Marlborough College
Wiltshire
Salary:
Generous remuneration package, support for continuing development
Job type:
Full Time, Permanent
Start date:
01 January 2026
Apply by:
13 October 2025
Job overview
Marlborough College has a rich history in Outdoor Activities, dating back to OM Lord Hunt leading the expedition which resulted in the first successful ascent of the summit of Mount Everest, and subsequently leading the Duke of Edinburgh's Award scheme for its first ten years. Each year, summer term lessons conclude with the 'Everest Lecture', this year given by OM Jack Meyer, the youngest man to complete the Seven Summits.
Today, the department facilitates a wide variety of activities which involve all pupils at the College. In Year 9 all pupils spend five days away from College on 'Shell OA week', with most staying at bunkhouses in the Brecon Beacons, where they participate in a two day expedition and three days of other activities with house tutors and a professional instructor. In Year 10 all pupils spend Wednesday afternoons participating in OA activities for one term and the department also supports a variety of house activities across all year groups on Sundays. In the senior years, a group of Year 12 pupils enters the Devizes to Westminster kayak race every year and some 50 pupils participate in the Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award.
The department enjoys the use of its own building (the Kempson Centre) which contains two offices and two classrooms, an indoor climbing wall and extensive stores which are equipped and maintained to an excellent standard. In addition to the Head of OA there is an OA instructor and an OA storesperson (shared with the CCF), some part-time staff who are based locally, some teaching staff who work with OA as part of their co-curricular commitments, and the College regularly uses more than a dozen external instructors. The CCF at the College is well-staffed and resourced; whilst the two departments have been relatively independent in recent years the intention is for them to work together more closely in the near future (the CCF have just returned from a sea-kayaking trip to Corsica, for example).
Overseas trips are a very popular feature of College life and the OA department currently offers at least one per year (alongside training, practice and assessment expeditions for the DofE Gold Award). In recent years these have included: dog-sledding in Sweden, an expedition to K2 basecamp in Pakistan, e-biking in Morocco, an ascent of Sweden's highest mountain and the Macchu-Picchu trail and Rainbow Mountain in Peru.
The Head of Outdoor Activities will report directly to the Deputy Head (Co-curriculum and Outreach) and meet weekly with them. The post-holder will be required to have flexibility in working hours and duties, in line with organisational needs, as required by a full boarding school.
Applications must be made using the College's online applications system, which you can find on the College website.
contact/vacancies
In addition, you should upload an up to date CV and a letter outlining your reasons for applying, addressed to Mr Jimmy Scragg, Deputy Head (Co-curriculum & Outreach).
The deadline for completed applications is:
Monday 13th October.
Interviews will be held in the week commencing: Monday 3rd November
About Marlborough College
Marlborough College
Bath Road, Marlborough
Wiltshire
SN8 1PA
United Kingdom
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