harrishillschools

A guide for candidates

Thu, 27 Nov 2025 09:14:40 GMT

What should you expect if you're moving into the independent schools sector for the first time?

Ask around and you'll hear some widely-held preconceptions about independent schools, even though just 7% of the UK population have attended one as a pupil, much less as staff. But what is it really like to work as a teacher in this sector?

The truth is that it very much depends on the school: just as state schools encompass a wide range of sizes, styles and students, independent schools can be similarly diverse. We look at some of the aspects you're most likely to experience below, but these won't apply to every school, so it's always worth researching your choice in plenty of detail.

So, what should you be aware of?

If your state school experience has been characterised by overstretched class sizes, overstretched budgets and overstretched teachers, you might be tempted to see the independent sector as an easier option.

While it's often true that you'll be in a pleasant environment with better resources, don't assume your role will necessarily be less demanding: expectations may be higher and you may be required to take on a wider range of responsibilities.

Those responsibilities will almost certainly include significant extra-curricular activities. Independent schools look for teachers who can bring something to the school beyond standard class teaching, so there are great opportunities to express and develop your own interests, whether those be musical, sporting, arts and crafts, technological - there'll be plenty of demand for your talents and you'll be encouraged to use them.

Activities may well extend to more frequent trips and excursions than you may be used to - of course these will require your time but you'll also enjoy some great experiences and valuable opportunities to take learning outside the classroom.

Speaking of the classroom, expect a less rigid approach to the curriculum than you may have encountered in state schools. You'll have greater flexibility to design and plan your own lessons, and creativity is likely to be encouraged.

Independent schools are just for the wealthy and privileged, aren't they?

It's a common preconception but you may well be surprised by the diversity of your pupils and their parents.

Bursaries and scholarships account for a substantial proportion of attendees, while other parents may be making considerable sacrifices in order to fund their children's education.

Either way, with significant fees come significant parental expectations - parents will want to know they are getting the very best for their child, so expect plenty of contact. They may in fact be no more demanding than those you're used to, but do expect (and be prepared to provide) more frequent and detailed communication.

Looking at your career as a whole, you don't need to view the state-or-independent school decision as a once-in-a-lifetime choice.

There is increasing fluidity and co-operation between the two sectors: as an independent school teacher you can move back to the state sector, just as the independent sector welcomes state school teachers who can bring the qualities they seek. Don't forget that you can also gain your NQT within the independent sector.

Moving between sectors

Getting the job

Lastly a word on the interview process: typically (though not in all cases) an independent school will see fewer candidates but run a more personalised, in-depth process.

You'll spend longer at the school, probably taking a lesson or two and meeting people over lunch, and more time will be spent to ensure the right fit between yourself and the institution. As a consequence it may take two weeks or more to see all candidates, so don't panic if you don't hear back immediately, you may well be the very person they're looking for!

If you're considering a move into the independent schools sector and would like any further advice, please feel free to call us on 020 7820 7308 or email schools@harrishill.co.uk

Welcome to Harris Hill Independent Schools

Thu, 27 Nov 2025 09:14:40 GMT

We’re delighted to bring you the latest version of our website, newly refreshed and updated. It’s a new look but the structure is largely unchanged, so whether you’re a regular visitor or new to the site we hope you’ll have no trouble finding your way around.

If you’d like a brief overview of what we do, you’ll find it on the ‘ About us ’ page, highlighting some of the ways in which we can help you. If you’d prefer a little more detail however, read on.

A recruitment agency for independent schools?

It’s unusual, we know. In fact, we’re the only such recruiter in the UK dedicated exclusively to independent schools.

Operating since 2011, we recruit nationwide (and occasionally further afield) for many leading independent preparatory and senior schools, including boarding and day schools, mixed and single-sex institutions. The majority of our vacancies are for teaching staff, ranging from Early Years to 'A' Level subject specialists, heads of department and head teachers, but we also have a strong record of filling non-academic posts such as development or bursary roles.

Working with a specialist recruiter may not be the standard approach in this sector, but as our ever-growing record of successful placements shows, an increasing number of schools and teachers are seeking our help and getting great results from doing so.

Whether you’re trying to fill a position or find one, it can often become a significantly bigger task than first expected; almost a job in itself. Working with us can lighten the workload, save you time and enhance your prospects of success.

Thanks to our extensive networks within the sector, we can often expand your reach too, introducing talent and opportunities that you may not otherwise encounter.

To explain how, let’s look at each scenario in turn.

Why work with us?

Finding your next opportunity

If you’re searching for a new position in an independent school, there are clear advantages to having us in your corner.

