Principal – St Mary’s Colchester

This is an exciting opportunity for someone to contribute to the overall direction, management and development of St Mary’s.

St Mary’s is looking for an exceptional new Principal; a leader who will be aspirational and dynamic, provide professional leadership for all staff at the school, maintain an environment where pupils can thrive, learn and achieve, and one which encourages high expectations and achievements among all pupils.

We are seeking an individual who will bring their own ideas and aspirations for what St Mary’s can achieve in the future, whilst valuing its distinctive heritage and upholding its core ethos and values which the community has come to expect from the school.

The next Principal will be able to demonstrate a strategic approach to policy and planning, higher order management skills and business acumen. They will bring substantial experience of successful leadership in education, equipping them to lead an experienced and committed Senior Leadership Team and staff, and to command respect from the whole school community.

The successful candidate will work collaboratively with the Governors and the Senior Leadership Team to prioritise the key strategic areas for the development of the school into the future and will provide clear and inspirational leadership to all to ensure that the school’s development objectives are achieved.

St Mary’s is an independent all-girls day school in north Essex for girls age 4-16. We also have a Kindergarten for children age 2-4.

We provide an enlightened, empowering and complete education, designed specifically for girls to thrive. We challenge our pupils academically, creatively and physically. With small class sizes and high standards, our focus is on individual success. Our environment is safe in every respect – to experiment and question, to take risks and follow passions, to innovate and lead – free of judgement and stereotypes, and full of respect and support. So when our pupils move on to their next steps in education, they are empowered to rise to the challenges and opportunities the world presents.

We are proud that the Independent School Inspectorate (ISI) rated St Mary’s as excellent in our last inspection. The key findings emphasised the high levels of attainment across the curriculum for Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), in National Curriculum tests for Year 6 and at GCSE level. We were delighted that our emphasis on the importance of pastoral care was also documented by inspectors.

St Mary’s was recently shortlisted for Independent Girls’ School of the Year 2025, as part of the highly respected Independent Schools of the Year Awards. Being shortlisted for this national award is a powerful recognition of our commitment to delivering exceptional, girl-centred education.

Our commitment at the Lower School to high-quality provision for more able learners within the context of challenge for all, was also recognised by the National Association for Able Children in Education (NACE) in our reaccreditation of the NACE Challenge Award. The Sunday Times ranked St Mary’s Lower School as the 12th highest-performing preparatory school in England. Many girls achieve Scholarships to senior school. In addition, we have an impressive 11+ pass rate for those who choose to sit the exam and are the largest feeder to Colchester County High School for Girls.

Using our expertise in educating girls and the latest research, we empower girls at our Senior School by inspiring them to see the world as one full of limitless possibilities and by equipping them with the knowledge, experiences and skills needed to thrive at St Mary’s and beyond. We see strong GCSE results each year and last year, The Sunday Times ranked St Mary’s Senior School as the top performing in Essex and 16th nationally, for independent secondary schools without a sixth form. We have a strong reputation and more girls age 11-16 attend St Mary’s Senior School than any other independent school within a 20 mile drive.

If you believe that you can rise to the broad and challenging expectations of the role and you have a genuine desire to work in an environment that has the needs of its students at heart, the Governing Body look forward to hearing from you.

Interested candidates are invited to contact RSAcademics in the first instance to arrange a confidential discussion with:

Helen Flower, Search Consultant: helenflower@rsacademics.com

Sarah Evans, Senior Advisor: sarahevans@rsacademics.com

The closing date for applications is Friday 31 October 2025 at 10.00am.

Applications should be made electronically to RSAcademics. To submit your application, please click on “Apply Now” 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 Anthony Bell, Chair of Governors. The letter should be a maximum of two pages and should explain your reasons for
  applying and outline your suitability for the role.

If you have any questions about uploading your application documents, please contact Laura Cave, Project Coordinator, at applications@rsacademics.com. Laura can also be reached by calling our Head Office on +44 (0) 204 6269 795.

N.B. Safer recruitment checks will be made at all stages in the recruitment process.

• St Mary’s Colchester 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.