from the Headmistress Mrs Maria Young MA PGCE DIRECTOR OF DRAMA Background to the School Farnborough Hill is an independent Catholic day school and a member of the Girls’ Schools Association, Independent Schools’ Association and CISC. It welcomes pupils and staff of all faiths and no faith, provided they are in sympathy with the ethos of the School. About one quarter of the 478 pupils are Catholics. A similar proportion of the staff are Catholic. Located on the Hampshire/Surrey border, the School has excellent transport links, both by train and road being about a 10 minutes’ walk from Farnborough Main station. Farnborough Hill is committed to the education of the whole person. The School places great emphasis on the all-round personal growth of its pupils. It aims for academic excellence as well as ensuring that pupils play a full part in school life and have the opportunities to develop their co-curricular interests. The School offers Academic, Art, Drama, Music and Sports Scholarships at 11+ as well as means-tested bursaries for families in need of financial assistance. Sixth Form Scholarships are awarded on the basis of open examination, as well as for excellence in Creative Arts, Music, Performing Arts and Sport. In 2025 our A level pupils once again achieved impressive results with an excellent 50% of all grades at A*/A and 76% A*-B. Our GCSE results were also excellent with 48% of grades awarded at 9-7. The School’s aim is to engage wholeheartedly in all activities, challenges and opportunities. This is achieved through our pastoral care and encouragement of each individual. This is a strength of Farnborough Hill and we see it as an essential part of our caring, Christian ethos. Parents greatly appreciate this and see it as an important ingredient when choosing to send their daughters here. The School is housed in the historic home of the ex-Empress Eugenie of France, to which much purpose-built school accommodation, such as the sports hall, swimming pool, Art and Design Technology Centre, modern laboratories, theatre, a music suite and hockey all-weather pitch have been added, with an inspiring new Sixth Form Centre which opened in September 2022. These facilities sit within approximately 65 acres of parkland making it a tranquil and inspiring place to work, alongside a forward-looking and ambitious Senior Leadership Team and governing body. The Drama Department The Drama Department is lively, forward-looking and successful. The staffing consists of the Director of Drama, a part-time Drama teacher and a peripatetic LAMDA teacher. Drama is taught throughout the school as well as to GCSE and A level. There is a strong tradition of Drama at Farnborough Hill, with every Years 7 and 8 class receiving one hour of Drama per week with a specialist Drama teacher. In Year 9 pupils can opt to study Drama as one of their options and they have two hours of Drama per week. The subject is popular at GCSE and there are typically two classes in both Years 10 and 11; results are consistently high. The department currently follows the OCR specification for both GCSE and A level. Drama takes place in three main venues, a dedicated room in the historic Old House, which is fully equipped as a black-box studio theatre and in the Theatre on the Hill, which provides a large auditorium with state-of-the-art equipment and tiered seating. In addition, whole school musical productions take place in the school Hall which is equipped with lighting and sound. There is a busy programme of co-curricular Drama, including a whole school musical once every two years (The Addams Family - 2023 and Oliver forthcoming), smaller-scale productions (Twelfth Night - 2022 and Coram Boy - 2024) and regular Junior musicals (Matilda - 2024). Director of Drama The Director of Drama is a full-time post, although a part-time arrangement might be considered for the right candidate. The postholder will be enthusiastic and able to contribute to the whole Drama programme, including after-school activities and rehearsals. The ability to teach Drama to A level is expected, as are some technical skills, such as an ability to help with lighting and sound production. Skills and Qualifications • Honours degree or equivalent • Relevant teaching qualification (PGCE, B.Ed, GTP or equivalent) • Experience of teaching to GCSE and A level • Excellent classroom practitioner • Ability to think and plan strategically • Ability to inspire and motivate others • Excellent organisational skills and the ability to work under pressure • Ideally some previous management or leadership experience Personal Qualities • Sympathy with the Christian ethos of the school and most probably a practising Catholic • Professional, positive, patient and helpful • Effective interpersonal style, ability to lead a diverse team, initiative and flexibility, good sense of humour • Vision and enthusiasm to develop and support change General Responsibilities • To support the aims, values and ethos of the School and to contribute to the implementation of the School’s Mission Statement. • To establish the aims and objectives of the Drama Department and to set objectives which lead to the achievement of those aims. • To make a significant contribution to the School’s and Drama Department’s co-curricular programme. • To be accountable to the Headmistress and to perform such duties as she may reasonably direct, including some duties out of school hours. • To play a full part in the life of the School community and encourage staff and pupils to follow this example. Specific Duties • To lead and manage the Drama Department, including relevant peripatetic staff, in an inspirational and effective way. • To plan, in conjunction with members of the department, a syllabus for Years 7 to 9 and to be responsible for curriculum development within the department. • To oversee the delivery of examination specifications, manage resources, schemes of work, assessment and teaching and learning strategies within the Drama Department. • To lead the Drama co-curricular programme, including directing the major productions. • To oversee and develop a programme of Drama enrichment, including workshops and trips. • To actively monitor pupil progress and to complete regular assessments. • To promote staff development and to participate in the School’s Professional Developmental Review procedures. • To evaluate and promote progress towards the two-yearly Department Development Plan. • To keep up to date with national developments in the subject area, including advances in technology. • To effectively lead, manage and deploy teaching staff. • To manage the Drama Department budget. • To attend Heads of Department and Middle Leaders meetings as required and to contribute to curriculum development and initiatives. • To contribute relevant content to the school website and school social media channels Farnborough Hill Teacher Person Specification Qualifications • A good record of academic achievement including a relevant degree • A teaching qualification (eg PGCE/ECT) • Recent previous experience of working with young people of secondary Skills and Abilities school age • Good oral and written English skills • Excellent classroom practitioner with the ability to prepare and deliver interesting and dynamic lessons according to department specifications and schemes of work • Ability to inspire students and promote a love of drama • Confident in the use of ICT, including technology relevant to teaching and learning • Strong organisational skills and the ability to prioritise • Ability to work as part of a hard-working and supportive team • Willingness to contribute to co-curricular activities and the wider life of the school Personal Qualities • Sympathy with the aims, values and ethos of the school • Professional, positive, patient and helpful • Confident in the classroom • Personal warmth with good interpersonal skills • Good sense of humour • Commitment to the best practice in teaching and pastoral care • Commitment to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people The appointment will be made from January 2026, or as soon as possible thereafter, and the salary will be according to qualifications and experience, on Farnborough Hill’s own generous pay scale. In accordance with the School’s current employment policies, the first two terms of the appointment will be probationary. All members of staff are expected to be in sympathy with and supportive of the ethos of the School as set out in the Mission Statement. All full-time members of staff are expected to be fully involved in the life of the School, contributing to co-curricular activities and undertaking responsibility in the tutorial teams. Farnborough Hill is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff to share this commitment. Successful applicants will be required to undergo the appropriate DBS Code of Practice check. Further information about the School can be found on our website. www.farnborough-hill.org If you require any further information about this post or the School please telephone Melanie Clark, the Headmistress’s PA, in the first instance, on 01252 545197. To apply please complete the Application Form, which is available from our website, and submit it to the Headmistress via email to hmsec@farnborough-hill.org Please apply as soon as possible as applications will be considered upon receipt; we reserve the right to interview/appoint before the closing date. Closing Date: 9.00 am on Tuesday 7 October 2025 – however if interested in applying for the role please submit your application as early as possible as it will be considered upon receipt Interviews: Interviews will take place on Tuesday 14 October 2025 Start Date: January 2026, or as soon as possible thereafter