Deputy Head Academic (Senior)

St Albans Education Group (STAEG) is a group of vibrant schools supported by a diverse and enthusiastic community of staff, pupils, parents, alumni and friends. It is important that our staff reflect the diversity of our community, and we therefore welcome and encourage applications from people of all genders and sexual orientation, from all cultural backgrounds, and from those with disabilities.

This is an exciting opportunity to take the academic lead in one of the UK’s most successful girls’ day schools. The Deputy Head Academic reports to the Head of STAHS Senior and is responsible for overseeing the strategic development and operational running of the school’s academic programme. The Deputy Head Academic will work closely with the Head of Senior, the Deputy Head Pastoral and other members of the Senior School SLT in formulating school policy and overseeing the day-to-day running of the Senior School.

The successful candidate will be a hands-on and experienced educator whose personal ethos and values are fully aligned with those of the Group and the School; in particular, they will be excited by the Teach to 25 philosophy and will contribute enthusiastically to its further development. They will have a strong track record of leadership in an academically ambitious environment, of working collaboratively with members of the school community and will be able to communicate effectively and with confidence to parents, pupils and colleagues.

In return we offer:

• Continued Professional Development (CPD) opportunities
• An opportunity to join our warm, vibrant and ambitious independent day school set in the heart of St Albans, easily accessible to central and outer London
• Use of sports facilities, including gym* (*Conditions apply)
• An extensive benefits package; free lunches, generous pension scheme, free life assurance
• Competitive salary

Closing date for applications is 9am on Wednesday 19 March 2025. Interviews will be held in two stages: Monday 24 March and Wednesday 26 March 2025.

The High School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Applicants will be required to undergo child protection screening appropriate to the post, including checks with past employers and the Disclosure and Barring Service.

WELCOME TO STAHS! We are very proud of our warm and vibrant community of ambitious young people, caring and talented staff and supportive alumni and parents. St Albans High School (we call it STAHS) is one of the country’s leading independent schools, offering a rich and diverse education to 1,150 pupils between the ages of four and 18. We are selective at all points of intake, and we are consistently ranked among the best independent schools in the UK.

STAHS opened in 1889 in a converted hospital on Holywell Hill, St Albans, one of many similar schools which were being established towards the end of the 19th century. We transferred to our current site on Townsend Avenue in the heart of the city in 1908, with the Prep School subsequently moving to the village of Wheathampstead in 2003. STAHS has close links with the diocese of St Albans through the Bishop and the Dean, the latter being an ex-officio governor of the School. We are affiliated to the Church of England, and we warmly welcome pupils and staff of all faiths or none.

Renowned for both exceptional academic provision and extensive co-curricular opportunities, STAHS pupils leave school as happy, confident and well-rounded young people ready to make their mark on the world. STAHS has two sites, a few miles apart: the Prep School in leafy Wheathampstead and the Senior School in the historic city of St Albans, just 25 minutes from King’s Cross/London St Pancras. STAHS is proud to be a truly ‘through school’, with the majority of Year 6 pupils joining the Senior School for Year 7 and beyond. Our Senior School of around 830 pupils from Year 7 to Year 13 has a visible and audible buzz, bustling with difference; difference of opinions, difference of ambitions and difference of interests. Our Staff are devoted to preparing the young people in our care to live lives of consequence, making a meaningful impact on the world. We work together in a warm and grounded spirit that is uniquely ‘STAHS’. Please do see the Head’s Welcome on our website to find out why STAHS is such a special place.