post, including checks with the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) and the Prohibited from Teaching or Management lists.

Shortlisted candidates will be asked to undertake identity and qualification checks which conform to the College’s Safeguarding Policy. They must also agree to references being taken up at that stage and checks made with past employers.

The successful applicant will be required to complete a self-disclosure Medical Questionnaire.

The appointment is subject to satisfactory references and security checks, clearance from the DBS, proof of identity and qualifications and a medical report.

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Application ProcessInterested candidates are invited to contact RSAcademics to arrange a confidential discussion with the consultant handling this appointment:

Helen Flower helenflower@rsacademics.com / 07921 587752 Anthony Goddard anthonygoddard@rsacademics.com / 07860 530534

Candidates should complete their application form electronically and email it to RSAcademics, together with covering letter, addressed to Mr Christopher Davis, Chairman of Advisory Council, which explains their reasons for applying.

Please email your completed application form and covering letter (both as PDF files please) to Jonathan Barnes, Operations Manager at: applications@rsacademics.com. Jonathan can also be reached by calling our Head Office on 01858 383163.

The deadline for receipt of applications is Thursday 6 February 2020 at 10:00am.

The process is as follows:

• All applications will be acknowledged by email. If you have not received acknowledgement that your application has been received within two working days of sending it, please contact our Head Office by telephone.

• Preliminary interviews will take place with RSAcademics in Central London on Tuesday 18 or Wednesday 19 February 2020.

• Shortlist interviews will take place at the College from Tuesday 25 to Thursday 27 February 2020.

Stoke College is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. The appointment is subject to satisfactory pre-employment checks in accordance with the relevant statutory guidance, including an enhanced DBS check, satisfactory references, proof of identity and qualifications, and a satisfactory medical report.

Founded in 2002 by Russell Speirs, RSAcademics specialises in schools, in the UK and internationally, advising on marketing strategy and research, leadership consultancy and the search and selection of Heads and senior staff. Comprising a team of the best schools’ marketing professionals and respected former school leaders, RSAcademics provides a high-quality service to schools with rigour, experience and warmth. Please visit www.rsacademics.com for more information.