Job Description
Football is the largest and most popular Station at Westminster, with over 200 pupils involved.
Westminster School has a long and rich history in the sport, dating back to the 18th century, and including competing against Charterhouse in the first ever inter-School Football matches in 1863.
Westminster was involved also in the establishment of the first FA guidelines and boasted international and amateur international players during the 1900s. The School is a full member of the ISFA (Independent Schools’ Football Association) and competes in the ISFA Sixes, as well as the U15 & U18 (boys & girls) ISFA Cup competitions.
The Station runs usually from September-March on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons from 2.10-4.10pm at Vincent Square, as well as on numerous Saturdays for matches (which take place also midweek). In order to help cope with the large pupil numbers involved, the School hires additional Astroturf facilities at Vauxhall Goals, Archbishops Park & Battersea Park.
Currently, the Station runs 10 full teams: 1st, 2nd & 3rd XIs, and A & B teams at U16, U15 & U14 age groups, as well as a Girls’ 1st XI. The School’s fixture list is strong, including nearly all the major football-playing Independent Schools within appropriate geographical range, with the 1st XI playing circa 30 matches per season. In addition to the Cup competitions mentioned already, the 1st XI, 2nd XI & U15s compete in the Elgin Capital League, the 1st & 2nd XIs play in the London Independent Schools’ Cup, and the 1st XI have competed also in the ESFA Cup since 2019-20. On top of these fixtures, there are also 3 House Competitions – Senior 11-a-sides, Senior 6-a-sides, and Junior 6-a-sides – which are held in the latter half of the season.
Westminster Football has enjoyed considerable success in recent years, winning the ISFA Sixes Plate Competition in 2019-20 as well as three recent quarter-final appearances in the Boodles ISFA U18 Cup, and thrice finishing as runners-up in both the London Independent Schools’ Cup and the Elgin Capital League. In addition, the School has provided several players to ISFA representative teams at U14, U15, U16 & U18 (boys & girls) level.
Main Responsibilities
Westminster School is seeking to appoint a football coach (YOUTH DEVELOPMENT PHASE 8-18 Years), to divide their coaching between the Great School and the Under School.
For both the Great School and the Under School:
The core Health and Safety responsibilities are as follows:
Line manager
They are responsible to the Masters I/c Football at both Westminster School and Westminster Under School for implementing the Football Development Plan & Coaching Programme, developing players technically, tactically, physically, and psycho-socially in the youth development phase at both Schools.
Hours of work
For both the Great School and the Under School: With 2.5 hours per training session, 3 hours for a home match and 4 hours for an away match at Westminster School, plus 10 hours per week at Westminster Under School.
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.
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 a selective day and boarding school for boys aged 13 to 18 and girls aged 16 to 18. There are approximately 360 boys in the Lower School (Years 9 to 11) and 400 boys and girls in the Upper School (Years 12 and 13). One quarter of the pupils board, and the School is structured and run as a boarding school, with an extended day and week and a strong House-based system of pastoral welfare, for boarding and day pupils alike.
Westminster is an ancient school, whose origins can be traced to a charity school established by the Benedictine monks of Westminster Abbey. Its continuous existence is certain from the early 14th century. Henry VIII personally ensured the School’s survival by statute and Elizabeth I, who confirmed royal patronage in 1560, is celebrated as the School’s foundress. Westminster is rare amongst long-established schools in remaining on its original site in the centre of London. Its proximity to Parliament and Westminster Abbey, and the use of the Abbey for its chapel, together with the stimulating diversity of the South Bank and West End, account in part for its special atmosphere and outlook.
The School is one of the foremost centres of academic excellence both in this country and internationally. Central to its academic ethos is the dialogue between teachers and their pupils, whether in the classroom or in tutorials, inspiring enjoyment of intellectual enquiry, debate and search for explanation and the development of skills of rational, independent thought well beyond any standard examination syllabus. The desired environment is happy, busy and purposeful; the pupils are intellectually, socially, ethically and politically engaged, with plenty of opportunities to develop initiatives and to articulate and defend their views, in line with the enduring values of the liberal tradition reflected in the School’s Charter. That tradition is fully committed also to the nurture of 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 the preparation of young people for fulfilled private and public lives beyond School.
Westminster School has a long and rich history in the sport, dating back to the 18th century, and including competing against Charterhouse in the first ever inter-School Football matches in 1863.
Westminster was involved also in the establishment of the first FA guidelines and boasted international and amateur international players during the 1900s. The School is a full member of the ISFA (Independent Schools’ Football Association) and competes in the ISFA Sixes, as well as the U15 & U18 (boys & girls) ISFA Cup competitions.
The Station runs usually from September-March on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons from 2.10-4.10pm at Vincent Square, as well as on numerous Saturdays for matches (which take place also midweek). In order to help cope with the large pupil numbers involved, the School hires additional Astroturf facilities at Vauxhall Goals, Archbishops Park & Battersea Park.
