REQUIRED FOR JANUARY 2021: DIRECTOR OF THE SUMMER SCHOOL INTRODUCTION

he Chair and Governing Body of St Bede’s School Trust seek a new Director of Bede’s Summer School to build on the excellent work done by Steve Wood over the T past seventeen years. The post falls vacant in January 2021 Bede’s is a fantastic Trust which is going from strength to strength and this would offer a really exciting opportunity for an ambitious individual. The successful candidate will be a visionary and grounded leader with the strategic skills to evolve Bede’s Summer School further in the next exciting chapter in its history. He or she will bring a significant record of senior leadership experience, proven external relations abilities and outstanding people skills. This candidate briefing should be read in conjunction with the information available on the School’s website. ABOUT BEDE’S

different courses and locations to ensure attractiveness English Plus, offering 22.5 hours of tuition per week as entertainment and cultural excursions, which not only St Bede’s School Bede’s Summer School to a large segment of the junior market; course fees to standard, most demonstrates our course customisation improve their English language and communication skills Trust Sussex Bede’s Summer School, the largest boarding-school ensure competitiveness and value for money; a successful strategy thanks to a large number of optional extras but also develop their interpersonal and social skills, St Bede’s School Trust Sussex comprises owned Summer School in the UK with an annual turnover advertising and marketing strategy; maintaining excellent that enable students to tailor their course to their own encouraging them to step outside of their comfort zone. of £4.5 million, has been running language courses relations with its agents and representatives, and a first preferences and needs. Bede’s Senior School at Upper Dicker, Bede’s Bede's Summer School is accredited by the British Council for over 25 years and aims to provide an amazing and class reputation. Prep School in Eastbourne and Bede’s Summer Academies are bolt-on courses which offer professional (last inspection July 2017) and is a proud member of unforgettable linguistic, social and cultural experience to School headquartered at Upper Dicker. Bede’s currently offers 8 different courses, each with a tuition in a wide range of sports, leisure pursuits, creative Quality English and English UK. Bede’s is also named a every single one of its students. different focus and different offering of lessons, across activities and academic subjects and are designed to Centre of Excellence by the EL Gazette (since 2013). Today, Bede’s Summer School welcomes over 1,500 7 locations in Sussex. Our portfolio of external premises increase students’ skills, technique and knowledge. students from 6 to 19 years old from about 50 different comprises: Lancing College, , Academies on the English Plus programme at Dicker and countries during July and August, and offers a range and Sussex University. Lancing centres include: Adventure Sports, Basketball of fully inclusive academic and holiday, residential Skills, Commercial Pop Dance, Creative Writing, Critical Our Little Explorers course offers Explorations which use summer programmes at 7 reputable boarding school and Thinking, English Literature, Essay Writing, Film and CLIL methodology to improve students’ English skills university locations in South East . Animation, Flying, Football Skills, Golf, Horse Riding, through a range of interesting subjects or topics such as International Relations, Management, MasterChef, Maths, Last summer, the top 6 source markets across all science and geography and technology, while at the same Photography, Presenting and Tennis. locations were as follows: French (14%), Italian (13.7%), time expanding their knowledge of the world. German (11.8%), Chinese (9.8%), Spanish (9.5%) and Bede’s Summer School also offers a number of exams Adventures in English focuses on Outdoor Learning to Russian (9.2%). for students who are looking to return home with an stimulate students’ curiosity for the natural environment internationally-recognised qualification such as the Despite ongoing commercial challenges due to increasing and also offers the possibility to meet and make friends University of Cambridge B1 Preliminary, B2 First and competition from other English-speaking destinations, with native English children. C1 Advanced, the Trinity College GESE exams and political unrest, currency fluctuations and of course, Young Influencers, which was launched last summer, the IELTS. uncertainties over BREXIT, 2019 was the second best year focuses on developing 21st Century skills such as on record for Bede’s in terms of number of enrolments. No matter what course or centre, all Bede’s students communication, collaboration, creativity and critical participate in a carefully-designed programme of formal Bede’s commercial success can be attributed to a thinking (the 4 Cs) using task-based projects based on English lessons, sports and leisure activities, evening combination of factors, namely: a diverse portfolio of social media, technology and film and animation. ABOUT BEDE’S

Bede’s Senior School Bede’s Prep School Bede’s Senior School was founded in 1978 with only 23 Bede’s Prep was founded in 1895 and is situated on pupils and a year later moved to its current site at Upper the edge of the National Park, close to Dicker. Bede’s quickly grew to become one of the most Beachy Head. It was one of the first prep schools successful independent schools of the post-war period. in the country to become co-educational and has continued to be characterised by a willingness to Bede’s day pupils come from Sussex, Surrey and Kent, innovate and change. and the School welcomes boys and girls from a diverse array of feeder prep and maintained schools in the area. Today the Prep School is a thriving IAPS school with Boarders are recruited from London, Surrey and beyond over 270 children on roll in the main school and a and around 20% of pupils are recruited from overseas; further 100 in its nursery and pre-school. The Prep currently we have over 30 nationalities represented School is well known not only for its excellent teaching within the School. but also for the strength of its wider curriculum, particularly in the areas of sport, music, art, drama Academic results at Bede’s Senior School have improved and dance. significantly in the last decade but importantly the School has achieved this whilst remaining true to its The School’s ISI inspection in 2018 was highly core holistic philosophy and Bede’s remains highly complimentary, finding the School to be excellent or regarded for the quality of its co-curricular programme outstanding in all areas. particularly sport and the visual and performing arts. DIRECTOR OF SUMMER SCHOOL

