Director of Sport

Description & Requirements

Role Description

JOB TITLE

Director of Sport

DEPARTMENT

Sport

LOCATION

Shanghai

SUPERVISOR

Second Master

LINE MANAGEMENT

Heads of Sport and designated members of the Sports Department

OBJECTIVES

The Director of Sport leads the strategy, quality and delivery of the College’s co-curricular and representative sporting programme. The role combines high-performance ambition with inclusive participation, enjoyment and lifelong physical wellbeing, ensuring that sport contributes to pupils’ character, development and experience of Wellington.

The Director leads Heads of Sport and coaches, oversees the four core sports — swimming, volleyball, basketball and football — and develops recreational and individual opportunities across Primary and Secondary. They build external partnerships and sporting pathways, including university opportunities, while contributing to the wider leadership and culture of the College.

Academic PE remains the responsibility of the Primary and Secondary Heads of PE, including curriculum, assessment, academic standards and curriculum staffing. The Director works closely with both teams to ensure aligned expectations and a coherent pupil experience and contributes to PE teaching as required.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Strategic Leadership and Sporting Culture

• Develop and implement an ambitious, coherent co-curricular sporting strategy aligned with Wellington’s values, educational priorities and the needs of pupils across Primary and Secondary.
• Build a distinctive culture that values sporting excellence, participation, teamwork, sportsmanship and wellbeing, with appropriate progression between school phases.
• Set departmental objectives, review their impact and celebrate commitment and achievement at all levels; support House sport and wider school sporting community initiatives.
• Ensure sporting provision is developmentally appropriate across the College and that ambitions are realistic, properly resourced and consistent with pupils’ academic and pastoral commitments.
• Promote an aspirational College-wide sporting identity through effective celebration of participation, representative achievement and shared standards of conduct.

2. Departmental Leadership and Staff Management

• Provide visible leadership and direct line management of Heads of Sport, with clear programme plans, responsibilities, performance expectations and regular review.
• Monitor coaching quality and pupil experience; support, challenge and hold colleagues accountable through feedback, professional development and performance management.
• Contribute to recruitment, induction and evaluation of staff and external coaches, building a collaborative, reliable and professionally accountable department.
• Establish a structured cycle of meetings, goal-setting and evaluation with Heads of Sport, following through on agreed actions and addressing inconsistent performance promptly and constructively.
• Ensure clear delegation and reporting lines between departmental leaders, coaches and external providers so that operational delivery is reliable and accountability remains explicit.

3. Core Sports and Competitive Performance

• Lead the strategic development of swimming, volleyball, basketball and football through effective coaching structures, representative teams, appropriate competition and progressive pathways.
• With Heads of Sport, determine competition and fixture priorities, maintain fair and transparent selection and conduct expectations, and support high-performing athletes.
• Evaluate participation, retention, representation, performance and pupil progress; provide termly reports to the School Leadership Team with priorities and recommendations.
• Ensure representative team programmes offer appropriate training frequency, coaching expertise and competitive challenge while recognising pupils’ developmental needs and wider College commitments.
• Maintain clear and equitable processes for participation, team selection and recognition, including communication with pupils and families where decisions may be sensitive.

4. Participation, Recreational Sport and Pupil Development

• Ensure inclusive, engaging recreational and developmental opportunities within the CCA programme, encouraging lifelong participation and healthy, active lifestyles.
• Support additional sports, including badminton, rowing and golf, and respond appropriately to individual sporting interests beyond the core programme.
• Provide opportunities for pupil leadership, coaching and officiating; gather pupil and parent feedback to refine provision and strengthen community engagement.
• Work with the CCA team to review accessibility, breadth and uptake of recreational sport, identifying gaps by age group and responding to changing pupil interests.
• Encourage continued involvement among pupils who do not seek representative selection, ensuring that enjoyment, belonging and confidence remain meaningful measures of success.

5. Sporting Operations and Programme Delivery

• Retain accountability for the planning and delivery of sporting calendars, fixtures, tournaments, training, internal events and representative commitments, supported by Heads of Sport and administrative colleagues.
• Coordinate with College and school leadership and the CCA, pastoral and operations teams to protect pupil wellbeing and align sporting commitments with wider priorities.
• Ensure suitable staffing, supervision, transport, facilities, equipment, communication and risk assessment; oversee all sporting tours, including safeguarding and parent arrangements.
• Manage budgets and resources responsibly and contribute to facilities development and longer-term investment planning.
• Take ownership of coordination across College calendars and administrative platforms, ensuring that sporting arrangements are communicated in good time and changes are managed reliably.
• Review the effectiveness and utilisation of sporting facilities, equipment, staffing and external provision, proposing practical improvements and responsible investment.

