St Paul’s Girls’ School (SPGS) is an extraordinary school. Not only does it regularly achieve the best GCSE and A level results in the country, but it has a truly distinctive ethos, focused on nurturing creativity, curiosity, and a love of academic discovery. Ours is a school full of opportunity where students are encouraged to take responsibility, to get involved and to broaden their horizons. They are actively engaged in service to the community and local partnerships abound. Friendships made at SPGS last a lifetime.
The education we offer is classical yet forward-looking, encouraging students to take risks, think ambitiously and play a leading role in the world beyond school. It is no coincidence, therefore, that amongst our alumnae we count leading scientists, journalists, artists and politicians. One of our earliest students was Rosalind Franklin, whose brilliant pioneering work was pivotal to the understanding of DNA.
The co-curricular programme at SPGS is wide ranging and ambitious. Music plays a central role. The composer of The Planets, Gustav Holst, was Director of Music at the school for over 30 years, and his legacy continues. Likewise, the quality of drama and art is very high indeed and we believe this is crucial to a rich education. Sport features strongly too, with an emphasis on wellbeing and teamwork. Most important of all, however, is our belief that all students should receive the kindest and most individual of pastoral care, and this feature is fundamental to our school.
SPGS remains the most dynamic school I have ever had the pleasure to work for and I hope that you will consider joining us.
St Paul’s Girls’ School is an historic and highly successful day school in west London, welcoming students aged 11 to 18. It was founded in 1904 by the Worshipful Company of Mercers as one of the first purpose-built schools for girls and was designed by the architect Gerald Horsley. It is one of the country’s leading independent secondary day schools for girls and is a lively academic community with excellent facilities for all subjects.
There are approximately 800 students on roll, coming from a wide range of feeder schools across both the state and independent sector and there is a thriving sixth form of about 230 students.
Entry to the school at 11+ is by competitive exams held in January and at 16+ in November, and there is heavy demand for each place. Public exam results are consistently outstanding and about 40% of all students every year move on to Oxford and Cambridge. Increasing numbers also go on to higher education at Ivy League colleges in the United States. Aspirations and achievements in many areas go well beyond what one would normally expect from a school, making SPGS a very exciting and stimulating place in which to work.
The emphasis on liberal learning established by the first High Mistress, Frances Gray, finds expression today in an academically adventurous curriculum, which encourages intellectual freedom, discovery, and the joy of scholarship. Pastoral care is excellent, and all students are placed in small tutor groups to ensure the highest standards of personal attention and development. There is a vibrant co-curricular life and a busy programme of partnership and service activities, which demonstrate the importance of collaboration, diversity and inclusion, and which empower students to make a difference in the world beyond school.
We have an excellent reputation for the creative and performing arts, with students contributing to an exciting programme of musical and dramatic performances and art exhibitions. Our co-curricular programme is full and varied, offering innumerable opportunities for students to develop their individual interests and skills, from debating to fencing, chess to Fem Soc. We have an active and popular society focused on sustainability, which works closely with the school to raise awareness of environmental issues and to reduce our carbon footprint, a project to which we are deeply committed.
The school is well accustomed to sporting success, with hundreds of fixtures played throughout the year and opportunities for all ages and talents. Our pitches, tennis and netball courts, sports hall and pavilion are close by, offering some of the best sporting facilities a central London school could wish for.
Diversity and inclusion sit at the heart of the school. We believe passionately that it is our moral imperative to contribute to social mobility through education and to work to reduce the attainment gap, which, the EPI reported, has stopped closing for the first time in a decade. Our bursary programme currently provides financial support to 11% of students, and we are at the beginning of an exciting journey to increase that figure significantly. Our bursary students enrich our school community beyond measure, bringing with them differing world views and lived experiences that contribute to a wonderfully diverse student body. This ambitious target will position SPGS as the leader in bursary provision in the UK amongst independent all-girls schools.
We recently established the Paulina Foundation, a separate entity through which fundraising for bursaries, partnerships and buildings takes place. In May 2024 we will be launching our new ‘Opening Doors’ campaign with significant targets to ensure that we are able to meet our goals and make an SPGS education accessible to any student who meets the academic criteria.
Our partnerships programme has grown considerably in recent years. We work extensively with primary schools, secondary schools and the local community to widen educational opportunities by sharing our facilities and expertise and to provide mechanisms by which we can learn from each other. Our staff and students are engaged in numerous projects, from our Primary Hub where students mentor primary students, to our Friday service programme, which sees our Y12 students off timetable for an afternoon a week to pursue service activities.
Additionally, our collaboration with St Paul’s School continues to grow, with an increasing number of opportunities for all staff to get involved.
We are committed to providing a cutting edge, relevant and future proof education for our students. To that end, the school has invested significantly in a programme of building works and refurbishment, including a new Centre for Design & Innovation (CDI), which will house our computer science and creative technology department, alongside sculpture, art and design.
The development of new technologies will impact every career and every aspect of our lives; the creative industries are the fastest growing sector of the UK economy, accounting for 1 in 6 jobs in the UK. It is essential, therefore, that we ensure our students are fully equipped with the skills, knowledge and expertise they need to navigate a digital world with confidence and that we prepare them for the careers of tomorrow. The building will house art & sculpture studios, with a live broadcast studio, maker spaces and tech labs, and encourage interdisciplinary activities across the breadth of the curriculum, as well as creating opportunities and capacity for partnerships work.
This is an exciting period for the school as we build on the extraordinary foundations of the past to ensure the education we provide is forward-looking and responsive to future needs.
