Bedford School
Bedford
Job type:
Full Time, Permanent
Start date:
01 January 2026
Apply by:
19 September 2025
Job overview
Head of Prep and Designated Safeguarding Lead (Whole School)
Full-time | Start: January 2026 (or earlier)
Be part of something extraordinary. Shape the future of girls' education in India.
Bedford School Mohali, opening in April 2026 in partnership with the prestigious Bedford School UK, will be a landmark all-girls international day and boarding school for ages 3–18. With world-class facilities, a British-inspired curriculum enriched by Indian and global perspectives, and an ethos that blends academic excellence with a deep commitment to pastoral care, this is a once-in-a-career opportunity to join our founding leadership team.
We are seeking an exceptional Head of Prep to lead our Prep School (Years 3–6) and oversee the Pre-Prep curriculum (Nursery–Year 2). This role also carries the vital responsibility of Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) for the entire school, ensuring that safeguarding and child protection are at the heart of everything we do.
About the Role
As Head of Prep, you will:
* Provide visionary leadership for Prep education, ensuring continuity, progression, and excellence from Nursery to Year 6.
* Lead and inspire a team of outstanding teachers, fostering a culture of collaboration, curiosity, and high expectations.
* Develop and implement a rich, innovative curriculum that blends the rigour of the British National Curriculum with global and local perspectives.
* Work closely with the Principal and Senior Leadership Team to shape the school's culture, values, and strategic direction.
As Designated Safeguarding Lead (Whole School), you will:
* Take the lead on safeguarding and child protection across Pre-Prep, Prep, and Senior School.
* Ensure that safeguarding policies, training, and procedures are robust, understood, and implemented consistently.
* Act as the central point of contact for all safeguarding concerns, liaising with parents, staff, and relevant external agencies.
About You
You will be an inspiring and visible leader with:
* A degree in education or a relevant subject and QTS or equivalent.
* A strong track record of leadership in Prep or Primary education.
* Deep knowledge of the British curriculum, with experience in international or Indian contexts an advantage.
* Proven ability to deliver outstanding academic outcomes alongside exceptional pastoral care.
* DSL training (or willingness to complete before starting).
* The cultural sensitivity, resilience, and interpersonal skills to thrive in a diverse, international school community.
Why Join Us?
* Shape a new school from its inception, working alongside an ambitious, values-driven team.
* Work in a stunning, purpose-built campus with state-of-the-art classrooms, science and technology labs, arts and music studios, and exceptional sports facilities.
* Be part of a warm, inclusive, and globally connected community through our partnership with Bedford School UK.
* Enjoy life in Mohali, a vibrant city near the foothills of the Himalayas, offering a high quality of life and excellent travel links.
Bedford School Mohali is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and expects all staff to share this commitment. The successful candidate will be required to undergo appropriate background checks, including enhanced criminal record clearance.
How to Apply:
Email your CV and covering letter to by Friday 19th September 2025, stating the job title in the subject line.
About Bedford School
Bedford School
De Parys Avenue, Bedford
Bedfordshire
MK40 2TU
United Kingdom
Awarded five stars in Fortune's World's Leading Boarding Schools in 2023 and named 'Independent Boys School of the Year 2021', Bedford School is lauded for "its holistic school experience, tailored to the specific needs of the all-boys community, designed to ensure that students' individual qualities are nurtured without inhibition and lived without awkwardness, so that they be good men."
Bedford School class sizes are small and we operate vertical tutor groups, giving boys the chance to mentor and lead those younger, learn from those older and simply 'be' together without peer pressure. Bedford is a boarding school, first and foremost, with boarders and day boys alike benefitting from the strong boarding ethos. With 250 boys and around 40 staff living full-time on-site, the boarding community gives a heartbeat to the school in a way that nothing else can.
Our curriculum is broad, offering GCSE, IGCSE, A-Level and BTEC alongside a bespoke curriculum including Theory of Knowledge in Year 10 and an internal research project in Year 12. Every boy finds his individual path, with strong Sixth Form uptake across the sciences, humanities, creative arts and languages – there is no 'typical' Bedford student.
Academic results and destinations speak for themselves with 91% of our boys going onto their first or second choice university, including several to Oxbridge each year, and international universities. Many students are successful in gaining places at medical schools.
Facilities are first-class - two simulators (golf and flight), an observatory and planetarium are standout features. Our recently built Music School and Theatre house dynamic creative departments and excellent student performances.
Every boy makes a meaningful local contribution via our Community Partnership Programme, working in mutually beneficial partnerships with individuals from varied backgrounds, and we have run the Ivy House Leadership Award since its inception. We regularly top the schools' leader board in fundraising for Movember.
Sport is a forte: 96% of boys represent the school annually, and our major sports teams regularly make national finals, with many pupils playing at county or national level and at least one leaver almost every year going into professional sport. We work with Northampton Saints, Northants CCC and Woburn Golf Club. But we have a philosophy of 'sport for all' and we regularly field E and F teams.
We aim for our boys to be balanced, outward-looking, forward-thinking, kind and sociable young men who are comfortable in their own skins. We invite you to explore our school through the news stories we regularly publish on our website and on social media; these provide an insight into our boys, their stories and successes, and a strong sense of the enviable community that is Bedford School.
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