6. Safeguarding, Pupil Welfare and Professional Standards

• Ensure that sporting staff, coaches, volunteers and providers maintain required safeguarding training, checks and accreditations, and comply with College policies and professional boundaries.
• Maintain oversight of welfare and risk arrangements for training, changing facilities, fixtures, transport, tours and external provision; work with pastoral, safeguarding and medical colleagues on individual needs.
• Promote fair and respectful sporting environments and ensure concerns are addressed promptly through established College procedures.
• Ensure contractors and external coaches understand expectations governing physical contact, digital messaging, supervision, travel and appropriate relationships with pupils.
• Confirm that reporting and escalation arrangements are understood within the department, and maintain a culture in which staff raise pupil welfare or professional conduct concerns without delay.

7. Whole-College Collaboration and Communication

• Work closely with Primary and Secondary leaders and Heads of PE to align sporting standards, communication, planning and pastoral care, without assuming leadership of academic PE.
• Communicate clearly with pupils, parents and colleagues about opportunities, selections, fixtures and changes; contribute to Parent as Partner sessions, Meet the Master, Open Days and relevant College events.
• Collaborate with admissions, marketing and other teams, and represent Wellington professionally at competitions, conferences and external engagements.
• Contribute constructively to parent education and community events, presenting the College’s sporting philosophy and explaining the balance between participation and competitive aspiration.
• Work with admissions and university guidance colleagues where sporting development, pupil transitions, representation or future study opportunities require coordinated advice.

8. International Partnerships, Scholars and Pupil Pathways

• Maintain knowledge of international school sport and relevant associations, including ACAMIS and FOBISIA, to inform competitions, programme development and external opportunities.
• Develop and maintain strategic relationships with international schools, sporting organisation, clubs, academies and universities, particularly within the United Kingdom and United States, to expand competitive opportunities and establish meaningful sporting pathways for pupils beyond Wellington.
• Lead the College’s sports scholar and scholarship provision, working with Heads of Sport and school leaders to identify and support potential scholars and high-performing pupils.
• Collaborate with relevant colleagues to guide pupils and families towards suitable university, collegiate, specialist or professional sporting opportunities.
• Review the suitability, educational value and sustainability of external affiliations, competitions and partnerships rather than pursuing participation or profile as ends in themselves.
• Support talented pupils through individual planning and appropriate referrals, while recognising that collegiate and professional opportunities differ across sporting and national systems.

General Professional Expectations

• Model Wellington’s values of Kindness, Responsibility, Respect, Courage and Integrity through professional conduct, judgement and relationships.
• Observe all College safeguarding, health and safety, confidentiality and professional conduct requirements.
• Contribute to College meetings, events and development priorities, and undertake other reasonable duties directed by the Second Master or Master.

BEHAVIOURS: LEADERS AS CHANGEMAKERS

Key Leadership Mindset

• Big-picture thinking – Balance the day-to-day leadership of the department with its longer-term academic and strategic priorities.
• Servant leadership – Support and empower colleagues to deliver excellent teaching and learning.
• Growth mindset – Continuously seek ways to strengthen the curriculum, improve teaching and learning, and enhance pupil outcomes.
• Intellectual curiosity – Value thoughtful enquiry, creativity and independent thinking in both pupils and colleagues.
• Mentoring and coaching – Develop colleagues’ expertise, confidence and career aspirations through appropriate support and professional learning.

Person Specification

Essential

• Relevant degree and recognised teaching qualification, or equivalent qualifications and experience appropriate to the role.
• Substantial school sport experience, including successful leadership of colleagues and accountability for complex competitive and recreational programmes.
• Evidence of strong people management, coaching quality assurance, strategic planning and measurable programme improvement.
• Excellent communication, organisation and relationship-building skills, with sound safeguarding and pupil welfare judgement.
• Commitment to high performance and inclusive participation as complementary educational priorities.

Desirable

• Leadership experience in an international school or comparable environment, with knowledge of international school sporting associations.
• Experience of athlete development and knowledge of university sporting pathways across international systems.
• Established sporting partnerships; experience of budgets, facilities, international events and relevant core-sport coaching qualifications.

Safeguarding Commitment

Wellington College International Shanghai is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people. All employees must share this commitment. Appointment is subject to appropriate pre-employment and safeguarding checks in accordance with College policy and applicable requirements.

As an employer of choice, Wellington College Education (China) is committed to making professional learning and personal development central to its ethos and approach. WCEC fully recognises its responsibilities for safeguarding children. Our safeguarding policy applies to all staff, governors and volunteers working in the Group.