Head
Cheltenham College
Gloucestershire
- Expired
- Salary:
- Competitive
- Job type:
- Full Time, Permanent
- Start date:
- April 2026 (September 2026 considered)
- Apply by:
- 28 April 2025
Job overview
The President and Council of Cheltenham College invite applications for the role of Head following eight years of first-class leadership by Mrs Nicola Huggett. The post falls vacant in April 2026, but a September 2026 start will be considered.
Cheltenham College is one of the foremost independent co-educational boarding schools in the country. Educating more than 1,150 pupils aged 3–18 (over 700 in College and 440 in Prep and Nursery), the schools sit in the heart of this culturally vibrant spa town. College provides an exciting education which offers breadth as well as depth. The school promotes genuine personal enquiry and intellectual appetite, nurtures individual talents through the curriculum and co-curriculum and fosters a culture of respect for others. Within its beautiful setting, the school brings together a strong sense of tradition and a culture of innovation, underpinned by a warm, caring and inclusive community spirit.
The Council seeks an outstanding Head with the vision, warmth and energy to take the school forward into its next stage of development. The successful candidate will be an inspirational, inclusive and experienced senior educationalist with a proven track record of success, excellence in all leadership skills, a commitment to co-education, business awareness, and a true appreciation of the myriad of opportunities offered by life in a boarding school community.
Interested candidates are invited to contact RSAcademics to arrange a confidential discussion with one of the consultants handling this appointment:
- Sarah Glencross: sarahglencross@rsacademics.com or
- Michael Spens: michaelspens@rsacademics.com or
- Claire Oulton: claireoulton@rsacademics.com
For further information about this role and details of how to apply, please visit: www.rsacademics.com
Closing date: 10.00am on Monday 28th April 2025
Cheltenham College 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 Disclosure & Barring Service.
This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and the amendments to the Exceptions Order 1975, 2013 and 2020.
The safeguarding responsibilities of this post are detailed in the candidate information brochure.
RSAcademics is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and to promoting diversity and inclusion in schools.
About Cheltenham College
One of the country’s leading coeducational independent schools for both day and boarding pupils, Cheltenham College offers outstanding all round education for pupils from 3 to 18.
While the Senior School (13 – 18) enjoys its beautiful setting and impressive grounds on Cheltenham’s Bath Road, the adjacent Preparatory School ( 3-13) occupies over 15 acres of woodland splendour, with its own lake and numerous sports fields. The youngest children (3-7) enter the wonderfully vibrant pre-prep department called Kingfishers, which has its own cottage and classrooms within the school.
From the age of 3 right through to 18, pupils are immersed into a community that is not only full to the brim of opportunities but importantly, one that is warm, friendly and utterly inclusive. Pastoral care across both schools is consistently highlighted by parents as excellent and the College takes great pride in treating each and every child as an individual. Children therefore develop not only as learners but as independent, confident and responsible young people with a great many talents and skills. They have confidence to question, to challenge, to think.
The breadth of Cheltenham College’s amenities is reflected in the diversity of activities and clubs; the Preparatory School alone offers over 40 clubs, societies and sports. In the Senior School, no pupil can fail to be tempted by the numerous outdoor pursuits, expeditions, community service activities or Humanitarian Aid projects. Around 30 clubs operate weekly in the Senior School, including shooting, eco ventures, pottery and film-making.
A vast number of sports teams are nationally reputed and every year a substantial number of pupils are chosen to represent England. Music also plays a vital part in school life, with pupils able to learn just about every orchestral instrument imaginable as well as participating in numerous choirs, bands and ensembles. Both schools stage several plays a year, from whole school productions to year group performances, and the art and design work (often on display in Thirlestaine House, the College’s very own 19th century mansion and gallery) is quite literally breathtaking.
Crucially, this focus on balanced education also ensures that Cheltenham College gets the very best out of its pupils academically. In the Preparatory School, there is a 100% Common Entrance pass rate and many pupils gain Senior School scholarships. In College, the more stretching iGCSE is offered in Maths, English Literature, Science, History and Geography and over 95% of school leavers go on to their first choice university.
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