Cricket Professional
- Job title: Cricket Professional
- Job Type: 12-week Fixed Term contract – Summer Term
- Salary: £12,000 - £15,000 depending on Qualifications & Experience
- Department: SpEx
- Reporting to: Director of Sport
- Location: Highgate, North London
- Start: As soon as possible
- Closing Date: 13 March 2023 at 12:00 am
Are you a high calibre individual with significant experience within a cricketing environment, either as a player or a coach? The successful candidate will be passionate about translating their positive experiences within the game to pupils and staff. The position would suit someone already working in a similar role in the sector, or an experienced professional player or coach wanting to put his or her experience to use in a different context.
The Cricket Professional will support the provision of girls and boys cricket at Highgate from Year 3 to Year 13 (7-18 years old) in line with the School’s core values of participation and performance. We are looking for a candidate who will set an example with regard to top-class coaching and the values in which sport is played in the School, and support our other coaching staff in driving the programme forward.
The Department
SpEx is a pupil-centred programme which unlocks potential by exposing individuals to experiences and opportunities which guide them towards an outcome that they are invested in. Key to this is the unique way in which Sport and Exercise interact in each part of the programme. Specialist teachers and coaches are used to deliver SpEx at every stage and implement a curriculum which challenges every pupil.
Highgate has a long tradition of sporting success. Excellent links are already established with local sports clubs, Haringey Borough and Middlesex County, and keenly contested House competitions are held in many sports, providing additional competitive opportunities for many pupils. A number of Senior School SpEx tours take place annually for all age groups.
Thirty two full and part-time SpEx staff are supported by over thirty teachers in delivering the SpEx programme. The department is based around the well-equipped Mallinson Sports Centre, adjacent to the playing fields. The Centre comprises a large sports hall, cardiovascular training and weights room, swimming pool and mezzanine hall. There is a dance and movement studio, squash and eight Eton fives courts. The School has twenty acres of playing fields, including an all-weather pitch, which can accommodate ten netball courts, a full-size hockey pitch, or twelve tennis courts. Additionally there is multi-use games area which provides six cricket nets, three tennis courts, two netball courts, and a hockey training facility.
- To work in conjunction with the Director of SpEx, Head of Cricket and Head of Girls’ Cricket to create, develop and sustain highly motivated and technically proficient playing and coaching teams, which can promote high levels of engagement and participation as well as compete for trophies at the highest level of Schools’ Cricket.
- To support High Performance Cricketers through the existing programme as well as 1:1 coaching.
- To be an exemplary coach of cricket, leading by example and supporting other cricket staff in their coaching skills development
- To be responsible, alongside the Heads of Cricket, for the coaching of the School’s top squads but ensuring all teams are receiving a consistent and quality coaching provision across the foundation
- To assist in the delivery of match day logistics
- To work closely with the Heads of Cricket to ensure that a consistent, coherent pathway for player development exists in the school
- To deliver and support staff and players at all levels in all sport and training sessions as directed by the Director of SpEx
- To make arrangement for, support and deliver pre-season training camps in consultation with the Heads of Cricket and be available for any major cricket tours
- To deliver coaching sessions before and/or after school as well as analysis of players’ technique
- To support with the coaching of the Old Cholmeleian cricket teams
- To help forge links with local clubs, feeder schools, Middlesex CC and other cricketing bodies to create a joined-up approach to cricket in our local community
- To develop reputational recognition of, and value for, school cricket locally, regionally, and nationally
- To help deliver one to one sessions to cricketers as identified by the Director of SpEx
- To be available at fixtures and competitions in the summer term as required
- Criteria
- How will these be tested or verified?
- Qualifications and experience
Essential
- ECB, or similar, accredited coaching qualification(s)
- Experience of playing and/or coaching cricket in a high-performance environment
Desirable
- Experience or qualifications in a second sport
- Skills and abilities
Essential
- An ability to coach cricket to young people of all abilities.
- An ability to coach and develop talented players to representative level.
- Attitude and behaviours
Essential
- Flexible with a ‘can-do’ approach and able to work effectively without direct supervision.
- A good sense of humour.
- Ability to build strong relationships with pupils and key staff across the School.
- Commitment to achieve.
Desirable
- A willingness to be involved in the wider life of the school
Benefits
Location | Highgate Village, adjacent to Hampstead Heath, with quaint shops and easy connections across London.
Pension | AVIVA workplace pension scheme offered – 21% employer contribution, with the ability to flex up to 11% of this as additional non-pensionable salary, employees contribute a minimum of 5%.
Personal development | Comprehensive induction support for new staff. Focus on continued professional development for all employees.
Leisure facilities | Free access, at stipulated times, to our sports facilities, including a fitness suite and swimming pool (recently refurbished).
