Eton College is a charity for the advancement of education. At its heart sits an independent boys’ boarding school which leads a dynamic range of educational activities and an expanding network of educational partnerships. The charity’s primary purpose, determined from its Christian foundation in 1440, is to draw out the best of young people’s talents and to enable them to flourish and make a positive impact on others through the course of a healthy, happy and fulfilling life. Founded to offer transformative educational opportunities to boys with limited life chances, currently over 100 boys pay no fees at all.

With an extensive curriculum both within and beyond the classroom, a focus on pastoral excellence, and a growing expertise in digital education through its digital education platform, EtonX, Eton College stands in the vanguard of educational developments. Its award-winning flagship embedded research facility, The Tony Little Centre for Innovation and Research in Learning, is at the core of these new developments, informing Eton College's own educational practice, as well as sharing best practice across the sector.

In addition, Eton Connect coordinates over 1,000 cross-sector partnerships between schools, charities and other organisations working together for the benefit of young people and teachers. Through research, digital resources, summer schools, visits and events, Eton Connect brings people together who are determined to increase the range of learning opportunities available to young people. Last year, Eton Connect coordinated activities for over 5,400 state school pupils, with over 2,000 pupils continuing to visit its museums and collections each year.

As it looks forward, the ambitions of the charity will continue to broaden, from maintaining and developing new partnerships to the plans for opening selective state sixth form colleges in partnership with Star Academies in Middlesbrough, Dudley and Oldham. Its partnership with Holyport College, an Ofsted outstanding state-maintained boarding school, is one of the strongest, closest and most reciprocal cross-sector partnerships in the UK. Amongst other partnerships, Eton College also co-sponsors the London Academy of Excellence, an outstanding sixth form in Newham, East London.

The Provost is the Chair of the Trustees of a considerable and complex educational charity. The Charity’s central activity is the College. At its core is the school, but the College also includes the religious foundation, centred on the Chapel, for which the Provost has responsibility, and the Collections, for which the Provost has, in modern times, also taken responsibility.

The successful candidate will bring:

Leadership, vision and strategic skills:

• Leadership expertise gained most likely in running an organisation of note
• Demonstrable strategic experience
• Financial and project oversight experience
• Evident experience of successfully navigating significant complexity

Communication and ambassadorial skills:

• Diplomacy and excellent communication skills
• Fundraising capabilities; experienced and motivated to drive ongoing efforts
• Ambassadorial skills on the local and wider stage

Commitment, motivation and values-alignment:

• A pupil-centric approach with a clear commitment to Eton
• An awareness (not necessarily gained through direct experience) of the safeguarding challenges and responsibilities of an independent boarding school

Above all, individuals will believe in the power of education to transform the lives of young people. All of Eton College's appointments are made subject to the receipt of satisfactory pre-employment checks.

Eton College is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, and applicants must be willing to undergo child protection screening appropriate to the post, including, but not limited to, reference checks with past employers, an Enhanced Disclosure from the Disclosure and Barring Service (including Barred List information), an online search and prohibition checks. If you are successful in your application, you will be required to complete a DBS Disclosure Application Form. Any information disclosed will be handled in accordance with any guidance and/or Code of Practice published by the DBS. The College is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and therefore all convictions, cautions, reprimands and final warnings (including those which would normally be considered as “spent” under the Act) must be declared, subject to the DBS filtering rules. It is a criminal offence for any person who is barred from working with children to attempt to apply for a position at the College.

Safeguarding Policy – a copy of which can be found here. 

To find out more about the Fellowship, please see here. 

The Provost is resident in Eton during term-time and plays a full part in the life of the College. The role is a full-time one, but previous Provosts have also maintained some other commitments alongside it.

Compensation

The role is a salaried position and accommodation is provided.