Applicant Information Pack Head of Physical Education
A Foreword from our Principal and Chief People Officer
Richard Backhouse - Principal
Berkhamsted is among the schools leading the way in pursuing a ‘foundation structure’. As a group of six schools, it combines scale of resource with individual attention and development of pupils – and staff. We start with our values: we aim for excellence – aiming high with integrity –in all that we do. We are adventurous, and support development, research, and experimentation in teaching and learning We serve others – at both pupil and staff level: ours is a non-hierarchical school in which the opinions of all matter, and in which we all share in the support and contribution to our local community
Above all, we are committed to developing remarkable people, both among our pupils and our staff We are looking for highly committed, ambitious and adventurous people to join a thriving staff body, whom we can support to flourish here, and whom we can help to grow. Our staff are so important that we have a Chief People Officer as one of our most senior members of staff
Tracey Evans - Chief People Officer
Our staff are our most important asset at Berkhamsted; investing in their professional development with their wellbeing a key priority. We foster a working environment that supports staff both professionally and personally. We offer a wide range of staff wellbeing initiatives. Colleagues can easily access financial, physical, emotional and social well-being support from school
We seek to enable all members of the school community to achieve their full potential in an environment characterised by equality, equity, respect and opportunity We work hard at Berkhamsted, but we also know how to come together as a community and enjoy downtime, building relationships which last a lifetime and enrich our professional and personal experience
History of Berkhamsted Schools Group About Heatherton
Heatherton is a close-knit, dynamic and forward thinking school and believes that a child’s education should be inspirational, challenging and nurturing
Heatherton Girls belong to a warm, friendly and happy community where they feel secure and able to become independent learners who are willing to explore the unknown. Highly skilled and passionate teachers inspire our girls through a rich and varied curriculum and an array of extra-curricular activities
There are currently 158 pupils at Heatherton (aged 2-11)
Part of the Berkhamsted Schools Group
Heatherton is one of six schools that make up Berkhamsted Schools Group. Berkhamsted School is one of the country’s leading independent schools. It has a structure that provides the best in both co-educational and single-sex education, offering small class sizes and appropriate teaching environments for each age group, from age 2 to 18.
The School’s ‘diamond’ structure allows boys and girls to be taught together until the age of 11 (at Berkhamsted Pre-Prep and at Berkhamsted Prep), separately from 11-16 (Berkhamsted Boys and Berkhamsted Girls), before coming back together again in a joint Sixth Form (Berkhamsted Sixth)
Heatherton Girls are provided with the opportunity of progressing to the Girls Senior School by sitting the Berkhamsted entrance exam six weeks prior to the external applicants. The School curriculum sits alongside the Berkhamsted Prep and Pre-Prep Schools Heatherton is located within easy access to local Grammar Schools.
Job Description
Head of Physical Education - Heatherton
Reports to:
Headteacher
Start date: September 2025
Purpose:
We have an exciting opportunity for a well-qualified Physical Education teacher to lead our physical development from Nursery to Year 6. The ideal candidate will have knowledge and experience of working in the Early Years, KS1 and KS2 (or be willing to undertake early years physical training) This is an exciting job with outstanding resources. We pride ourselves in fostering excellent home /school relationships with parents and candidates will be expected to have strong communication skills.
Main Responsibilities:
Deliver the Physical Education, Swimming and Games programme from Nursery to Year 6 - create and update departmental schemes of work, preparing and developing courses of study and sharing resources with colleagues.
Ensure that individual learning needs are met through appropriate use of adaptive teaching and use a range of strategies to engage students of all abilities with the subject.
Assess and monitor the ability of pupils and report on their progress to parents through the school reporting process.
Organise the coaching, refereeing and team management of School sports teams throughout the year - coordinate and run a full fixtures programme, throughout all prep year groups, by proactively fostering links with partner schools.
Job Description
Coordinate the hosting of events and initiatives that develop links with local schools, including primary and prep schools and to be aware of regional and national tournaments with a view to competing at the right events.
Liaise with the Office Manager to coordinate fixtures, extracurricular practices and activities both after school and occasionally at weekends.
