Head of Netball
Full time, permanent, all year round
Starting September 2025
Executive Summary
Headington Rye Oxford is seeking an inspirational and experienced person to lead our highly successful Netball programme. Netball is a prominent sport, played with enthusiasm and success by girls in every year group and throughout most of the academic year. Our next Head of Netball will have personal experience playing and / or coaching at a high level and passion for passing on their skills and knowledge to our girls. The two aims of the Netball programme are 1) Netball as a sport for life and 2) more superleague hub players and national team entries. We are looking for someone to continue making these everyday realities.
Our Head of Netball must have coaching experience and qualifications, excellent organisational skills, a sense of humour, and a willingness to fully integrate into the wider school community. Whilst the leadership of the Netball programme is the focus, a suitable candidate will need to be capable of coaching additional sports, particularly in the Summer term.
This is a full time, permanent position, starting 1st September 2025.
The PE Department at Headington Rye Oxford
Sport is a big part of Headington Rye Oxford's identity. We offer outstanding teaching and coaching for all girls, and ensure that competitive opportunities in a range of sports are available for all who want them. Our aim is that every girl is able to choose from a range of active options. While we focus on our core sports of Hockey, Netball, Rowing and Tennis, interest and participation in Football and Cricket is growing,and our girls regularly achieve national level success in Cross Country, Athletics, and Swimming. Those that prefer non-competitive activities are able to benefit from options that include Yoga, Spinning, Circuits, Volleyball, Boxercise and many more. Our aim is for every girl to develop a life-long enthusiasm for being active and staying healthy.
Our Netball programme, has gone from strength to strength. Participation levels are high, and notable achievements in recent years include our U13s finishing as runners up in the Sisters n Sport National finals and our U14s playing in the England Netball National Finals in 2024. We regularly push teams to Sisters n Sport National quarter finals and always have at least one team getting to Regional finals.
Our programme of curricular and co-curricular sport is delivered by a team of around 15 teachers, supported by a number of skilled coaches, a graduate assistant and the additional support of a number of teachers from other departments. Our pupils benefit from the use of our full sized astroturf pitch, a number of smaller training pitches, two indoor sports halls, floodlit hardcourts, a state-of-the-art gym and fitness suite, indoor rowing facilities and a brand new boathouse, just opened at Long Wittenham.
More broadly, PE and Sport has a strong academic profile in the school. PE is a popular GCSE and A Level option. Our pupils benefit from outstanding teaching and achieve excellent results, many of them leaving us to take up further study in sports-related degrees such as Exercise & Sport Sciences, Sports Management, Psychology with Sport & Exercise, and Physiotherapy.
Role Description
This is a full-time, permanent, all year round role starting 1st September 2025.
Key Responsibilities
- be responsible for the maintenance and development of the Netball programme
- develop a vision and style of play for Headington Rye Oxford Netball, with a clear pathway and progression throughout the School and a clear coaching framework
- train and support the wider team of coaches and PE teachers
- develop useful relationships with Netball academies, clubs, and universities for the benefit of our pupils
- prepare, monitor, and update the Netball plans and co-curricular programme
- lead engaging and stretching sessions that develop the pupils’ knowledge, confidence and ability
- develop and deliver a co-ordinated fixtures programme that offers appropriate competitive opportunity for players of all ages and abilities
- in consultation with the Director of Sport, organise Netball tours both within the UK and abroad
- inspire all pupils to enjoy Netball and to reach their potential, regardless of their starting point
- innovate and push the programme to new boundaries each year, through the use of new technologies, policies and schemes of work
Person Specification
Qualifications and Experience
Essential
- an enthusiasm for, and experience of, coaching Netball, with a track record of success
- a passionate and accomplished sportsperson, with Netball as a specialism
- a Netball coaching qualification
Desirable
- degree (or equivalent) in a sport or PE related discipline
- a track record of delivering high quality coaching to school age Netball players
- ability to coach an additional sport
Personal Attributes and Skills
- excellent interpersonal and communication skills
- ability to motivate, enthuse, inspire and influence others
- ability to delegate and empower
- ability to work strategically and to seek and implement creative solutions
- adaptability and show good judgement
- an exceptional coach
- have energy, drive, enthusiasm, a positive manner and a sense of humour
- sympathy with the values and ethos of the School
Terms of Appointment
Type of Contract
Full time, permanent, all year round, starting 1st September 2025
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 from time to time, up to 50% fee remission for children attending Headington Rye Oxford and up to 20% fees remission for students 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% of a normal working week.
Salary
£36.5k - £41k depending on skills and 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@headington.org
- 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: Tuesday 10th June 2025
Interviews: week commencing Monday 16th June 2025
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.
