Job Description

ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Head of Boarding (Residential) Required for January 2026 or earlier.



Bosworth Independent School is not a traditional British boarding school. That is just one of our strengths. Around seventy percent of our students are boarders; some from the UK but the majority from all over the world. We are a proudly global community, and staff and students - as well as their parents and guardians - value the dynamism and richness of the environment that results from this.



Our recent ISI inspection reported that we were compliant in all areas. However, we consider compliance the bare minimum; we are ambitious for our boarding provision to be the best around. This is not about buildings and aesthetics, as important as those are after all, our boarding houses are homes away from home for our boarders but about offering students an experience of boarding that is positive and transformative. We want every one of them to feel valued, known as the individuals they are, and to have access to a wide range of activities that enrich their lives beyond the classroom. We want our boarding provision to offer them opportunities to develop leadership skills, to experience living alongside others whose stories are different from their own, and really importantly to have fun and be very happy.



We are happy to receive applications from candidates already in a Head of Boarding role but also encourage applications from experienced senior house parents or house masters/mistresses who are ready for the next step

ABOUT THE ROLE

This role offers a unique opportunity to help shape the development and growth of a school that is going places. The Head of Boarding, as a member of the Senior Leadership Team and a residential member of staff, will hold a position of key responsibility. This is a demanding role but the right candidate will see the huge rewards that it brings.



This is a really exciting role at any time but especially as the school is close to realising its ambitious goal of acquiring new boarding accommodation in the shape of a former university halls of residence, a stone's throw from the two main school buildings. This will offer high quality, university-style accommodation for our boarders. The new residential Head of Boarding will have the opportunity to play a direct and formative role in this new venture.



Line managed by the Headmaster, the Head of Boarding will be entrusted with a level of autonomy concomitant with the role and with the likely experience and skill of the successful candidate. They will work with the rest of the Senior Team to ensure the future development and growth of the school, offering strong and strategic leadership. They will be energetic, visionary and ambitious to take boarding at Bosworth to the next level.



The nature of this role will require the appointee to live on-site during term times, though the accommodation will be available for their use throughout the year. The accommodation on offer is dependent on the number of the successful applicant's dependents. Candidates can discuss this in more detail before they apply should they wish to.



If you feel that a phone call or a visit to the school would help you understand this role better and be useful to you, please do not hesitate to get in touch. Please note that the summer term ends on 27 June and the new academic year commences on the 1 September, though calls and visits can be made over the summer holiday.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Compliance & Safeguarding

Guarantee that the school's boarding provision meets, or preferably exceeds, the National Minimum Standards for Boarding (NMS), the Independent Schools' Statutory Regulations (ISSRs) in all areas, and any other relevant legislation.

Uphold the school's statutory duty of care for boarding students.

Be a key player in ensuring inspection-readiness and continual compliance.

Draft, review and embed boarding policies, procedures and risk assessments in partnership with the rest of the Senior Leadership Team to ensure the efficient, safe and compassionate running and full compliance of all aspects of the school's boarding provision.

Ensure that the boarding provision is a 'home from home' for boarders, most of whom are residing far away from their families.

In close collaboration with the Head of Operations, maintain all necessary records relating to health and safety in boarding, recording all incidents carefully and ensuring all checks are carried out meticulously.

Act as a DDSL, managing safeguarding in boarding in liaison with the DSL, ensuring rigorous safeguarding across boarding.

Ensure that exeats and visits out of school by boarding students comply with expectations of UKVI guidance.



2. Staff Leadership & Development

Lead and manage the boarding team, being highly visible and offering inspirational leadership, and ensuring all staff are appropriately trained, supported and appraised.

Ensure that duty rotas balance rest time for House Parents with consistent and rigorous supervision of students.

Set clear performance expectations, run regular group and individual meetings with boarding staff.

Ensure the highest standards of professionalism among boarding staff and, where necessary, challenge and manage underperformance.

Lead recruitment for boarding roles and contribute to senior appointments.

Map and monitor professional development pathways for boarding staff from induction through to boarding-specific diplomas and maintain detailed training records.



3. Student Welfare & Experience

Ensure impeccably high standards across all aspects of the school's boarding provision.

