Starting January or April 2026
POSITION: Head of Sport Science
DEPARTMENT: Sport Science
REPORTING TO: Deputy Head (Academic)
The College:
Founded in 1843, Marlborough College is the UK's largest co-educational full boarding school, educating just over 1,000 pupils, aged 13 to 18 years, from the UK and overseas. Whilst we are proud of our Anglican heritage, ours is an inclusive ethos, welcoming pupils of all faiths and none. We have six girls' houses, six boys' houses and four mixed houses of 13- to 16-year-old boys with Sixth Form girls and boys. The pastoral care delivered through our 16 boarding houses is unrivalled, ensuring each child is known and cared for individually. The Futures Department provides guidance to ensure further education and careers after school are fully explored and carefully planned.
Pupils form friendships for life and develop the social and leadership skills needed to flourish as adults. They are encouraged to be outward facing and to aspire to change things for the better – ultimately, we would like to be judged by the contributions made by past, present and future Marlburians to the health of wider society throughout the course of their lives.
It is testament to our outstanding academic education and world-class co-curricular activities that our pupils are invariably ambitious, aspirational and high achieving. More than 80% gain places at Russell Group universities or Oxbridge, our sports teams regularly reach the latter stages of national competitions, our Symphony Orchestra plays in partnership with the Sinfonia Smith Square and our artists exhibit in the Mount House Gallery.
Located in beautiful Wiltshire, in one of the most attractive market towns in the country, the College benefits from a 286-acre site, stunning period buildings including a Gothic Revival chapel and the neoclassical Memorial Hall, which is also a world-class concert hall, and university-quality sporting facilities. The campus is centred around the magical Marlborough Mound, a 4,000-year-old Neolithic mound, reputedly the burial place of Merlin. The College enjoys the advantages of being within easy reach of Heathrow, London and, indeed, many other parts of the country.
Further details about Marlborough College can be found online at
Marlborough College Mission
To deliver the best independent, co-educational, full boarding education in the UK and to be recognised for this globally.
Key purpose of the role
Marlborough College seeks to appoint a talented teacher to join as 'Head' of its popular and academically successful Exercise and Sport Science Department. The successful candidate will be an outstanding classroom practitioner with the vision to be creative, the passion to motivate, and the subject knowledge to challenge and inspire. They will be an inspiring individual, driven to ensure the quality of learning and teaching across Exercise and Sport Science at Marlborough is second to none, demonstrating an ability to successfully and collaboratively create and implement strategy to achieve this ambitious aim.
The successful candidate will be expected to become involved in College life beyond the classroom, and to contribute to the pastoral and co-curricular provision that lies at the heart of a busy boarding school.
Overall Teaching Responsibilities
To deliver exceptional and inspiring teaching to our students in accordance with our curriculum, teachers' standards and College values.
Key Responsibilities
* Contribute to the design and delivery of an ambitious and innovative curriculum
* Play a role in delivering key College-wide initiatives
* Be alert to the opportunities to extend and enrich pupils' experience, through talks, trips and other appropriate events and their own expertise
* Be committed to a high level of pedagogical and professional development.