Currently, the Station runs 10 full teams: 1st, 2nd & 3rd XIs, and A & B teams at U16, U15 & U14 age groups, as well as a Girls’ 1st XI. The School’s fixture list is strong, including nearly all the major football-playing Independent Schools within appropriate geographical range, with the 1st XI playing circa 30 matches per season. In addition to the Cup competitions mentioned already, the 1st XI, 2nd XI & U15s compete in the Elgin Capital League, the 1st & 2nd XIs play in the London Independent Schools’ Cup, and the 1st XI have competed also in the ESFA Cup since 2019-20. On top of these fixtures, there are also 3 House Competitions – Senior 11-a-sides, Senior 6-a-sides, and Junior 6-a-sides – which are held in the latter half of the season.
Westminster Football has enjoyed considerable success in recent years, winning the ISFA Sixes Plate Competition in 2019-20 as well as three recent quarter-final appearances in the Boodles ISFA U18 Cup, and thrice finishing as runners-up in both the London Independent Schools’ Cup and the Elgin Capital League. In addition, the School has provided several players to ISFA representative teams at U14, U15, U16 & U18 (boys & girls) level.
Main Responsibilities
Westminster School is seeking to appoint a football coach (YOUTH DEVELOPMENT PHASE 8-18 Years), to divide their coaching between the Great School and the Under School.
For both the Great School and the Under School:
- Delivery of weekly Football Coaching Sessions on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays – and possibly Fridays also - as outlined by the Masters I/c Football at both Schools
- Attendance at all Westminster School Fixtures – both home & away as instructed and outlined by the Masters I/c Football at both Schools
- Plan, prepare, and deliver coaching sessions in the youth development phase in tandem with the Westminster School Football Development Plan, Philosophy, and Coaching Syllabus.
- Complete all relevant information including registers, team-sheets, results, video analysis reports / feedback, and player reviews.
- Be responsible for maintenance of training / match balls, bibs, cones, and all other relevant equipment as required by both Schools.
- Attend all in-service and coaching days as directed by the Masters I/c Football at both Schools.
- Construct and deliver varied sessions to suit team / player needs when circumstances dictate it i.e. strength and conditioning, recovery, video analysis, or fitness testing.
- Multi-disciplinary communication between staff, players, and parents to ensure optimal well-being and development of all youth development phase players.
- Maintain honesty and integrity at all times when working with young players at both Westminster School and Westminster Under School
- Be presentable, smart, and personable at all times when representing Westminster School and Westminster Under School.
The core Health and Safety responsibilities are as follows:
- Lead by example, being diligent and observant at all times.
- Ensure a safe and respectable learning environment for all players and coaches to maximise their holistic development and ensure safety & risk are considered within all projects
Line manager
They are responsible to the Masters I/c Football at both Westminster School and Westminster Under School for implementing the Football Development Plan & Coaching Programme, developing players technically, tactically, physically, and psycho-socially in the youth development phase at both Schools.
Hours of work
For both the Great School and the Under School: With 2.5 hours per training session, 3 hours for a home match and 4 hours for an away match at Westminster School, plus 10 hours per week at Westminster Under School.
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.
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 a selective day and boarding school for boys aged 13 to 18 and girls aged 16 to 18. There are approximately 360 boys in the Lower School (Years 9 to 11) and 400 boys and girls in the Upper School (Years 12 and 13). One quarter of the pupils board, and the School is structured and run as a boarding school, with an extended day and week and a strong House-based system of pastoral welfare, for boarding and day pupils alike.
Westminster is an ancient school, whose origins can be traced to a charity school established by the Benedictine monks of Westminster Abbey. Its continuous existence is certain from the early 14th century. Henry VIII personally ensured the School’s survival by statute and Elizabeth I, who confirmed royal patronage in 1560, is celebrated as the School’s foundress. Westminster is rare amongst long-established schools in remaining on its original site in the centre of London. Its proximity to Parliament and Westminster Abbey, and the use of the Abbey for its chapel, together with the stimulating diversity of the South Bank and West End, account in part for its special atmosphere and outlook.
The School is one of the foremost centres of academic excellence both in this country and internationally. Central to its academic ethos is the dialogue between teachers and their pupils, whether in the classroom or in tutorials, inspiring enjoyment of intellectual enquiry, debate and search for explanation and the development of skills of rational, independent thought well beyond any standard examination syllabus. The desired environment is happy, busy and purposeful; the pupils are intellectually, socially, ethically and politically engaged, with plenty of opportunities to develop initiatives and to articulate and defend their views, in line with the enduring values of the liberal tradition reflected in the School’s Charter. That tradition is fully committed also to the nurture of 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 the preparation of young people for fulfilled private and public lives beyond School.