Holidays | Generous holiday allowance of 33 days (including bank holidays) for full-time staff. Most holidays will be taken during school holiday periods.
Lunch | A complimentary lunch including hot meals, sandwiches, salads, fresh fruit and dessert.
Help with sustainable travel | Access to the Cycle to Work Scheme and a Season Ticket Loan scheme for public transport.
Family-friendly policies | Highgate appreciates that employees sometimes have family commitments so we try to be as supportive as possible, for example with enhanced maternity pay (8 weeks’ full pay, then 10 weeks’ half pay) and paid dependant leave.
Working at Highgate
A culture of community, kindness and belonging
Highgate is a caring, open-minded community, where we promote kindness, empathy and friendship. Everyone who works and studies with us deserves to feel they are part of a welcoming environment that enables them to be themselves and to thrive as individuals.
Our community extends beyond the school, through partnerships, charity work and our commitment to equality, inclusion and sustainability. All members of our school community are encouraged to look outwards and play an active role.
In a recent ISI inspection (Dec 2021), it was noted that “Pupils show exceptional respect for, and appreciate diversity within the school and wider community, and their own and other cultures, demonstrating sensitivity and tolerance to those from different backgrounds and traditions.”
Staff wellbeing
Highgate is committed to staff wellbeing, which we promote by encouraging a strong work-life balance; trying our best to support flexible working requests; providing a nutritious complimentary lunch in the dining hall; and offering access to sporting facilities including our recently renovated swimming pool.
The Staff Wellbeing Committee, with representatives across the School, meets regularly to drive forward initiatives, and a selection of staff have been trained as Mental-Health First Aiders.
We encourage an open culture throughout our school, with regular staff surveys, action committees and opportunities to feedback. We strive for continual learning and improvement, and staff training and development is paramount. There are opportunities to participate in the wider life of our school, such as taking part in trips or societies and getting involved in partnership projects.
More details about working at Highgate can be found here:
Charitable work and sustainability
As an independent school, we want to use our position as a charity effectively: to make high-quality education accessible to as many children as possible – through our bursary programme at Highgate and through our work with local state schools. We have partnerships with over 60 state schools across 7 London boroughs, and we are the principal educational sponsor for London Academy of Excellence, Tottenham – an academically-selective state sixth form in a community where such opportunities are lacking.
Alongside this, our staff and pupils undertake charitable activities throughout the year. These range from staff giving up their time to neighbourhood schools and charitable organisations, focused fundraising campaigns, to pupils undertaking community work in the local area or further afield.
As a school, we have a central role to play in educating our pupils, staff and parents about the importance of environmental sustainability. We are taking positive action to adapt our operational performance to tackle the negative effects of climate change. We encourage all our staff to reflect upon their personal and professional practices, to support our environmental agenda and to make positive changes wherever possible.
Application procedure
- Closing Date: 13th March 2023
- Timing of interviews: To be confirmed
Contact: Stephanie Pride, Director of Sport and Exercise is happy to answer any questions about this post.
Early Application: Applications will be considered ‘as and when’ received and we may close the vacancy if we appoint before the closing date.
Apply hereInclusion
We know that more diverse teams are stronger teams, and that the more inclusive we are, the more our staff and pupils will feel a sense of belonging and will thrive. To enable us to make reasonable adjustments, please let us know of any disabilities (including neuro-divergence) when you submit your application.
Safeguarding
As this role will have regular unsupervised contact with children you must, if appointed, comply with Highgate’s Safeguarding Policy and Staff Code of Conduct. If in the course of carrying out the duties of the post the post holder becomes aware of any actual or potential risks to the safety and welfare of our pupils, these concerns must be reported immediately in accordance with the Safeguarding Policy. If whilst in the post, Highgate becomes aware of any safeguarding concerns to staff, pupils or the community; these will need to be followed up in line with the safeguarding policy and code of conduct which is underpinned by KCSE and other legislation. These concerns may need to be shared with other agencies. A copy of these policies will accompany all offers of employment. Training will also be provided to all staff to support Safeguarding practice.
Please read before you apply
Highgate is committed to the safeguarding and welfare of children and applicants must be willing to undergo child protection screening appropriate to this post, including checks with past employers, the Disclosure and Barring Service and overseas police check if necessary. Candidates from overseas must provide information about their past conduct, for example, by providing documents issued by overseas teaching authorities.
Please note that this role is ‘exempt’ from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and therefore, you are required to declare any convictions, cautions, reprimands and final warnings that are not ‘protected’ (i.e. filtered out) as defined by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (as amended in 2013). Shortlisted candidates will be asked to provide details of all unspent convictions and those that would not be filtered, prior to the date of the interview.
In accordance with the latest guidance from KCSIE, we shall be conducting online searches on any candidates who are shortlisted.