Advocate for, and personally embody, values that ensure the school's boarding provision is characterised by warmth balanced with discipline, and that an inclusive atmosphere pervades and where all students are treated with equal dignity and respect.

Ensuring rigorous oversight of arrivals, induction and ongoing orientation of boarders.

Track exeats, curfews and attendance at evening and weekend activities.

Where there are incidents of a safeguarding or disciplinary nature, investigate concerns promptly. document outcomes and act decisively.

Respond personally to out-of-hours emergencies and ensure a clear audit trail in the school's database.

Hold regular boarding meetings with students to ensure that student voice shapes boarding life.

Ensure that a dynamic programme of activities exists for boarders at evenings and weekends, and during holidays (when this applies).

Ensure that students have access to study spaces and times when they can continue their studies and work to fulfil their academic potential.



4. Boarding Operations & Facilities

Have budget management responsibility for Boarding.

Take overall leadership of the physical environment in boarding areas, working with the school's Head of Operations and site teams to ensure houses are clean, safe and welcoming at all times

Ensure that health and safety checks are being carried out in accordance with policies.

Liaise with the Operations Team on maintenance and enhancements.

Maintain accurate inventories, logs and records.



5. Stakeholder Engagement & Communication

Host online parent meetings, Sales team training, and adopt a creative approach to communication with stakeholders.

Ensure communication with parents, guardians and agents is clear, regular and insightful, appreciative of the importance of maintaining strong lines of communication with those stakeholders.

Work collaboratively and closely with Student Communications and other administrative staff.

Ensure that communication across boarding and non-boarding aspects of the school are strong.

Ensure mechanisms exist for the smooth transfer of information between relevant stakeholders in boarding and across the school, for example between House Parents and teachers, as well as with the School Nurse.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

The successful candidate will demonstrate:


Essential Skills and Experience

Demonstrable in-depth knowledge of the National Minimum Standards (NMS), Independent Schools' Statutory Regulations (ISSRs), and safeguarding legislation

Proven track record of team leadership and performance management

Residential boarding or pastoral experience within an independent school or similar setting

Strong written and verbal communication skills

Confidence in using IT systems and databases

Experience in designing and delivering staff training

Full, clean driving licence



Personal Attributes

Warm, approachable and resilient, with a good sense of humour

Proactive, highly organised, and able to prioritise effectively under pressure

Culturally sensitive and globally minded

Committed to continuous professional development

Willingness to commit wholeheartedly to the demands of this role, seeing them as a joy and privilege.



Desirable

Current First Aid training certification

Advanced Safeguarding training (Level 3)

Experience of ISI or OFSTED inspections, particularly in relation to boarding.

BENEFITS

Cycle to work Scheme

Tech Scheme

Car Scheme

Free flu vaccine through Healthshield

Free eye tests

Financial wellbeing support via WageStream

Employee Assistance Programme

Group income protection

GP24: GP Access for all

Health Cash Plan

Death in Service

Long service awards

Employee referral scheme

Enhanced Maternity and Paternity pay

ABOUT CATS GLOBAL SCHOOLS (CGS)

CATS Global Schools is a leading education group committed to inspiring the next generation of world shapers.

With a history dating back to 1899, but a focus on the future, our group brings together 16 institutions comprising independent boarding schools, an Arts University College, English language schools and a variety of summer programmes in the UK, US, Canada, and China.



Each year, we provide 18,000 students around the globe with the education they need to develop real-life skills for the future. We are dedicated to academic excellence and our students benefit from our well-developed links to over 40 top global universities.



We create a positive learning environment where every student is empowered to make a contribution to shape their world. This is made possible because of the commitment of our pioneering, persevering people who do the very best for our students.

OUR COMMITMENT TO INCLUSION AND DIVERSITY

We are committed to diversity, inclusion and belonging. Building on our core values Pioneering, Persevering, People We pledge to deliver a series of events, guest speakers and focus groups to make CATS Global Schools and employer of choice for all.

SAFEGUARDING

CGS is dedicated to safeguarding and promoting the welfare and well-being of children and young people. As such, appointment is subject to the satisfactory completion of safer recruitment employment checks in line with KCSIE guidelines. This will include satisfactory references, enhanced DBS from the Disclosures and Barring Service and, where applicable, any international equivalent being obtained. Shortlisted candidates will be subject to online checks which may include social media.


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