Head - Cargilfield School
Cargilfield School
Edinburgh, City of
- New
- Job type:
- Full Time, Permanent
- Apply by:
- 14 October 2024
Job overview
The Governors of Cargilfield School invite applications for the role of Head from September 2025, following the announcement of Mr Rob Taylor’s decision to retire after eleven years of outstanding leadership.
Cargilfield School is a leading co-educational independent day and boarding school educating 300 children aged 3 to 13. With a rich heritage dating back to 1873, Cargilfield is the oldest independent prep school in Scotland and enjoys a long-held reputation for excellence. Cargilfield is situated amongst 13 acres of picturesque grounds by the shoreline of Cramond in the north-west of Edinburgh and occupies the unique position as the only standalone prep school in the city.
The school boasts an enviable reputation for high academic standards, a strong emphasis on wellbeing, a rich boarding offer and excellent provision for co-curricular opportunities. Each child at Cargilfield is a valued member of the community and is well prepared for the next stage of their education, with the school feeding to top senior schools across Scotland and the UK.
This is a rare and exciting opportunity to lead a thriving prep school and ensure its continued success in a competitive marketplace. Working in close partnership with an ambitious and supportive Board of Governors, the next Head will design and deliver a contemporary and compelling vision to maintain Cargilfield’s position as the sector-leading prep school in Scotland.
The successful candidate will be visible and accessible, with a successful leadership track record gained in schools within competitive marketplaces. This person will be contemporary in their outlook and bring the ability to marry a fresh and innovative approach with the school’s rich heritage and values. They will have first-class communication and influencing skills, a deeply held passion for vibrant teaching and learning, and the determination to harness Cargilfield’s current strengths to further develop its brand and market position.
Further information on Cargilfield School can be found at cargilfield.com and a candidate brief is available from www.odgers.com/92123.
A comprehensive CV and covering letter should be submitted via the Odgers Berndtson website by the closing date, 9:00am BST on Monday 14 October.
Cargilfield School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, and applicants must be willing to undergo child protection screening appropriate to the post, including checks with past employers and the Protection of Vulnerable Groups (PVG) scheme.
About Cargilfield School
Cargilfield is the oldest independent boarding and day prep school in Scotland, for more than 300 boys and girls, aged 3-13 years. Each child has an extensive range of opportunities to learn, explore and discover before they leave Cargilfield to join leading senior schools across the UK. Children leave with confident, lively minds, secure values and a sense of identity and community spirit that serves them well for their future lives. We achieve this by delivering a broad and challenging education in a supportive and caring family-led environment.
Cargilfield, founded in 1873, was the first prep school to be established in Scotland. It moved from Trinity in Edinburgh to its current location in Barnton in 1898. A Pre-prep and Nursery Department were added to the prep school campus during the early 1980’s in response to the changing nature of the parental body and the introduction of girls. The school was founded in 1873 by the Reverend Charles Darnell. Darnell’s aim was “to provide a liberal education and teach the merits of hard work and honesty under conditions of happiness and well-being”. This remains at the core of our ethos today.
We pride ourselves on high standards of teaching and a coherent programme of learning from Nursery through to Form 8. This is perhaps best measured by the outcomes for our pupils. We prepare boys and girls for senior schools all over the United Kingdom, offering parents choice in Edinburgh, across Scotland and the UK. In the past five years we have sent pupils to Ampleforth, Cheltenham Ladies’ College, Edinburgh Academy, Eton, Fettes, Glenalmond, Gordonstoun, Harrow, King’s Canterbury, Loretto, Marlborough, Merchiston, Oundle, Rugby, Sedbergh, Shrewsbury, Uppingham, Winchester and Wycombe Abbey.
Boys and girls are prepared for the Common Entrance or Academic Scholarship exams for their senior schools. We are proud of a 100% success rate at Common Entrance and our pupils winning an impressive number of scholarships to schools all over the UK in recent years. Although we admit to a broad range of abilities, we believe that a combination of high expectations with good teaching in small classes (an average class size of between 14 – 16 with a maximum of 18) explains our excellent results. We believe that a wide range of activity is essential for the development of children at Cargilfield. We play sport every day and creative activities such as music, drama, art and design are an important part of our curriculum. We also offer over 50 clubs that take place during the term, either during the day, the evening or boarding weekends.
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