Head of School

HEAD OF SCHOOL 

Boundary Oak School | Globeducate

Globeducate is one of the world’s leading international K-12 education groups, with a network of schools and educational brands across multiple countries. Our schools are united by a shared commitment to educational excellence, innovation, international mindedness, and the development of students who graduate as global citizens who can shape the world. Colleagues at Globeducate benefit from working within a collaborative international community that values continuous improvement, professional learning and the sharing of best practice across the group.

Boundary Oak School is a welcoming, co-educational independent day and boarding school in Fareham, Hampshire. Part of Globeducate, the school combines a caring, values-led community with ambitious learning from Early Years through to GCSEs.

Key Responsibilities

1. Business & Financial Performance 

• Translate Boundary Oak’s educational and commercial priorities, alongside Group strategy, into a focused annual school development and business plan with clear outcomes. 
• Take responsibility for the school budget, financial performance, resource allocation, cash management and sustainable growth. 
• Monitor revenue, staff costs, operating expenditure and performance against agreed targets, taking timely corrective action where required. 
• Ensure that resources and investments are aligned with the school’s educational priorities and deliver appropriate value. 
• Use educational, people, enrolment, operational and financial data to guide decisions and report progress to the UK CEO and the Group. 
• Ensure compliance with the Group’s financial policies, delegated authorities, internal controls and reporting requirements. 

2. Marketing & Admissions 

• Work closely with the marketing and admissions team to deliver enrolment, re-enrolment, retention and conversion targets across day and boarding provision. 
• Ensure an excellent experience for prospective and current families, including local, international and Armed Forces families, throughout admissions and school life. 
• Build trusted relationships with pupils, parents and the wider school community through visible, transparent and empathetic leadership. 
• Use parent feedback, satisfaction measures, complaints and retention data to identify and implement meaningful improvements. 
• Strengthen Boundary Oak’s distinctive positioning as a welcoming, values-led school offering education from Early Years through to GCSEs, alongside a rich co-curricular programme. 
• Act as a visible ambassador for the school, building its reputation and strong relationships across the local community, partner organisations and feeder schools. 

3. Education & Safeguarding 

• Set and deliver a clear educational vision and improvement plan across Early Years, Junior and Senior School, strengthening teaching, pupil progress and academic outcomes. 
• Use assessment, observation, inspection and other evidence to identify gaps, set challenging but realistic targets and evaluate the impact of improvement initiatives. 
• Ensure coherent learning pathways from the Early Years Foundation Stage through GCSE/IGCSE, supported by high-quality pastoral care, sport, outdoor learning and co-curricular opportunities. 
• Promote educational innovation and the sharing of effective practice across Globeducate. 
• Ensure compliance with applicable UK independent school, Early Years, inspection and boarding requirements, maintaining readiness for scrutiny and review.
• Be accountable for safeguarding and child protection for day and boarding pupils, ensuring robust policies, training, reporting and safer recruitment in line with statutory guidance. 
• Maintain a safe, nurturing and inclusive environment where pupils are known as individuals and their academic, personal, social and emotional wellbeing is prioritised. 
• Ensure that safeguarding concerns are identified, recorded, escalated and managed promptly and appropriately, in accordance with local requirements and Globeducate policies. 

4. People & Leadership 

• Build, inspire and develop an effective leadership team across Early Years, Junior School, Senior School and boarding, with clear accountability and succession planning. 
• Lead effective performance management, feedback and professional development, recognising excellent practice and addressing underperformance promptly and fairly. 
• Foster an engaged, supportive and inclusive staff culture, promoting wellbeing, collaboration and the sharing of best practice across Globeducate. 
• Ensure effective workforce planning and the appropriate deployment of staff, aligned with educational priorities, operational requirements and the school budget. 
• Handle sensitive or challenging employee matters with sound judgement, fairness and appropriate escalation. 

5. Operations 

• Oversee day-to-day school and boarding operations, ensuring high-quality education, pastoral support and reliable services for pupils and families. 
• Ensure that school facilities are safe, compliant, well maintained and fit for purpose, with effective preventive and corrective maintenance plans. 
• Oversee local real estate requirements, including space planning, capital expenditure proposals, refurbishment and site-development projects, in coordination with the UK CEO and relevant Group functions. 
• Ensure appropriate procurement, supplier and contract management, achieving quality, compliance and value for money. Maintain effective health and safety, site security, emergency planning, business continuity and operational risk management, including for the boarding environment. 
• Handle sensitive or challenging operational matters with sound judgement and appropriate escalation. 

Candidate Profile

Essential 

• A recognised teaching qualification and substantial, successful senior leadership experience in a school, ideally within UK independent education. 
• Demonstrable impact on teaching quality, pupil outcomes, safeguarding, pastoral care and school improvement. 
  
• Experience of leading teams, developing future leaders, managing performance and delivering change. 
  
• Commercial and operational understanding, including school budgets, fee-paying admissions, pupil retention, workforce planning and facilities management. 
• A results-oriented, evidence-led approach, with the critical thinking and creativity to solve complex problems. 
• Excellent communication, parent and community engagement skills, sound judgement and the ability to work collaboratively across the school and Globeducate. 
• A proactive, ethical and inclusive leadership style. 
• Excellent written and spoken English, with the ability to communicate confidently with pupils, parents, staff and external stakeholders. 
  

Desirable 

• A school leadership qualification or postgraduate degree in educational leadership or management. 
  
• Experience in a UK independent day or boarding school, or leadership responsibility for boarding and pastoral provision. 
• A track record of school growth, strong inspection outcomes, successful change or improvement across multiple school phases. 
  
• Experience of Early Years-to-GCSE provision, or oversight of school facilities, capital projects and estate development. 

We Offer

The opportunity to lead a distinctive independent school with more than a century of history, a nurturing community and a broad education for pupils aged 2–16. As part of Globeducate, Boundary Oak benefits from an international network, shared expertise and opportunities for professional and leadership development. 

Safeguarding Statement: Globeducate is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. We welcome applications from all suitably qualified candidates, particularly those from underrepresented groups including ethnicity, gender, transgender status, age, disability, sexual orientation or religion. Successful applicants will be subject to safer recruitment checks, including an enhanced DBS check (with barred list where appropriate), checks with past employers, including overseas police checks, online searches and relevant pre-employment safeguarding assessments.