We can bring you to the attention of more schools, more quickly than you can do so alone.

School applications tend to require considerable time and effort, limiting the number you can approach. However, as a registered Harris Hill candidate, we can put you forward – with your permission of course – for a wider range of opportunities more easily, and will often get a sense of the likely response. This may not bypass the application process altogether, but can help to ensure your best efforts are directed where they’re most likely to succeed.

Recommending you to a school can improve your chances too, showing that a knowledgeable, trusted specialist has already reviewed your details and believes you're worth their consideration.

As a direct applicant, even a superb application and interview leaves you no further forward if it doesn’t actually get you the job.

However, as a Harris Hill candidate, every strong performance boosts our confidence in putting you forward for more opportunities with a diverse range of excellent schools.

Most importantly, you'll benefit from our comprehensive support at every stage of the process.

From your CV and covering letter to what to say during interviews, and even when you’ve started in the role, you won’t have to do it alone. We’re always available to offer detailed guidance and expertise, and our candidates often cite the tailored, end-to-end support they receive as a key factor in securing a far better job than they imagined possible.

Recruiting for your school

If you’re seeking new staff, we’re perfectly placed to help you, with a network of thousands of talented education professionals across the country, and highly effective methods of reaching more.

However, while job-seekers make their own decision to register with us, as an employer, you’re likely to need agreement from multiple stakeholders if you're hoping to diverge from your school’s established recruitment process.

As such, you’re likely to encounter (or may share) some reservations about working with an agency, around issues such as candidate quality, costs and understanding of the school, so let’s look at five of the most common concerns and misconceptions.

‘An agency might increase the quantity of applicants, but at the expense of quality’

It's an understandable concern, but that won't be your experience with us. We only put applicants forward whom we have interviewed face to face, vetted thoroughly, and found to be a close fit with your requirements.

We’ve built a name for effectiveness, diligence and quality service, but ultimately, our continued existence relies on providing high quality candidates you want to employ, so it serves neither your interests nor ours to deliver anything less.

And in the rare event that such candidates can’t be found, we’ll discuss with you the reasons and potential solutions, in the open and honest manner that characterises our whole approach.

‘It’ll be expensive...’

Much as we’d like to, it wouldn’t be possible to provide a service of this quality at zero cost, but our rates are highly competitive and importantly, only charged if we deliver the result you need: successfully filling the position.

If we can't, you pay nothing, making it risk-free to engage our services, which can even run alongside your own recruitment process if preferred.

Fees only enter the equation if it’s one of our candidates you’d like to appoint, and even then, they're significantly offset by the savings made in terms of your own time and resources. Not to mention any costs you would otherwise incur for advertising the role, which is included in our service free of charge.

Absolutely not. We do the legwork on your behalf – sourcing candidates, arranging interviews, maintaining communications – and offer our professional advice when requested, but at every stage, the key decisions are yours and yours alone.

You’ll never get the ‘hard sell’ from Harris Hill, because we value long term partnerships over short term fixes. Put simply, we'd much rather you're delighted with the outcome than persuaded to settle for something less, because it's only in the first instance that you might come back to us next time.

'We’ll be put under pressure to accept candidates who aren't quite right for us'

'It’s hard to define what makes someone right for our school, but we know immediately when we see it. An agency won’t.'

It's true there's n o shortcut to that instinctive understanding that only develops with time, and that's why you're a vital part of the process at every stage.

However we do make extensive efforts to ensure that we fully understand the unique ethos of your school and what makes it distinctive, taking the time to visit where possible, to ask plenty of questions (ideally of several people), and above all, to listen with great care to your requirements.

Finding the right person is never just about ticking the right boxes; it’s about sharing an outlook, values and goals - and our extensive experience in the sector helps us to identify those individuals and schools who not only fit together, but will naturally elevate each other.

We fully appreciate the importance of courtesy, clarity and professionalism both within the sector, and in setting your school apart. So when acting as your representatives, we take our responsibility to reflect your own high standards very seriously indeed.

Our service is carefully tailored to the needs of your school, and here, our size is a real advantage, giving us the agility to adapt our approach as needed to be closely in line with your own.

In every interaction, we take great care to ensure that candidate perceptions of your school are only enhanced, not diminished, by their experience of the recruitment process.

Applicants won’t get the same quality of experience that we deliver ourselves'

We hope this serves as a useful introduction to our services, and how we can benefit your search for new jobs or new talent. However, please don’t hesitate to get in touch if you'd like to know more, or would like our advice on a particular recruitment issue, by contacting Devra Farhi on 020 7820 7308 or emailing schools@harrishill.co.uk.

Good luck with your search!