St Paul’s Girls’ School is an historic and highly successful day school in west London, welcoming students aged 11 to 18. It was founded in 1904 by the Worshipful Company of Mercers as one of the first purpose-built schools for girls and was designed by the architect Gerald Horsley. It is one of the country’s leading independent secondary day schools for girls and is a lively academic community with excellent facilities for all subjects. There are approximately 800 students on roll, coming from a wide range of feeder schools across both the state and independent sector and there is a thriving sixth form of about 230 students. Entry to the school at 11+ is by competitive exams held in January and at 16+ in November, and there is heavy demand for each place. Public exam results are consistently outstanding and about 40% of all students every year move on to Oxford and Cambridge. Increasing numbers also go on to higher education at Ivy League colleges in the United States. Aspirations and achievements in many areas go well beyond what one would normally expect from a school, making SPGS a very exciting and stimulating place in which to work. The emphasis on liberal learning established by the first High Mistress, Frances Gray, finds expression today in an academically adventurous curriculum, which encourages intellectual freedom, discovery, and the joy
of scholarship. Pastoral care is excellent, and all students are placed in small tutor groups to ensure the highest standards of personal attention and development. There is a vibrant co-curricular life and a busy programme of partnership and service activities, which demonstrate the importance of collaboration, diversity and inclusion, and which empower students to make a difference in the world beyond school. We have an excellent reputation for the creative and performing arts, with students contributing to an exciting programme of musical and dramatic performances and art exhibitions. Our co-curricular programme is full and varied, offering innumerable opportunities for students to develop their individual interests and skills, from debating to fencing, chess to Fem Soc. We have an active and popular society focused on sustainability, which works closely with the school to raise awareness of environmental issues and to reduce our carbon footprint, a project to which we are deeply committed. The school is well accustomed to sporting success, with hundreds of fixtures played throughout the year and opportunities for all ages and talents. Our pitches, tennis and netball courts, sports hall and pavilion are close by, offering some of the best sporting facilities a central London school could wish for.
Diversity and inclusion sit at the heart of the school. We believe passionately that it is our moral imperative to contribute to social mobility through education and to work to reduce the attainment gap, which, the EPI reported, has stopped closing for the first time in a decade. Our bursary programme currently provides financial support to 11% of students, and we are at the beginning of an exciting journey to increase that figure significantly. Our bursary students enrich our school community beyond measure, bringing with them differing world views and lived experiences that contribute to a wonderfully diverse student body. This ambitious target will position SPGS as the leader in bursary provision in the UK amongst independent all-girls schools. We recently established the Paulina Foundation, a separate entity through which fundraising for bursaries, partnerships and buildings takes place.
In May 2024 we will be launching our new ‘Opening Doors’ campaign with significant targets to ensure that we are able to meet our goals and make an SPGS education accessible to any student who meets the academic criteria. Our partnerships programme has grown considerably in recent years. We work extensively with primary schools, secondary schools and the local community to widen educational opportunities by sharing our facilities and expertise and to provide mechanisms by which we can learn from each other. Our staff and students are engaged in numerous projects, from our Primary Hub where students mentor primary students, to our Friday service programme, which sees our Y12 students off timetable for an afternoon a week to pursue service activities
Additionally, our collaboration with St Paul’s School continues to grow, with an increasing number of opportunities for all staff to get involved. We are committed to providing a cutting edge, relevant and future proof education for our students. To that end, the school has invested significantly in a programme of building works and refurbishment, including a new Centre for Design & Innovation (CDI), which will house our computer science and creative technology department, alongside sculpture, art and design.
The development of new technologies will impact every career and every aspect of our lives; the creative industries are the fastest growing sector of the UK economy, accounting for 1 in 6 jobs in the UK. It is essential, therefore, that we ensure our students are fully equipped with the skills, knowledge and expertise they need to navigate a digital world with confidence and that we prepare them for the careers of tomorrow. The building will house art & sculpture studios, with a live broadcast studio, maker spaces and tech labs, and encourage interdisciplinary activities across the breadth of the curriculum, as well as creating opportunities and capacity for partnerships work.
This is an exciting period for the school as we build on the extraordinary foundations of the past to ensure the education we provide is forward-looking and responsive to future needs.
The primary objective of this position is to execute the school’s IT strategy, play a key role within the Digital Strategy Group, and align with the objectives of the Senior Leadership Team. This entails overseeing the enhancement and maintenance of the school’s IT infrastructure and its academic and administrative IT and AV systems in accordance with the school’s five-year plan.
The post-holder will streamline administrative processes and demonstrate outstanding team management and communication skills.
Principle duties
Online Safety Co-Ordinator
The identification of school IT skills and training requirements.
Policy, Administration and Liaison
Patching, Backup and Business Continuity
Data and Information Systems
Finance
Service & Helpdesk Working with the IT Services Manager to ensure:
Project management
Research & Development
Infrastructure & Communications
Other Duties & Responsibilities
About you
Technical Skills / Professional Qualifications
Essential technical skills within the following areas:
Desirable professional qualifications from the following areas:
Desirable technical skills:
Desirable specialist software/systems/technology:
Experience Required
This is not hybrid role and candidates should be expected to be onsite during term time.
Anderson Quigley is acting as an advisor to St Paul’s Girls’ School. An executive search process is being carried out by Anderson Quigley in addition to public advertisements.
Should you wish to discuss the role in strict confidence, please contact our advising consultant at Anderson Quigley: Hayley Mintern at hayley.mintern@andersonquigley.com, or +44 (0)7596 954 387 or Phil Gifford at phil.gifford@andersonquigley.com, or +44 (0)7743 936 121.
The closing date for applications is noon on April 18, 2024.
Interview date: Week commencing 22 April
Applications should consist of:
Please include details of two referees in either your application or cover letter. Note that we will not approach your referees without your prior consent, and only should you be successful in the recruitment process.
spgs.org 