Queen Mary's School is a thriving independent boarding and day school for girls aged 0–16 and co educational from 0-8. Set within 40 acres of stunning grounds at Baldersby Park, a Grade I listed building between Ripon and Thirsk. Founded in 1925, the school is part of the Woodard Corporation and is grounded in Christian values of integrity, compassion, service and excellence.
The school is on an exceptionally strong footing, financially healthy, recently invested in major facilities, and led by Headmistress Mrs Fe Beadnell with a clear and ambitious 2025–2035 Strategic Vision. This is a school at an exciting inflection point: stable enough to invest boldly, and ambitious enough to grow significantly.
This is not a conventional school marketing role. Queen Mary's is seeking a commercially ambitious leader to drive revenue growth, lead a transformational capital campaign, and build the school's income from a portfolio of outstanding facilities, all while protecting and amplifying the school's distinctive ethos and culture.
- Lead the capital campaign for the Maryan Centre and market-leading Equestrian Arena — flagship philanthropic and commercial investments in the school's future
- Grow non-fee income from world-class facilities including a 15m swimming pool, full-size all-weather pitch, stabling and paddocks, and boarding house holiday lets
- Drive pupil roll growth through an ambitious admissions strategy targeting day, boarding, and international pupils − Build a major gifts and alumni donor programme from the ground up, creating a culture of philanthropy at Queen Mary's
- Launch and grow the school's new Nursery provision opening September 2026, expanding the feeder pipeline from 0–3 years
- Design and lead the school's Development Strategy, including a major capital campaign to fund the Maryan Centre and Equestrian Arena
- Build and manage a major gifts programme, identifying, cultivating, and soliciting significant donations from individuals, trusts, and corporate partners
- Develop and grow alumni engagement, creating a long-term pipeline of philanthropic support − Maximise commercial income from the school's facilities portfolio.
- Own the end-to-end admissions process, with clear conversion targets across day, boarding, flexi boarding and international pupil recruitment
- Develop and execute a boarding growth strategy, working with the Head and pastoral team to strengthen and communicate the boarding proposition
- Lead the launch and admissions strategy for the new Nursery opening September 2026
- Develop the international admissions pipeline in collaboration with agents and partners
- Oversee UKVI compliance for international pupils and the Admissions Register
- Develop and implement an inspirational multi-channel marketing strategy that positions Queen Mary's clearly in its chosen markets
- Act as brand guardian, ensuring all communications reflect the school's mission, values and distinctive character
- Lead the school's digital presence: website, social media, SEO, and content marketing
- Manage media relations and PR, including crisis communications and reputation management
- Oversee the internal communications strategy, keeping the whole school community well-informed and engaged
- Conduct regular market and competitor analysis to inform strategy and positioning
- Lead, inspire and develop the Marketing, Admissions, Communications and Front Office teams
- Shape the team structure to meet the school's evolving commercial and reputational needs
- As a member of the Senior Leadership Team, contribute to whole-school strategy and collaborate across departments
- Manage the department's budget with rigour and accountability, reporting regularly on performance against targets
- Attend termly Governors' Marketing Committee meetings and prepare relevant reports
The Director of Marketing & Development is a Senior Leadership role reporting directly to the Headmistress and sitting on the Senior Leadership Team. The post holder will lead a dynamic team covering Marketing, Admissions, Communications and the Front Office, and will hold executive responsibility for the school's Development Strategy and commercial income.
The role demands a rare combination: the commercial drive and financial literacy to grow revenue, the creative intelligence to build a compelling brand, and the relational skills to cultivate major donors and strategic partnerships, all delivered with sensitivity to a school community built on values, trust and care for young people.
Commercial Development & Fundraising
Admissions & Pupil Roll Growth
Marketing, Brand & Communications
Leadership & Team Development
This role will be a full-time, on site role based in Thirsk and is paying £60k - £70k + package
