Head of The Junior School and Willow Lodge

**The King's School, Chester**
Cheshire West and Chester

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**Salary**:

King's Leadership pay scale

**Job type**:

Full Time, Permanent

**Start date**:

01/09/2025
9 October 2024

**Job overview**:
We are seeking a well-qualified graduate with significant experience of leadership to lead both The Junior School (JS) and Willow Lodge (WL) with great energy, enthusiasm and effectiveness to ensure they provide an outstanding educational experience for all pupils.

The Head of JS and WL will work closely with the Headteacher, Governors, the JS and WL Lower Leadership Team (LLT) and other King’s Leadership Team (KLT) members to deliver the whole school vision and strategy, whilst also creating and delivering a vision and strategy specific to the needs of JS & WL. The Lower Leadership Team also comprises the Deputy Head (Junior School), Deputy Head Academic (Junior School), Deputy Head (Willow Lodge) and Director of Studies (Willow Lodge).

The Head of JS & WL reports directly to the Headteacher and is supported in their role by a personal assistant (TTO + 2 weeks).

**The start date for this position will be 1st September 2025**.

They will have:

- Excellent knowledge and understanding of best practice and innovation in the primary sector
- Gravitas and be able to command the respect of pupils, colleagues, and parents
- Excellent verbal and non-verbal communication skills, with the ability to speak in public and communicate fluently in writing
- Excellent administrative, organisational and time management skills
- The ability to work well collaboratively as a member of a team
- The highest of expectations and a desire for continuous improvement
- The ability to self-reflect, value feedback and learn from setbacks
- A good sense of humour and optimistic outlook.

They will be:

- Visible, accessible and approachable to pupils, colleagues, parents and prospective parents
- Dynamic in approach with the ability to use initiative and be decisive
- Flexible in approach, open-minded and creative
- Willing to have tough conversations when necessary
- Resilient and able to remain calm under pressure

**Attached documents**:

- Appendix 1 - Role of the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL).pdf
111.06KB
Applicant Info Pack
2.53MB

**About **The King's School, Chester**:
**The King's School, Chester**
- Wrexham Road, Chester
Cheshire
CH4 7QL
United Kingdom
+44 1244 689500
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The King’s School is an academically selective, co-educational independent school originally founded in 1541 for the ‘poor and friendless’ children of Chester. Almost 500 years later, King’s is a thriving, dynamic and forward-thinking school of more than 1100 pupils that is considered to be one of the leading day schools in the country.

At King’s we aim to make the very most of every individual student in the school, both academically as a selective school with a great tradition of scholarship, but also in terms of their personal development with regard to confidence, resilience, flexibility and well-being.

This is achieved by a broad and engaging curriculum, an extensive co-curricular programme, excellent pastoral care and exceptionally committed and professional staff. We strive for unpretentious excellence in all that we do and want our pupils to remember their time at school with a smile on their face, whilst successfully going on to make their marks on the world in their own distinct ways.

**Our Values**

In striving to achieve their own very best whilst caring about and working effectively with each other, all members of the King’s community strive to:
**Aspire**

We want all our students to aspire to be the very best versions of themselves. This relates to both their academic achievement, where we want them to attain their ‘sustainable best’, and just as importantly to their personal development as unique individuals.

**Respect**

We want our students to have respect for themselves and all others in the school community. We believe that young people should be comfortable in their own skin, whilst being respectful of others, especially with regard to diversity.

**Collaborate**

We want our students to collaborate effectively so that they learn to be great team members and achieve more than they would on their own. We also want them to contribute positively as part of the broader community with a higher sense of service.

The King’s School enjoys a spacious and exceptionally well-resourced site on the outskirts of Chester, having moved there from a city centre location next to the cathedral in 1960.

The site contains all sections of the school catering for pupils aged 4 to 18. Our state-of-the-art infant school, Willow Lodge (ages 3-7), was built eight years ago and the adjacent Junior School (ages 7-11) has been renovated and extended over recent years to provide specialist teaching and outstanding outdoor facilities.

The Senior School (ages 11-18) is also benefitt