Head of International Admissions
Full time, all year round
Starting Spring 2026
Executive Summary
The Head of International Admissions will drive the strategy, execution and growth of Headington Rye’s international recruitment of girls into our boarding community. This new role is an exciting opportunity to elevate the School’s already outstanding reputation on the international stage, working with and further developing our existing strong network of agents, current parents, alumni and other partners around the world.
This role will require a significant amount of travel overseas but will be primarily based alongside our Admissions and Marketing team back in school in Oxford.
Marketing and Admissions at Headington Rye Oxford
Headington Rye is a hugely successful school with over 1,000 pupils from the ages of 3 to 18. The experienced Admissions team manages recruitment into the Prep and Senior school, working alongside an established Marketing team. Currently the admission routes into the Senior School for day girls and to the Prep for girls and boys is well established.
This new role will allow the School to work more closely with our trusted partners, current parents and alumni in our established community bases of Hong Kong, China and Bangkok, while developing and reinforcing links into new markets and countries.
The Head of International Admissions will be supported by and act as line manager for the International Admissions Co-ordinator, who manages the day-to-day liaison with parents and agents and conducts tours of the school site. The emphasis of the new role will very much be on promoting the School and engaging with new parents and markets.
The Marketing Department will support this role with high-quality digital resources and can support with more bespoke material as required. The department also works closely with an outside agent to ensure compliance for sponsored students to ensure that all UK visa requirements are met.
Role Description
The Head of International Admissions role is a full time, all-year round, permanent role starting in Spring 2026.
The purpose of the role is to oversee and promote recruitment of girls from international markets into Headington Rye Oxford.
Key Responsibilities
- oversee the recruitment of girls to meet annual targets of internationally-based boarders
- input into the strategic plan for marketing and admissions, carrying out timely market research
- ensure continued development and maintenance of long-term relationships with reputable educational agencies and consultants with an ability to be flexible and to understand trends in the market whilst identifying newly-emerging opportunities
- plan, organise and attend relevant agent fairs, exhibitions and other recruitment events both abroad and in the UK to include circa eight overseas trips per year whilst ensuring that we maximise the return on the investment
- arrange and host visits for agents in school
- lead and host promotional events, workshops and presentations overseas to engage prospective families, effectively showcasing the School’s academic strengths, exceptional facilities and boarding experience
- provide excellent bespoke support to our parents and agents by ensuring that there is a smooth and effective admissions process
- deliver a personalised, exceptional experience in order to nurture families from the first point of contact through to a smooth integration of the new pupils into the School
- line manage the International Admissions Coordinator
- support the arrangements for the testing and interviewing of overseas candidates, working closely with the UK Admissions team to ensure the smooth running of all admissions processes and systems
- provide support for the UK admissions team at in school open events where appropriate
- deliver high professional standards in the day-to-day running of international admissions including accurate input into METIS and ISAMS systems
- manage the agent database to ensure that onboarding is UKVI compliant and that there is careful and rigorous selection of any new agents
- support the work of the department with the issue, transfer and withdrawal of student CAS for all the international students
- work within the agreed budget for the recruitment of international boarders, liaising closely with the budget holders in the wider admissions and marketing team
Person Specification
Qualifications and Experience
Essential
- educated to degree level or equivalent
- experience in a customer facing role
Desirable
- AMCIS Certificate in Admissions
- experience of working in an independent school or in international markets
- proven track record of achieving or exceeding recruitment/sales targets
- experience of working with child student visa applications/UKVI compliance
Personal Attributes and Skills
- excellent communication and organisational skills (essential)
- ability to prioritise workload and comply with tight deadlines (essential)
- proficient in utilising CRM systems and data management, and virtual meeting platforms (essential)
- confident in travelling independently overseas (essential)
- strong interpersonal skills with the ability to build rapport quickly and work effectively with diverse stakeholders.
- collaborative, team player approach that is flexible and adaptive
- results orientated
- positive work attitude and willing to go above and beyond to meet business and recruitment needs including a flexible approach to working hours.
- high level of integrity, discretion and professionalism
- committed to the safeguarding and welfare of children and young people
- sympathy with the values and ethos of the School
Terms of Appointment
Type of Contract
Full time, all year round, permanent, starting in Spring 2026
Benefits
Pension
Contributory membership of the School’s Support Staff Pension Scheme with a School contribution of up to 9.95 per cent upon successful completion of six months’ service.
Fee remission
In accordance with the School’s policy, which may be subject to change, up to 50 per cent fee remission for pupils attending Headington Rye Oxford and up to 20 per cent fee remission for boys attending Magdalen College School (under a reciprocal agreement) and subject to the terms of their policy. Fee remission is calculated on the number of weeks and hours worked and is pro rata for part-time staff who work at least 50 per cent of a normal working week.
Salary
Competitive and dependent on relevant experience
Additional Benefits
All staff have access to a broad programme of wellbeing activities. The programme currently includes access to the School’s gym and swimming pool, weekly Step and Tone and Zumba classes and regular staff social activities such as Book Club and Staff Choir. Staff also benefit from free access to the Employee Assistance Programme, a free, confidential helpline that offers advice on a range of issues. Free restricted parking is available for all staff on site.
Appointment Process and How To Apply
Applicants should submit an application form and a covering letter detailing their skills and experience to recruitment@headingtonschool.com
- Applications will only be accepted from candidates completing the application form in full. CVs will not be accepted in substitution for completed application forms. However, they may be sent in addition to the application form.
- We will seek references on shortlisted candidates and will approach previous employers for information to verify particular experience or qualifications, before the interview. References will ask about your suitability to work with children.
- If you are invited to interview you will receive notification outlining the interview process and guidance regarding the documentation you are required to provide.
Closing Date: Friday 2nd January 2026
Interviews: first round week commencing Monday 5th January 2026 (remote)
Final round week commencing Monday 12th January 2026
Applications are reviewed and shortlisted on a rolling basis and we reserve the right to interview, appoint and close adverts early depending on the volume of applications we receive. We therefore encourage you to apply at the earliest opportunity to avoid disappointment as once we have closed a vacancy you will be unable to submit your application form.
All appointments are subject to satisfactory completion of all employment checks, ie references, Disclosure and Barring Service, medical questionnaire, Right to Work in the UK. Headington Rye Oxford is an equal opportunities employer and is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people. Applicants must undergo child protection screening, including checks with past employers and DBS and barred lists checks. The School expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.
