Caterham School is one of the top co-educational independent schools in England. Located in the Harestone Valley in the Surrey Hills, the School welcomes over 1,200 boys and girls (around 280 in the Prep School, and the rest in the Senior School), as both day and boarding pupils. Modern and progressive, Caterham is a happy school which supports pupils and enables their success, both in terms of academic attainment, and character development and wellbeing. By the time Caterhamians leave school, they are intellectually curious and emotionally intelligent thinkers, eager to engage with the world around them.

Caterham School has been recognised as a leading global school for its innovation with both technology and curriculum design. Ensuring that its pupils have the skills and knowledge to thrive in a fast-changing world is one of the School's core priorities. The EDGE curriculum, which stands for "Explore, Develop, Grow, Evolve", is built upon three central elements: learning to learn, big ideas and practical problem-solving. It is also one of just a few UK schools which dedicates weekly timetabled lessons to a range of wellbeing topics, and in 2021 it was the only independent school in the UK to be awarded the Wellbeing for Schools Award.

Caterham is also acutely aware that it exists within a wider educational ecosystem, and through a range of partnerships, it provides valuable support to the broader education sector. The most prominent of these partnerships are its sponsorship of the London Academy of Excellence and its founding of the East Surrey Learning Partnership, both of which aim to facilitate collaboration between the independent and maintained sectors.

The Harestone Valley provides a stunning location for the School’s extensive campus. The School benefits from 200 acres, including sports fields, woodland, a high ropes course and outdoor learning centre. The estate is an attractive blend of Victorian architecture and purpose built facilities, including a science complex, a sports centre with indoor pool, fitness centre and double-space sports hall, a new centre for performing arts encompassing two theatres and a dance studio, the Maggs Library and a dedicated digital innovation centre.

Although it has a long and proud history dating back to 1811, Caterham is not a school which is weighed down by tradition. It is values-led and future-focused, and in the years ahead, it is excited to remain at the forefront of digital innovation. There are various exciting plans under consideration by the Board, ranging from further significant capital development work, to pushing more purposefully into the edtech space and internationalising the brand through overseas engagements.

The day-to-day running of Caterham School rests in the hands of the executive team led by the Headmaster, Ceri Jones. The Board of Trustees is responsible for advising on the School's overall strategic priorities and, where appropriate, guiding on particular areas of expertise.

Trustees ensure that there is a clear long-term strategy for the School, allowing the executive team to have the scope and confidence to handle the day-to-day challenges, while holding them to account. They guide the Board as it tackles both short- and long-term issues, providing constructive challenge and support to the executive team. It is also hoped that Trustees will engage with school life beyond Board meetings, such as attending regular or ad hoc events.

Digital Innovation — Caterham uses digital technology to a high standard both in the classroom and across its organisational systems and processes. With this appointment, the Board hopes to bring scrutiny and challenge to its use of technology, as well as useful insight into as yet unexplored avenues for innovation. The ideal candidate for this role will be someone working at the cutting edge of digital innovation, who has their finger on the pulse of the technology sector, and can draw down insights which transfer across to the education sector. They might be a Chief Technology Officer or a User Experience specialist working for a tech firm, an investor focused on the digital space, or perhaps someone working directly in the edtech field.

Commercial — Like all independent schools, Caterham is keen to diversify its revenue streams and achieve robust financial sustainability. It recognises the need to remain commercial while never losing focus on delivering an outstanding education for its pupils. The ideal candidate for this position will be someone who has successfully led a commercial organisation through a growth period. The more international and digital this experience the better, however applications are encouraged from a wide variety of backgrounds. 

Education & Skills - Caterham School aims to equip its pupils with the skills of the future, and for pupils to progress on to a range of different pathways, from domestic and international higher education, to further education and apprenticeships. As part of this, the Board is seeking a Trustee with experience in the broad area of skills development and education. The ideal candidate will be someone operating at the heart of the discussion around the skills of the future. They might be working in research or policy for a think tank, university / college, inter-governmental organisation or foundation. They will be a recognised thought-leader in their field and able to provide challenge and support to the Board and executive's thinking in this area.

Development & Fundraising — As it looks to maintain and enhance its strong financial position, Caterham is looking to add expertise in fundraising and development to its Board. Candidates could come from a wide range of backgrounds within the development and fundraising space, but the best fit will be someone with large scale institutional and corporate fundraising experience. Experience as a school-based alumni fundraiser is not required. They will provide strategic advice and constructive challenge around investing in the development of the School and raising money for bursaries, capital programmes and other creative projects.

Although all are welcome to apply, the Board is particularly interested in individuals who can offer objective support and guidance as fully independent Trustees. 

Above all, the appointed candidates will be mature, strategic operators with a fundamental understanding of the difference between governance and management. They do not need to have held a non-executive position before, nor do they need to be operating in the C-Suite; the Board is very encouraging of first-time non-executives to apply for these posts. 

A list of current Trustees can be found here.   

There are five Board meetings per year, and Trustees will also be expected to join at least one of the following seven Sub-Committees which generally meet once per term: Finance and General Purposes; Prep School; Welfare, Child Protection and Safeguarding; Compliance; Academic Policy; Investments; Nominations. Beyond this, Trustees are expected to attend at least two events at the School per term.

The appointments are for a renewable three year term. The roles are unremunerated but reasonable, pre-agreed travel expenses will be reimbursed.

As part of its safeguarding policy, applicants are advised that the School will undertake an online search, including social media checks, on everyone who makes the shortlist.

Candidates must be able to attend in-person meetings / events at the School.

Caterham School is committed to fostering an inclusive culture in which every opportunity is taken to include diverse perspectives and experiences in its decision making. The School therefore welcomes applications from everyone regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, faith or disability. All appointments will be made on merit, following a fair and transparent process. In line with the Equality Act 2010, however, the organisation may employ positive action where candidates from underrepresented groups can demonstrate their ability to perform the role equally well.