5 Host Schools: To cultivate and nurture our host-school 9 IT: In conjunction with the Trust's Director of IT The Role Key Responsibilities strategy, maintain excellent relations with current and Digital Strategy to oversee and enhance the The Director of the Summer School is responsible for 1 Business Plan: To oversee and update the 3-year providers (reviewing their performance and instigating online Summer School Registration System, enhance promoting, managing and developing the Summer business plan in order to improve and expand the improvements), and seek out rental opportunities with the website, and investigate and implement new School to ensure that Bede’s continues as a first-class, product offering, instigate improvements to enhance new schools in order to maintain and expand our portfolio technologies in order to improve the efficiency, innovative and highly reputable provider of English the customer experience, create new business of high-quality venues and locations. effectiveness and relevance of all IT systems connected language summer courses. The role is accountable to the opportunities for the Trust, and to ensure the with the Summer School’s business, operational and 6 Compliance: To ensure all UK accreditation CEO/Senior Head. sustainability and continued future success of the organisational activities. requirements are met (and where possible surpassed) Summer School brand and business model. The Director of Summer School has overall responsibility across all sites as well as all legal, statutory and health 10 Threat Analysis: To strategically consider, review for up to 5 full-time Head Office staff, 7 seasonal Centre 2 Marketing: To deliver a focussed, dynamic and and safety requirements connected with Summer School and monitor current and topical world events (such as Directors and up to 250 seasonal staff. appropriate marketing strategy, in line with the visions activity, in order to maintain a fully compliant and competition from other English speaking destinations, and ethos of St Bede’s School Trust Sussex; develop reputable business model. currency fluctuations, BREXIT and political unrest) in new markets, embark on marketing trips and attend order to mitigate the impact of any such threats to the 7 Financial: To review and set annual course fees, international exhibitions. Summer School business model. establish internal spending budgets and personally 3 Safeguarding: To work in conjunction with the monitor expenditure in order to achieve forecast 11 Critical Incident Management: To work with the Trust's Director of Safeguarding with all the attendant surpluses, minimize forecast-to-actual budget variances Health and Safety Manager for the Trust, to consider responsibilities required of this role, in line with the and produce financial benefit for the Trust. policies and procedures in respect of a clearly School's policies, the requirements set out in KCSIE, or structured 24 hr response service, and be the key person 8 Centre Directors: To personally appoint and line any other government regulations or guidance that may to deal with any critical emergency that may have manage Centre Directors for each course that have the take its place in the future. serious reputational implications for the Trust appropriate wide-ranging skills, relevant experience and 4 Agents: To oversee the cultivation and nurture of high levels of disposition and commitment to successfully our Agent strategy (150+), negotiate terms, monitor lead, manage and oversee the course and achieve the and enhance business practices, and develop new Trust’s objectives. commercial partnerships in order to increase the presence and visibility in the international community of Bede’s Summer School. THE PERSON

You will have the following key skills, experience Qualifications and Experience Leadership and Management Skills and attributes: • Good honours degree, with any management or • Proven experience of leadership and management leadership qualification an advantage of staff and developing an open and supportive • Experience of summer school management working environment • Teaching qualification would be an advantage • Experience across the full range of staff management processes • Experience of developing, implementing and monitoring strategic plans Personal Competencies and Qualities • Significant experience of managing people, • Written and verbal communication skills; the ability resources and budgets to communicate effectively whenever representing the School including with Agents, staff, students Knowledge and Skills and the media • A thorough understanding of budgeting, financial • An ability to build and maintain strong and resource planning relationships with Agents and staff • Excellent PR, communication, interpersonal and • Flexible and adaptable to meet constantly changing customer service skills and challenging environment • An understanding of British Council Accreditation • Computer literacy requirements • A capacity to solve problems across a wide range Remuneration of challenges The salary will be commensurate with the • A good understanding of cultural sensitivity and significance and importance of the post and the equality, diversity and inclusivity experience of the successful candidate. In addition, school fee remissions will be made available to the • An understanding of the importance of successful candidate. safeguarding and working with students from differing cultures HOW TO APPLY

etters of application, CVs and completed application forms* can be emailed to [email protected] *application forms are available from our L website bedes.org Applications must be received by 9am Thursday 17th December 2020.

St Bede’s School Trust Sussex is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and we will check the suitability of staff to work with children. Applicants must be willing to undergo an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check and police checks (where applicable). Bede’s Senior School T 01323 356611 Upper Dicker [email protected] East Sussex BN27 3QH bedes.org