Head
Churcher's College
Hampshire/Surrey/Sussex borders
- Expired
- Salary:
- Competitive including on-site accommodation
- Job type:
- Full Time, Permanent
- Start date:
- September 2026
- Apply by:
- 23 May 2025
Job overview
Head - Churcher's College
Applications are invited for the position of Head at Churcher’s College, to succeed Simon Williams after over twenty years of exceptional leadership.
Founded in 1722, Churcher’s College is a prestigious co-educational independent day school, providing an outstanding education for approximately 1300 pupils aged 3 to 18. The school operates across two campuses in Hampshire: The Junior School and Nursery in Liphook and the Senior School and Sixth Form in the market town of Petersfield, both in the picturesque surroundings of the South Downs National Park. Petersfield was recently highlighted in The Times as the ‘Best Place to Live 2025’ in the South East of England.
As evidenced by various inspections, reviews and parental feedback, the children at Churcher’s thrive in an atmosphere of high expectations and achievement, learning in a nurturing environment where young minds can flourish and essential skills are developed for life in a fast-changing world. Through dedicated teaching and excellent pastoral care, underpinned by a strong sense of social awareness, pupils are supported to become confident, responsible, respectful, and selfless citizens. Amongst the children there is remarkable enthusiasm to also be very involved in activities outside the classroom. Extraordinary participation and elite levels of performance in sport, music, drama and the hugely exciting ‘Faculty of Adventure’ are complemented by a very broad range of other extra-curricular offerings.
Churcher’s College is an inclusive community, where strong connections between children, staff, parents, and friends shape its rich educational offering. The school consistently achieves excellent academic outcomes and value-added results, well above those achieved at similar schools, sending pupils to world-leading universities, music conservatoires, and drama and art schools. There is a flourishing ‘Futures’ programme supporting existing pupils as well as Old Churcherians after they have left school and the Richard Churcher Foundation providing financial support for those in need whilst at school.
This is an exciting opportunity for a candidate of the highest calibre to build on strong foundations and lead Churcher’s College into the next chapter of its development. The successful candidate will further enhance academic performance and ensure pupils receive a broad, well-rounded education that prepares them to thrive in the 21st century. The ideal candidate will have a proven track record of exceptional academic leadership, strong marketing instincts, and a palpable sense of energy and vision. Close alignment with the values and ethos of Churcher’s College is essential. The position comes with accommodation on site.
Further information on Churcher’s College can be found at
A candidate brief can be downloaded from
Letters of application, CVs and completed application forms should be sent by 09.00 BST on Friday 23 May to Freddie Dennis at Odgers Berndtson quoting reference CFD/92925
Churcher’s College is committed to 51ºÚÁÏ and promoting the welfare of children, and applicants must be willing to undergo child protection screening appropriate to the post, including checks with past employers and the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS).
Attached documents
About Churcher's College
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Churcher's College is an independent coeducational day school offering Nursery, Junior, Senior and Sixth Form education.
With over 1063 pupils at the Senior School and 245 pupils at the Junior School (excluding the Nursery) of approximately equal numbers of boys and girls aged 3 to 18 years old, Churcher’s College enjoys recognition as one of the most accomplished independent, co-educational day schools in the country.
The school is hosted on two campus sites in Hampshire enabling the Junior School and Nursery pupils to flourish in their own beautiful grounds in Liphook, whilst maintaining close links to the Senior School and Sixth Form located in nearby Petersfield. Both sites offer on-site playing fields and unrivalled facilities, providing the comfort and opportunities of an open, healthy environment.
Headmaster
Simon Williams, BSc, MA, (Dunelm)
Mission Statement
We seek to give the widest range of experiences and also the opportunity to excel. Children at Churcher’s College thrive in an atmosphere of high expectation but even higher achievement in a happy, well-disciplined and caring environment.
"Excellent examination results are clearly important; the achievement of these forms a core element of a child’s time here. Equally, the development of self-esteem, moral values and leadership are vitally important parts of a child’s education."
By developing the full academic, creative and sporting talents of the girls and boys, within the context of social awareness, our aim is to fully prepare them for all they will face in the dynamic and challenging world in which we live.
The pupils of Churcher’s College become confident, responsible, respected and selfless citizens in a world which will require gifted, flexible young people of character, dedication and compassion.
History
The College was founded under the will of Richard Churcher in 1722, a wealthy local businessman and philanthropist who made his fortune through interests in the British East India company. Churcher decreed in his will, dated 1722, that the College was, ‘To educate 10 or 12 local boys from Petersfield, of any age from 9 to 14, in the arts of writing, arithmetic, and navigation so they could be apprenticed to masters of ships sailing in the East Indies’. Churcher’s College was established as a non-denominational foundation under the terms of Richard Churcher’s will and has remained so ever since.
Richard Churcher died in 1723 and was buried in Funtington, the village of his birth.
Location
The original school accommodation was a beautiful 1729 building, which still stands in College Street, Petersfield. However, by the 1870s, pupil numbers had expanded substantially and additional space was required. An extensive new site was located close to the original College on Ramshill overlooking the town of Petersfield.
Churcher’s College continued to expand, in the twentieth century new buildings were added to the Ramshill campus including a new teaching block of 20 classrooms and the Sports Hall. In 1993 Churcher’s College expanded its horizons to include younger pupils; Moreton House School became Churcher’s Junior School. More recently, the Junior School pupils were relocated to their own 14-acre site in Liphook.
Now Churcher’s pupils enjoy expansive and impressive accommodation over two campuses with acres of greenfield space with the backdrop of the beautiful South Downs National Park.
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