Director of Sport

Are you ready to lead the growth and development of Sport at Westonbirt? We're looking for someone ambitious, enthusiastic and highly organised to join the School in September 2026. Sport plays a highly important role in the life of the school and so the Director of Sport role is a key member of the team.

Major sports at the school include Lacrosse, Netball, Rugby, Hockey and Cricket. Football is an emerging and popular addition to the programme, while Golf, Tennis, Swimming, Athletics, Basketball, Equestrianism and Polo also play an important part in the overall offering.

Westonbirt is a medium-sized, all-through school of about 800 pupils with a track record of punching above its weight and an ambition to develop further. The school benefits from excellent sports facilities which include acres of playing fields, indoor Sports Centre, full size Astroturf pitch, 25m Swimming Pool, a 9-hole Golf Course and arguably one of the most picturesque cricket squares in the country.

As a result of the significant growth of the school and move to co-education (now complete), the provision of sport at Westonbirt has evolved rapidly and successfully in recent years. The incoming Director of Sport will have the exciting opportunity to build upon the many successes of this period, whilst also helping to map out a development plan to take the department forward to new heights over the coming decade. The school’s leadership team are highly ambitious for the school, its pupils and staff and seek a candidate with the vision, drive and determination to deliver on Westonbirt’s potential. In return, Westonbirt provides the successful candidate with the support and encouragement to think big, the opportunity for significant career development and the chance to be part of one of the most exciting schools in the country.

The successful candidate will be responsible for developing and delivering the overall development strategy for the department. The Director of Sport leads and manages sport across the Prep and Senior schools, supervises the Physical Education curriculum and delivery, recruits and allocates staff to ensure the optimum delivery of the agreed provision.

The Director of Sport will also play a key role in supporting the Marketing and Admissions team to build links with feeder schools, encouraging and overseeing outreach activities. The hosting of tournaments and development days, and the identification and development of those on the sports scholarship pathway are important aspects of this strand of the role.

The Director of Sport works closely with the Director of Estates to set the strategy for the development and management of sports facilities. In addition, ensuring excellent planning of fixtures and activities, ensuring accurate and proactive communication with parents and internally within the school. The Director of Sport also manages the department's budget.

The key skills and characteristics sought are:

• Excellent leadership skills and experience;

• A clear vision for sport which is consistent with the Westonbirt ethos and character and the four pillars of participation, enjoyment, breadth of opportunity and excellence;

• Very high standards and expectations in all areas of educational provision and customer service;

• Excellent interpersonal, communication and team-building skills;

• Experience in a boarding & day co-educational school environment;

• Preferably, a personal understanding of sports performance of sports performance at an elite level and

• Resilience, adaptability and a good sense of humour.