The Head will provide warm, enthusiastic and positive leadership for Abingdon Prep School, in line with the aims, ethos and values of the Prep School and the wider Abingdon Foundation Development Plan. They will be responsible for delivering high standards in academic, pastoral and co-curricular provision, will manage improvement, innovation and change and will play a leading role in promoting and marketing the School.

Abingdon Prep School is a leading selective independent day preparatory school with around 200 pupils aged 4-13. From September 2024 the School became co-educational. Located in rural Oxfordshire on a beautiful 50 acre site approximately 5 miles outside Abingdon-on-Thames, the School has excellent facilities with recent significant investment in new facilities for Design and Technology, Music, the Library and new classrooms.

The School is a vibrant place which combines a rigorous, stimulating and balanced curriculum with a supportive, nurturing environment in which each child is treated as an individual and encouraged to explore and develop their own talents with confidence. As part of the wider Abingdon Foundation, along with Abingdon School, to which around 90% of pupils transfer when they leave, the Prep School has high academic standards, including a track record of senior school scholarships achieved across all areas of the curriculum.

The successful candidate will share the Prep School’s values and have a commitment to the holistic education offered across the curricular and co-curricular life of the School. They will have a clear vision of the purpose and value of an Abingdon Prep education and be able to communicate that vision with conviction. The successful candidate will have management and leadership experience as well as financial acumen and commercial awareness. They will be an outstanding and inspiring communicator with a proven track record of marketing and internal and external relationship building.

This is an outstanding opportunity to lead a successful preparatory school through the next phase of its development, following the recent move to co-education. Working closely with the Head of Abingdon Foundation and the Governors, the Head of the Prep School will develop a clear vision for the future development and direction of the School that aligns with Abingdon Foundation’s aims, values, traditions and ethos.

Further information on Abingdon Prep School can be found via the school’s website: Abingdon Preparatory School

Closing date: Monday 02 June 2025 (midday)

Interview dates: Wednesday 25 and Thursday 26 June 2025

Abingdon is committed to safeguarding the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff to share this commitment. All appointments are subject to a satisfactory enhanced DBS check.