Head of Outdoor Education

The Role
This is an exciting opportunity to join a thriving school as Head of Outdoor Education.
The Head of Outdoor Education will be a dynamic, forward-thinking and ambitious individual, and a strong advocate for the value of outdoor education. They will be able to articulate an exciting and ambitious vision for outdoor education, inspiring confidence and enthusiasm across our community and showcasing the myriad advantages of our location in Edinburgh, with easy access to the Pentlands and the wider Scottish outdoors.

Main Responsibilities
Please see the full Job Description for duties and responsibilities for this role.

Person Specification

This is a superb opportunity for an ambitious and dynamic leader who shares our vision of outdoor education, which provides pupils with a lifelong love of the outdoors, a colleague who will seize this exciting opportunity to work at Fettes College.
- Able to demonstrate a high level of personal drive, vigour and ambition to achieve challenging targets.
- Able to plan strategically and delegate effectively.
- Able to work as part of a team.
- Supportive of the co-curricular curriculum as a key component in building students’ self-esteem, school ethos and academic excellence.
- Possess excellent written and oral communication skills.
- Have meticulous organisation skills, facilitated by the effective use of technology where appropriate.
- The ability to solve problems, remain flexible and conduct dynamic risk assessments within an outdoor setting.

Qualifications / Experience (Desirable)
- Experienced at working with young people in an educational setting.
- Mountain Leader.
- Rock Climbing Instructor.
- Duke of Edinburgh Assessor.
- Additional Outdoor Qualifications (Mountain Biking, Water Sports, Skiing, Bushcraft etc).
- Experience in creating structured training programmes that promote personal development.
- Previous military experience and/or a willingness to Commission into the Combined Cadet Force.

Training and acquisition of appropriate qualifications will be available as part of the role.

About the school/organisation
**ABOUT FETTES**

Fettes College is a leading HMC co-educational boarding and day school close to the heart of Edinburgh. It has a strong tradition of academic, sporting and cultural excellence underpinned by outstanding pastoral care. Fettes opened its doors in 1870 and became fully co-educational in 1980: it is now an independent school of some 785 students. There are 594 students in the Senior School (13-18 years) and 191 students in the Preparatory School (7-13 years). Fettes follows the English curriculum of GCSEs, and the dual pathway of A Levels and IB. Our full-boarding ethos ensures weekends are vibrant and fun.

The academic staff in the Senior School consists of the Head and 91 full-time members of the Common Room. Our Prep School shares the same site and consists of a further 29 full-time teaching staff. Fettes is a collaborative community in which every member is working towards fully realising their potential whilst supporting those around them.

The school stands on a stunning and secure 100-acre site, but still within walking distance of Edinburgh’s city centre. The historic main building holds the Chapel, Library, the English, Classics and History Departments as well as the Medical Centre and two boarding houses. A large purpose-built teaching block (the Spens Building) houses Art, Modern Languages, Mathematics, Economics, Geography and Music. The Theatre, Science Laboratories and Dining Hall are adjacent. The Preparatory School and seven further boarding houses (including a purpose-built co-educational U6th House) are also on the campus. Our sports facilities (including extensive playing fields, two all-weather pitches and a private Health Club) are excellent.

We have a commitment to build even more ground-breaking facilities, including a Wellbeing Centre and construction of new Science and Innovation buildings.

As well as our teaching staff we employ over 220 Operational Staff across the many departments, including Estates, Security, Housekeeping, Finance, Admissions and Marketing with a pervading sense of community amongst staff, students and parents alike.

**OUR VISION**

We have created and developed a bold new vision for Fettes, one which focuses on what we believe Fettesians should aspire to be, the skills they will need in life and the impact we want them to make in the world.

Please also watch (with sound on) our film below - Ode to Place - which complements the vision and captures the ethos of Fettes College and what a Fettes education means.

**THE AIMS OF THE COLLEGE**

Fettes College will ensure that our students:

- Feel valued and respected as individuals
- Receive the highest possible quality of education, engaging them in rigorous and relevant opportunities in a dynamic curriculum that creates lifelong learners
- Feel safe, have a sense of personal worth, are thoughtful and considerate of the needs