Principal Appointment

The Friends’ School (Hobart, Australia) is seeking expressions of interest from suitably qualified and experienced educators for consideration as the next Principal (Head of School), starting in January 2024. 

The School, founded in 1887 by a group of local Quakers with support from London Yearly Meeting, is frequently considered the best school in Tasmania and one of the top independent schools in Australia. It is the only Quaker school in the Southern Hemisphere, serving more than 1350 students. As such, it is one of the largest Quaker schools in the world. The School is co-educational and serves local and international families from Early Learning through to Year 12 as a day and boarding school (46 boarding students). The School’s focus is to implement its Purpose and Concerns, which is based on Quaker values and practices, through the Australian curriculum. Senior secondary students complete either the Tasmanian Certificate of Education (TCE) or the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme.

The School is a large and complex institution that is also responsible for an early childhood education program (Friends’ Early Learning) catering for children as young as 12 weeks old through to school entry, and a publicly accessible health and fitness centre that serves around 1200 community members. Both are year-round enterprises. Consequently, the School employs nearly 400 staff members including teachers.

Successful candidates must meet several regulatory requirements in addition to having the appropriate qualifications, experience, dispositions and skills. In order to be a Principal in Tasmania, candidates must first qualify to be a fully registered (certified) teacher through the Tasmanian Teachers Registration Board (TRB). In order to achieve this requirement, non-Australian candidates must have completed a government recognised teacher training program and obtained teacher registration or certification in their home country that will be recognised by the TRB. Information on the Assessment of International Qualifications through the TRB can be found here. All international candidates must also meet the Australian skilled visa requirements prior to employment. The School will assist the successful candidate to seek the appropriate visa. 

While the Rules of the Association which govern the School require the Board of Governors where possible to appoint a Principal who is a member of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), provision is made for the possibility of appointing a Principal who is not a Quaker but who is in sympathy with Quaker principles and practices. Applications from both Quakers and non-Quakers are strongly encouraged.

The Friends’ School is located 2km from the centre of Tasmania’s capital city, Hobart. Situated between the foot-hills of Mount Wellington and the estuary of the Derwent River, Hobart is the most picturesque of Australia’s capital cities and has a population of 235,000. It is the seat of the state government and of the State Supreme Court as well as the site of the main campus of the University of Tasmania. Hobart has a thriving artistic community with many galleries and a beautiful concert hall, home to the Museum of Old and New Art (MONA) and Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra (TSO).

Tasmania has a cool temperate climate, with four distinct seasons. Maximum temperatures average 21°C in summer and 12°C in winter. Hobart’s annual rainfall is 626mm, mostly falling in winter and spring. Tasmania’s air and fresh water are clean and unpolluted.

View more information about Tasmania, its destinations, food and wine scene, attractions and immersive experiences via the Discover Tasmania website