Head – St Helen and St Katharine

The Governors invite applications for a new Head for the School to succeed Becky Dougall who, after what will be ten years of exceptional service, has chosen to retire in August 2025.

This is a wonderful opportunity for an outstanding educational leader to build on the work Becky has done and to lead St Helen & St Katharine on the next stage of its evolution, as a continuing beacon for girls’ education in this country and beyond.

Start date – September 2025

St Helen and St Katharine is an independent day school in Abingdon, six miles south of Oxford. It is a school for girls aged 9–18, from Junior Department (Years 5–6) through to Sixth Form.

St Helen & St Katharine is unashamedly a high-powered, high-achieving and strongly academic school, but one in which the girls regard learning as ‘cool’. They are demonstrably eager to engage with their inspiring teachers, who in turn enjoy sharing their knowledge and experiences – going well above and beyond their contractual obligations. It is a haven for bright girls and young women with enquiring minds, a place where success is celebrated but not revered.

A broad and varied extracurricular programme of 100+ clubs and activities plays a central role in each girl’s life and the School is also renowned nationally for its strength in sport. The girls are characterised by their ‘can do’ attitude to everything — they are proud ‘HelKats’ and no two ‘HelKats’ are alike! This epitomises what makes St Helen & St Katharine the incredibly special School that it is.

In the pursuit of academic rigour and a rounded, balanced approach to life, the School combines both tradition and innovation (being ahead of the curve in the integration of AI in the curriculum), helping to ensure its girls and young women are well prepared to take their place confidently in an ever-changing world. There is a great tradition of supporting young women to follow their academic passions and of enabling them to take confident next steps.

The ideal candidate will most likely be an existing Head, who will embrace the values and ethos of St Helen & St Katharine and be its best advocate and ambassador. They will recognise that there is no room for complacency, even for market leaders; and they will have the strategic vision, professionalism, drive and energy to want to contribute to building a legacy of which they can feel justifiably proud. They will also be an excellent communicator, have a good sense of humour and be the sort of person who inspires and naturally makes things happen.

If this role excites you and you believe that you have the requisite skills, experience and dynamism to lead this very special school on the next stage of its development, we would welcome your application.

Further information will be available shortly.

Interested candidates are invited to contact RSAcademics to arrange a confidential discussion with one of the consultants handing this appointment:

Michael Stephens, Head of Senior School Search: michaelstephens@rsacademics.com

Charlotte Faber, Senior Advisor: charlottefaber@rsacademics.com

The deadline for receipt of the application is 10.00am (UK time) on Tuesday 29^th October 2024.

Applications should be made electronically to RSAcademics. To submit your application, please click on “Apply Now” on the right side of this webpage and upload your documents according to the instructions provided.

You should submit the following (both in PDF format):

• a completed application form
• a covering letter addressed to Mr Kevan Leggett, Chair of Governors.  The letter should explain your reasons for applying.

If you have any questions about uploading your application documents, please contact Jonathan Barnes, Project Manager (Leadership appointments) at applications@rsacademics.com.  Jonathan can also be reached by calling our Head Office on +44 (0)1858 383163.

• St Helen and St Katharine is an equal opportunities employer committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.
• Applicants must be willing to undergo child protection screening appropriate to the post, including checks with past employers and the Disclosure and Barring Service and a review of their social media presence.
• All appointments are subject to a criminal background check and proof of qualifications, in accordance with the requirements of the Children Act.
• This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and the amendments to the Exceptions Order 1975, 2013 and 2020.
• The Schools’ Child Protection and Safeguarding Policy can be found on their website.
• RSAcademics is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and to promoting diversity and inclusion in schools.