Sports Coach in Residence from September 2025

Welcome to OSH

Old Swinford Hospital is one of the country’s leading state boarding schools. A large number of the School’s students are boarders who come from a wide range of backgrounds in the UK and also from the EU and overseas. A third of our pupils are day pupils, who usually go home after lessons, unless they are involved in sport or music, CCF or DofE. The School is now on an exciting journey to become fully co-educational by 2025. Girls joined us in September 2021 in Year 7, whilst the Sixth Form has been mixed since 2004.

OSH is calm place to work. It is inclusive, tolerant and welcoming. The atmosphere is supportive and orderly, and it is also very relaxed because for many of our pupils their school is also their home. Parents, pupils and staff are all on the same side and our pupils want to learn before going out into the wider world and making their own contribution to it. 

We have recently had two very favourable Ofsted visits, one for boarding and one for curriculum. You can see these via our website www.oshsch.com  We enjoy a very good academic reputation and regularly feature in the lists of the most academically successful maintained schools. We’re not about league tables, however. We pride ourselves on developing in our pupils a balance of academic achievement, character and resilience and we’ve been doing this now for nearly 360 years.

Our extensive extra-curricular programme contributes to our pupils becoming happy, healthy and interested young people, for whom sport, music, art, drama, outdoor pursuits feature in their everyday lives. 

A major building programme has recently been completed which includes a large extension to an already impressive sports centre, an all-weather floodlit sports pitch, a new teaching block with a specialist arts room, a performing arts centre and a new senior boarding house.

Sport at OSH 

The Physical Education Department at Old Swinford Hospital has 4 qualified PE teachers who teach a broad and balanced curriculum at both KS 3 and 4. The department also offers its students the opportunity to pursue their interest further in the subject through GCSE and BTEC courses. 

In years 7 – 11 all students have a minimum of 3 hours of Physical Education per week while in the sixth form they have 2 hours as a games afternoon. Students who chose examination PE will have considerably more contact time in the subject.

The co-curricular programme plays a huge part in the life of this busy boarding school. The programme is dominated by sport and the pupil participation rates are exceptional. The school employs a number of specialist coaches to assist with running school teams and coaching at all levels in a range of activities. The Sports Coach in residence works closely with the teaching and coaching teams.

Old Swinford Hospital has had much success at local, regional and national level in an array of sports and has close links to several elite sports clubs in its major sports.

Person Specification

This position would equally suit a graduate seeking to gain valuable school-based experience in a successful and busy department or a coach looking to increase their portfolio. Our preference is for candidates who can offer expertise in Rugby Union but we are also interested in hearing from candidates who offer expertise in some of our other major games.

The successful candidate will be:

• Conscientious and reliable.
• A team player
• Self-Motivated
• Interested in continuous professional development.
• Experienced in playing and or coaching at least one of our major sports.
• Committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children.

Job Specification

The Sports Coach in Residence is responsible to both the Director of Sport and the Housemaster of their appointed house with boarding duties and responsibilities.

Main Sport Duties will include:

• Contribute to the development of Sport within the school and enhance the department reputation with parents and visitors.
• Act as classroom instructor as and when required by the Director of Sport or a member of the SLT;
• Help organise and supervise the day to day PE Curriculum
• Help with the organisation and management of fixtures, transport and catering for the major sports.
• Provide supervision and recreational activities in the school sports centre one evening per week;
• Help with the administration and delivery of the wider co-curricular programme of activities;
• Provide supervision as a Residential Boarding Tutor
• Any other tasks that may from time-to-time be reasonably required by the Headmaster or the Director of Sport.

The Sports Coach in Residence shall assist the designated Housemaster in the routine operation of the boarding house and be responsible for the good order and discipline of the house at all times when on duty. S/he shall take an interest in the welfare and progress of all the students in the house and support the house as appropriate in house activities, house competitions and the like. S/he shall take responsibility as a pastoral tutor for students in the house. The Sports Coach in Residence shall undertake all duties in accordance with the National Minimum Standards for Boarding Schools. As a Sports Coach in Residence, you are expected to live in your accommodation when the school is in session.  Any individual nights when the Sports Coach in Residence needs to be away from the accommodation must be agreed in advance with the Deputy Head. 

Main Boarding Duties will include:

• Attend House Assemblies;
• Undertake weekday House duties at least one day per week as part of a weekly rota. This shall include but not be limited to:
• Being on duty in the house in time for the formal start of Prep until the end of duty at 11.00 pm unless otherwise agreed with the relevant Housemaster;
• Supervising Breakfast and Supper in the Dining Hall on the House Duty Week as part of the Duty Rota.
• Undertake weekend house duties on at least as part of a termly rota. This shall include but not be limited to:
  • Being on duty in the house from during the allocated sessions as agreed with the Housemaster;
  • The Sunday duties being occasionally double shifted (8.30am to 6.30pm)
  • Help cover Outweekend Duties when the House is on Duty;
  • The supervision of the dining hall for meal times is the responsibility of the Duty House Housemaster and his tutor team during the weekend with the support of the Senior Duty Team.
• To contribute to the House Audit Plan;
• Take an interest in the welfare and progress of all the boys in the house and support the house as appropriate in supporting house activities and house competitions;
• Provide duty cover in the house when requested in the absence of the Housemaster and/or Matron;
• To assist with the weekend activity programme when required;
• To assist with Matron duties when requested;
• To assist with Boarding House Open Evenings or other similar events;
• Lead or supervise at least one extra-curricular activity under the direction of the SLT;

Remuneration & Hours

The position is fixed term, full time contract from 1st September 2025 and lasting no longer than to 10th July 2026.

The salary for a full academic year is £13,325 paid in eleven monthly equal instalments. Accommodation is provided free of rent and all charges. Your accommodation will be either a single or shared flat in a boarding house, you are expected to live in during term time and no partners are allowed to stay. The Musician in Residence will be entitled to eat all meals in the School Dining Room during term time. 

In line with current regulation, you will, if you are eligible, be offered a workplace pension through NEST.

Equal Opportunities

Old Swinford Services Limited welcomes applications for employment from all sectors of the community.

Suitability to Work with Children

Old Swinford Services Limited is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and applicants are required to undertake an enhanced Disclosure & Barring Service check.

The School reserves the right to close the job advert early where sufficient applications have been received and so we encourage early applications to ensure consideration for the post.