Liaise with the Head of Sport at Berkhamsted Prep and other sports staff within the Berkhamsted Schools Group whilst fostering links with other local prep schools and maintaining the school’s strong sporting ethos
Lead Inter House events that benefit the participation rates of girls across a range of sports
Attend departmental, staff and other meetings as required.
Support girls and their parents with applications for scholarships and exhibitions at the secondary school transition stage.
Display a confident use of ICT to support Teaching and Learning.
To guide and direct the other staff delivering sporting lessons and clubs, to enhance the effectiveness of their teaching and support.
Seek additional opportunities for the girls to be active out of school and promote Sport at Heatherton School both externally and internally.
Job Description
Manage and administer the PE budget.
Manage appropriate risk assessments for sports activities and undertake lifeguarding training and first aid training, ensuring qualifications do not lapse, and carry out these responsibilities when required.
Essential Qualifications, Skills & Experience:
A well-qualified Physical Education teacher with a qualified teacher status (QTS)
Proven experience teaching Physical Education across Early Years, Key Stage 1, and Key Stage 2
Demonstrable expertise in delivering and managing Physical Education, swimming, and other games programmes.
Experience in organising and managing sports teams, fixtures, and extracurricular activities.
Motivation to work with children and young people.
Ability to form and maintain appropriate relationships and boundaries with children and young people.
Strong understanding of adaptive teaching strategies to meet individual learning needs
Ability to assess and monitor pupil progress effectively and report to parents
Excellent communication skills to foster relationships with pupils, parents, and colleagues.
Job Description
Proficient use of ICT to support teaching and learning
Knowledge of health and safety regulations related to physical education, including risk assessments.
Organised, flexible, able to manage time and conflicting demands.
Commitment to continued professional development (CPD).
Desirable Criteria:
Coaching qualifications or certifications in specific sports.
Swimming instructor certifications.
Sports First Aid qualification or willingness to obtain
Experience in managing departmental budgets effectively
We boast a competitive salary structure, alongside other benefits, which includes access to a comprehensive pension scheme.
The wellbeing of our staff is a priority. We have a developed programme for staff with initiatives and support in the areas of Economic, Physical, Emotional and Social wellbeing.
Free classes and advisory services. memberships and discounted rates in local establishments, together with cycle to work scheme, free on-site parking, free daily lunch, and fee reduction for staff's children are examples of some of the non-contractual benefits on offer in this programme.
Safeguarding and Child Protection
Benefits Safeguarding and Protection
Berkhamsted is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and expects all staff and visitors to adopt a child centred and coordinated approach to child protection and safeguarding.
A copy of the School’s Child Protection and Safeguarding Policy can be found HERE
The school is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and visitors to adopt a child centred and coordinated approach to child protection and safeguarding. Berkhamsted Schools Group is a registered charity dedicated to education: 310630.
Application and Next Steps
The closing date for applications is 5 January 2025
Please note, the start date for this position is September 2025.
It is an offence to apply for this role if you are barred from engaging in regulated activity relevant to children; applicants must be willing to undertake a number of safeguarding checks including an enhanced Disclosure and Barring (DBS). This post is also subject to receipt of written references which must be satisfactory to Berkhamsted Schools Group along with documentary evidence of qualifications.
Successful applicants will need to provide confirmation of permission to work in the UK. Please note that under the Immigration Asylum and Nationality Act 2006, the school has an obligation to ensure applicants have the right to work in the UK prior to commencement of employment. (If it is found that those documents do not meet the legal requirement, an offer of employment will be withdrawn)
Where the successful candidate has worked or been a resident overseas in the previous five years, such checks and confirmations as the school may require in accordance with statutory guidance
We aim to be an equal opportunities employer and we are determined to ensure that no applicant or employee receives less favourable treatment on the grounds of gender, age, disability, religion, belief, sexual orientation, marital status, or race.
Candidates with a disability who are invited to interview should inform the School of any necessary reasonable adjustments or arrangements to assist them in attending the interview
If you have any questions relating to this role please contact the HR department at recruitment@berkhamsted.com
Early applications are encouraged, and interviews may take place on a rolling basis. We reserve the right to extend or close the deadline