* To implement and deliver the curriculum, adapting practice according to age and
educational need
* To set stretching and realistic targets for pupils that encourage collective and
individual aspirations
* To monitor and assess pupil work and prepare feedback
* To research new topic areas and maintain up-to-date subject knowledge
* To assess, monitor and report pupil attainment
* To design collective and individual interventions where appropriate
* To prepare pupils for exams and external assessment
* To direct teaching assistants and trainee teachers in the classroom
* To liaise with parents, carers and other academic stakeholders about progress and pupil
Additional Duties:
* Play a full part in the life of the College community, to support its mission and
ethos and to encourage its staff and pupils to follow this example
* Take part in marketing and liaison activities such as open days and evenings
* Take part, as may be required, in the review, development and management of
activities relating to the curriculum, organisation and pastoral functions of the College
* Carry out duties in accordance with the requirements for Co-Curricular and Pastoral duties
* Promote actively the College's policies and values
* Comply with the College's Health & Safety, Safeguarding and Data Protection policies and undertake risk assessments as appropriate
Head of Department (HoD) responsibilities
The responsibilities of the 'Head of Department' are in addition to being an inspiring and outstanding classroom practitioner, and include but are not limited to the below:
Leadership
* The creation and implementation of a vision for the Department, in line with the College's strategic plan
* Be responsible for designing, implementing and monitoring the delivery of an ambitious curriculum
* Be alert to the opportunities to extend and enrich pupils experience of the subject through for example, talks, trips and other appropriate events
* Be able to work collaboratively with all Exercise and Sport Science colleagues and other allied academic departments
* Be committed to a high level of professional and pedagogical development and to ensuring the highest standards of teaching in the department
* Holding regular meetings to maintain and evaluate this shared vision and direction for the Department, as well as for dealing with more day-to-day matters
* Leading curriculum development and the creation of effective and exciting schemes of work
* Support and induction of new teachers; regard for, and interest in, the continuing professional development of all teachers in the Department
* Delegation of departmental initiatives and responsibilities to groups and individual colleagues in the spirit of teamwork and professional development
* Attendance at and contribution to HoDs meetings and other whole-school committee meetings as appropriate
Administration:
* Planning and monitoring the departmental budget
* Producing and updating teaching set lists
* Preparation of paperwork for internal and public exams
* Purchase of library books and audio-visual material; updating and development of resources and IT
* Preparation of departmental strategic plan, annual report, results analyses, budget requests and annual review of schemes of work
* Producing analyses of public exam results, and, based on that, an annual strategic review for the Deputy Head (Academic) and the Master
Person Specification
Category
Essential Job Requirements
Desirable Job Requirements
Method of Testing
Job related skills and knowledge:
Excellent subject knowledge with strong classroom management skills and rapport with pupils
Experience of successful management / completing tasks / projects to deadlines
A strong, resilient, and dynamic character
The ability to lead change and to inspire others
Excellent communication and inter-personal skills
Strong IT skills for the better performance of the role
Additional and appropriate experience and training to meet the requirements of the role
Experience of teaching within a boarding setting
Graduate with QTS and previous teaching experience in one or more establishments
Covering letter, CV, application form and interview
References
Lesson observation and references
Experience:
Good team management, ability to influence, drive and empower colleagues
Have high personal and professional standards and well-developed pastoral skills and instincts
Able to demonstrate the ability to enthuse and encourage others
Question setting / examination marking / team leading experience at (I)GCSE and / or A level
Previous experience of leading an academic department
Covering letter, CV, application form and interview
References
Lesson observation and references
Demonstrated record of professional development related to the subject:
Education to degree level
A recognised teaching qualification, such as a PGCE
A relevant post graduate qualification such as an advanced degree
Membership of a professional body
Documentary evidence
Interview
Other requirements:
Flexible, motivated, able to work unsupervised and with independence
Resilient and able to work under pressure, dealing equally well with deadlines and unexpected challenges
Professional, discrete and tactful with colleagues and pupils alike
Willingness to take part in the wider life of the College, including at weekends
Willing and able to work for periods during holiday time, as and when necessary, in support of the Department and the College
Commitment to safeguarding and equality of opportunity
Successful candidate requires Enhanced Disclosure & Barring Service Clearance
Willingness and ability to support the co-curricular programme at the College
Able to promote the image of the College through an articulate and confident approach
Organisational abilities: to be systematic; efficient; meet deadlines and to prioritise
Covering letter, CV, application form and interview
References
Application to the Agency funded by the College
Marlborough College is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Applicants will be required to undergo child protection screening appropriate to the post, including checks with past employers and the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS).
The post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and the College is therefore permitted to ask job applicants to declare all convictions and cautions (including those which are "spent" unless they are "protected" under the DBS filtering rules) in order to assess their suitability to work with children."