Package Description: The Role St Leonards is seeking to appoint an outstanding Senior Housemistress (Senior HsM) to lead Bishopshall, our senior girls’ boarding house, while also providing senior operational leadership across the wider boarding provision. This is a significant leadership role within the School. The Senior HsM will combine the day-to-day leadership of Bishopshall with wider operational responsibility across the boarding community, helping to ensure that boarding at St Leonards is warm, well-run, well-supervised and consistently excellent. The successful candidate will be a visible, credible and highly effective boarding leader: someone with strong pastoral instincts, sound judgement, high standards, and the organisational strength to lead both a house and key aspects of boarding operations across the School. This is a new post and an exciting appointment for St Leonards in advance of our 150th anniversary in 2027. It reflects our future ambition for boarding and our commitment to strong, visible leadership at the heart of house life. We are seeking someone who will not only lead Bishopshall with warmth, clarity and confidence, but who will also help shape the next chapter of boarding at St Leonards. This is an excellent opportunity for a strong pastoral and boarding leader, and may particularly appeal to someone with the aspiration and potential to move towards Deputy Headship in the years ahead. Key responsibilities Leadership of Bishopshall Lead and manage Bishopshall House, with responsibility for its staff, culture and day-to-day running. Ensure outstanding pastoral care, welfare and academic oversight for all boarders in the House. Act in loco parentis and as the main point of contact for parents and guardians. Maintain a house culture of warmth, inclusion, good order and high expectations. Ensure that boarders are well known, well supported and able to flourish. Senior operational leadership in boarding Act as a leader across boarding, supporting the Deputy Head (Pastoral) in operational leadership across the School. Help ensure consistency of routines, expectations, communication and standards across all boarding houses. Support and coordinate the work of HsMs, assistant HsMs and house teams as required. Contribute to the implementation and review of boarding policy, practice and procedures. Play a leading role in ensuring that boarding operations are efficient, responsive and aligned with whole-school priorities. Contribute to the development, implementation and review of the Bishopshall House Development Plan, and support wider boarding development priorities. The Senior HsM will deputise for the Deputy Head (Pastoral) in boarding matters as required. Safeguarding, welfare and wellbeing Safeguard and promote the welfare of all children and young people in boarding. Ensure that boarders live in a safe, supportive and well-supervised environment. Respond appropriately to pastoral, behavioural and safeguarding concerns, escalating where necessary. Maintain accurate, timely and confidential records. Liaise closely with the Medical Centre, Heads of Year, teaching staff, parents and external agencies where appropriate. Support low- and medium-level pastoral interventions and investigations as required. Oversee the induction and integration of new boarders, ensuring that they settle well and feel known, supported and included from the outset. Develop and sustain opportunities for boarders’ voice to shape house life and contribute to the ongoing development of boarding. Staff leadership and management Lead, manage and develop the Bishopshall staff team. Support the induction, training and professional development of boarding staff, helping to build consistency and best practice across the boarding team. Draw up and oversee duty rotas and staffing arrangements. Support the recruitment, induction, supervision and appraisal of house staff. Contribute to the development of a strong, collaborative and professional boarding staff culture across all of the School’s three houses. Model high standards, clear communication and effective pastoral leadership. House operations Ensure the smooth and efficient day-to-day running of Bishopshall. Oversee standards of presentation, maintenance, health and safety, and security within the House. Manage the House budget responsibly. Liaise with Estates, Domestic Services, Catering, Finance and administrative colleagues as required. Oversee practical arrangements including pupil travel, routines at the start and end of term, and house events. Maintain and review the Bishopshall House Handbook, and contribute to the review of wider boarding documentation as required with clear and accurate house documentation and handbooks. Compliance and inspection readiness Support compliance across boarding in line with School policy and regulatory requirements. Assist with inspection preparation, follow-up actions, returns and notifications. Help ensure that boarding practice is aligned with Care Inspectorate expectations, the GIRFEC framework, National Minimum Standards, SSSC requirements, UKVI requirements where relevant, and wider safeguarding expectations. Maintain a strong working knowledge of current boarding and safeguarding inspection requirements, and help ensure that boarding practice is inspection-ready at all times. Contribute to the review and development of boarding documentation and operational practice. Recruitment and wider School contribution Support the promotion and recruitment of boarding, including tours, open events and engagement with prospective families. Play a full and positive part in the wider life of the School. Teach approximately 12 periods per week in an agreed subject area. Undertake any other reasonable duties as required by the Head. Person specification The successful candidate will demonstrate: a strong commitment to boarding education and to the values of St Leonards substantial pastoral experience, ideally in a boarding setting the presence and judgement to lead a senior boarding house with confidence and care the credibility to operate as a leader in boarding strong organisational and operational skills the ability to lead and manage adults effectively excellent communication and relationship-building skills strong and substantial safeguarding knowledge, with child protection training at an appropriately high level a secure understanding of inspection and regulatory requirements relevant to boarding and pastoral care resilience, flexibility and calmness under pressure high standards, attention to detail and sound administrative skills the ability to balance pastoral leadership, operational responsibility and teaching Residential expectations The Senior HsM is a residential post. The post-holder is expected to be in residence in line with School expectations, including at the start and end of terms and around boarders’ return and departure, as required. The post includes evening and weekend duty, overnight on-call responsibilities, and occasional support or cover across the wider boarding provision, in line with the School’s residential rota. This role involves pastoral care and supervision of female students in a residential boarding setting. Therefore, this post is open to female applicants only, as permitted under Schedule 9, Part 1 of the Equality Act 2010, where being female is a genuine occupational requirement. Potential candidates are welcome to contact the School’s HR team for an informal chat: hr@stleonards-fife.org The closing date for applications is Noon on Monday 27th April 2026. However, early applications are warmly encouraged, and we reserve the right to interview and appoint at any stage should we identify the right candidate. Applications should be made via St Leonards Teacheroo portal All successful applicants will be required to undertake a Criminal Record check and either hold or be accepted for membership of the Disclosure Scotland Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) scheme. About St Leonards St Leonards is a friendly and forward-looking independent, coeducational, boarding and day school situated on an historic campus at the heart of the university town of St Andrews. The school enjoys an unrivalled location - there are sandy beaches, world-class Links golf courses, and historic sites on its doorstep. St Leonards delivers the inspiring, globally-recognised International Baccalaureate curriculum (which has been praised by university admissions officers for its focus on deepening learning learning, offering wider subject options, and enriching minds) for pupils aged five to 18, and was the first school to be accredited as an all-through IB school in Scotland. It is one of just two schools in the UK to actively offer all four IB programmes, ensuring a seamless learner journey. The youngest pupils follow the Primary Years Programme, which goes hand-in-hand with the vibrant Outdoor Learning programme at St Leonards. This is followed by the Middle Years Programme and (I)GCSEs. In the Sixth Form, pupils choose between the Career-related Programme and the Diploma Programme. St Leonards enjoys a rich sporting heritage, and continues to boast a strong record of achievement with pupils representing the school nationally in golf, rugby, lacrosse, hockey, horse riding, and small-bore rifle shooting. The leading five-tier Golf Programme continues to go from strength to strength, the Duke of Edinburgh Award is the fastest growing of all Scottish independent schools, and an exciting calendar of trips and activities ensures pupils leave St Leonards equipped with the skills required to succeed in today’s ever-changing world. Truly an education ‘Ad Vitam’ (for life).