Job Introduction

We are looking to appoint an enthusiastic Netball Coach to lead the delivery of enjoyable and engaging training sessions for our small but competitive Netball Programme of 20-25 pupils aged 16-18.

This role may be suited to individuals who are keen to continue their involvement with Netball, and progress from playing the sport (either at high level or more casually) into coaching.

We would prefer candidates to have a good level of current technical and tactical understanding and experience coaching netball at school and/or club level, but this is not essential. Candidates who have played at high level and are looking to move into coaching would also be considered.

The successful candidate would be required to work on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons from September to March, in line with Station afternoons, and will have the full support and guidance of the Master in charge of Netball.

Netball at Westminster School

Around 20 girls aged 16-18 receive instruction from the Netball Coach who is assisted by two members of teaching staff with previous coaching experience. Fitness sessions are run by an external fitness trainer every two to three weeks. Netball is open to players of all ability levels but is popular amongst pupils with significant prior match experience.

We aim to field two teams for around ten fixtures across the two terms against various London Girls Schools and enter one or two tournaments. Home matches are played on two all-weather netball courts at Vincent Square (Westminster School’s playing fields) or in the nearby Sports Centre when it is too dark to play outside. Away matches are within easy reach by public transport. In addition to external fixtures, there is a popular internal House competition.

Line manager

The Netball Coach will report to the Master in Charge of Netball and Director of Sport.

For informal enquiries, please email Matt Perrins, Master in Charge of Netball, (matthew.perrins@westminster.org.uk) who would be happy to discuss the role in more detail.

Role Responsibility

Coaching

• Plan, implement and deliver an engaging, enjoyable coherent core netball skills curriculum during Station afternoons.
• Support teaching staff in the delivery of sessions through the creation and sharing of session plans.
• Be responsible for teams on match days, coaching or officiating as required.
• Attend specified competitions as agreed with the Master i/c Netball.
• Be a representative of the School and its values at fixtures with other schools.

Administration / Operational Duties

• Ensure all school health and safety, safeguarding, critical incident, registers and other relevant policies and processes are adhered to in the delivery of Netball Station.
• Ensure that all critical incidents and Health and Safety incidents are reported in a clear and timely manner.
• Prepare facilities for coaching purposes. Monitor the state of equipment, identify equipment which needs updating.
• Communicate regularly with the Master i/c Netball about fixtures, training and progress.
• Perform other duties the Master i/c Netball requests in relation to the administration of Netball Station (where such duties are appropriate for the role).

Training

• Attend mandatory Safeguarding Training within the School
• Attend INSET training outside the School, where appropriate, to increase competence, proficiency and safety awareness.
• Attend First Aid Training as required.

Please note, this list is not exhaustive and may be adapted to suit the requirements of the role. Any changes to the job description will be discussed with the successful candidate before they are implemented.

Salary

The salary for this role is £34.84 per hour

Hours of work

Station (sports) runs on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons (4-6 hours per week) from 2:00pm to 4:00pm throughout Play Term (September through to December inclusive) and Lent Term (January through to March inclusive). The successful candidate must be available to coach at these times.

Availability is also desired for external fixtures to provide coaching/officiating as required. Matches typically start at 4:30pm meaning a later start and finish to the session on those days: 3:30pm – 5:30pm if home, 3:00pm – 6:00pm if away. It is hoped that the successful candidate will have the flexibility to accommodate this; dates of matches will be communicated well in advance.

The Ideal Candidate

Please refer to the attached person specification for further details.

Equal Opportunities

We are an equal opportunities employer. We therefore encourage candidates to apply irrespective of age, disability, marriage or civil partnership status, pregnancy or maternity, race, religion and belief, gender identity, sex or sexual orientation.

Safeguarding and Child Protection

Westminster School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. Applicants must be willing to undergo child protection screening appropriate to the post, including checks with past employers and the Disclosure and Barring Service.

Package Description

Required for: January 2025

Location: Great School (Dean's Yard)

Hours of work: core hours are Tuesday and Thursday afternoons (2:00pm – 4:00pm) from September through to March (inclusive).

Salary: £34.84 per hour

The deadline for applications is midday on Wednesday 27th November 2024. 

Interviews will take place w/c 2nd December on either a Tuesday or Thursday to facilitate a coaching session.

About the School

Working at Westminster

Westminster School is a busy, purposeful and vibrant place to be and an excellent workplace. The community is made up of 750 pupils, 120 teaching staff and 108 support staff.

Westminster School is friendly and welcoming, and all newcomers quickly become part of the rhythm of life here.

There is a real sense of community here as, being a boarding school many members of staff and pupils live on site and the School’s premises are very much treated as a home away from home. School life starts before breakfast and continues way beyond the working day; as a result, there is always a lively atmosphere in and around School and always someone to share a tea and biscuit with in the Common Room. Support staff as much as teaching staff are encouraged to embrace the School’s day-to-day activities, whether that be attending an evening concert or a morning service in the Abbey.

At Westminster we will always select the best candidate for every position. We do know, however, that we can only truly choose the best person on every occasion if a broad and diverse pool of candidates see the job advertised and are encouraged to apply.

As such, we continue to work on how our job roles are encountered, and particularly welcome applications from groups who have traditionally been underrepresented here.

Westminster School is for everyone, regardless of gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation or any other protected characteristic. We hope you are encouraged to apply.

The School

Westminster School is an independent day and boarding school for boys aged 13-18 and girls aged 16-18, with a long history, a distinctive ethos, and a unique sense of place in the very heart of London. Pupils achieve exceptional examination results and entrance to some of the top universities in the world. It is a busy, passionate and purposeful place where independent and deep thinking is enjoyed, encouraged and respected by all, and where holistic excellence is nurtured and valued.

While the School is one of the foremost centres of academic excellence in the country, its commitment to academic life does not make it a hothouse for passing examinations. Pupils’ success at examinations and entry to leading universities is instead a result of their enjoyment of academic enquiry, debate and search for explanation, well beyond published syllabuses. Pupils are intellectually, socially, ethically and politically engaged and our aim is to ensure that their enthusiasm for learning is developed further, allowing them to take full advantage of the opportunities presented to them in the future. At Westminster, pupils have the freedom to lead on projects outside of the classroom and embrace a whole range of extra-curricular activities and interests. A host of pupil-led societies take place every week at the School, often with expert guest speakers, and pupils can choose to study an additional language, play an instrument or two, volunteer in local primary schools, row along the Thames, take part in plays and musicals, and much more. 

The School’s ethos resides in the enduring values of the liberal tradition reflected in the 1560 Charter of Westminster’s Elizabethan foundation, where it is stated that: ‘the youth which is growing to manhood, as tender shoots in the wood of our state, shall be liberally instructed in good books to the greater honour of the state’. Whilst academic and cultural attainments are highly prized at Westminster, the School is fully committed also to each pupil’s spiritual, moral, emotional and physical development and wellbeing – with a particular emphasis on drawing out individual talent wherever it lies – and to prepare young people for fulfilled private and public lives.

From September 2028, the School will welcome both girls and boys at 13+ entry, offering a Westminster education to all. By 2026, Westminster Under School will have opened its brand new pre-prep for girls and boys at 4+ and girls will have joined boys in Years 3 and 7, at the 7+ and 11+ entry points. By 2030, all year groups at Westminster School and Westminster Under School, from ages four to 18, will be fully co-educational, reflecting the School’s dedication to inclusivity and excellence. 

Westminster School