St Albans High School For Girls (STAHS) is a vibrant school supported by a diverse and enthusiastic community of governors, staff, pupils, parents and alumni. It is one of the leading selective, independent day schools in the country, educating approximately 1,150 pupils aged from 4-18 years in and around the city of St Albans. The School includes a Preparatory School set in its own grounds, and a Senior School in the city centre.

STAHS' "Teach to 25" philosophy underpins all it does – its focus is on delivering an education that will equip each pupil with the skills, independence and knowledge they will need to navigate and thrive in the critical early years of adult life. Its vision is that each child is supported to become a happy, resilient young person who embraces life’s challenges and opportunities. STAHS pupils not only achieve excellent academic outcomes, but more importantly are prepared to live lives of consequence and make a meaningful impact on the world.

STAHS is very proud to be consistently ranked amongst the best independent schools in the UK. The School has sky-high expectations for and of its pupils, and its world-class teaching and rich curriculum help them achieve their ambitions. In and outside the classroom, its pupils are encouraged to and rewarded for giving their best, whatever their passions and aspirations. Each year, the range of courses, universities and other higher education options that its Year 13 leavers embark upon is as varied and individual as they are. Rather than following the crowd, they blaze their own trails.

The School is committed to broadening access through partnerships and bursaries and, in the 2021 / 2022 academic year, total annual bursary awards amounted to six per cent of fee income, with seven per cent of Senior School pupils being in receipt of full or partial bursary assistance.

More information about STAHS Strategic Plan 2023-2028 can be found here. 

Both Governors will join the Governing Body (the Council). Much of the detailed work of the Council is undertaken by Committees: Finance, Estates, Education, Strategy and Governance. Governors are expected to sit on at least one Committee.

The Leadership Governor will sit on the Strategy Committee, and the Property Governor will sit on the Estates Committee. Both Committees report to the Council and the Council is responsible for the overall governance and strategic direction of STAHS, developing the School’s strategic objectives in accordance with the School’s governing documents and relevant legal and regulatory guidelines. 

The Strategy Committee’s primary role is to oversee the setting and achievement of the School’s vision and values, including reviewing the triennial and annual Development Plans with the Head and senior leadership team.

The Estates Committee has oversight of the School’s estates, including the Estates Masterplan, asset management, maintenance and repair, facilities management and sustainability. Responsibility for day to day estates matters rests with the Bursar and his team.  

The Estates Masterplan is well-developed and will likely begin to be implemented within the next two to three years. This plan looks to develop the School's existing properties and consider new developments. A particular challenge will be developing the Senior School, which is at full capacity but is in a central city location surrounded by residential and Council owned buildings. Key strategic priorities include developing the sports facilities at the Prep School, building a new STEM centre at the Senior School, and improving the existing facilities at this location to maximise the efficient use of space.

Governor (Leadership)

St Albans High School For Girls (STAHS) is searching for a new Governor with senior leadership experience in commercial, public sector or charitable organisations to join the Governing Body (Council). STAHS are open to hearing from candidates from a broad range of backgrounds; most important is that this Governor will be strategically minded, confident in asking challenging questions, and will contribute a perspective from outside the education sector.

Candidates will bring demonstrable experience defining organisational strategy. Any experience with senior-level financial management would be viewed as beneficial, though  candidates do not need to have held functional roles as finance professionals, but rather be able to demonstrate general financial literacy. 

Governor (Property)

St Albans High School For Girls (STAHS) is searching for a new Governor with a background in property. This experience may have been gained in a range of functions, for example as an architect, contractor, property manager, or as a lawyer with specialism in property. Experience as a Chartered Surveyor would be less additive as this skillset is already represented on the Board.

As the School looks to finalise and begin to implement its Estates Masterplan within the coming years, the successful candidate should bring a strategic mindset to property development and management, and should have experience in managing projects with multiple stakeholders, ideally including local Councils. Any prior experience working within conservation areas or on listed properties would be viewed as beneficial.

Candidates should not be parents or grandparents of a current pupil at the School, as STAHS is seeking an independent candidate from outside the School community for this placement. However, candidates may be former pupils. STAHS is also open to candidates who have not previously held non-executive roles, so long as they are able to demonstrate a good understanding of the role of governance.

The full composition of the Council can be viewed here. 

This role is unremunerated, and reasonable, pre-agreed travel expenses will be reimbursed. The Council meets four times a year, at the School, with meetings usually starting at 6pm. The Governor (Leadership) would also be expected to join at least one Committee. Committees usually meet four times a year, with meetings also generally starting at 6pm. The Governing body also holds an annual strategy day, usually held on a Saturday.

In addition to participation in Council and Committee meetings, Governors are also encouraged to attend School events and to spend time in School, observing lessons and meeting staff and pupils, but we recognise that some Governors have more time to do this than others who may have full time employment or other similar commitments.  

The appointment is for one-year term, which can be renewed twice, for three years at a time, at the discretion of the Board.

This organisation is based in St Albans and meetings will take place in-person. Candidates will therefore be UK-based and willing to regularly visit St Albans.

It is important that the composition of the Council reflects the diversity of the School community, and therefore applications are welcomed from people of all genders and sexual orientation, those from Black, Asian and other minority ethnic backgrounds, and those with disabilities.