Fair Isle holds the record of being Britain’s most remote island with a population of 60. Now, residents are looking to recruit a headteacher to manage the local primary school.
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The successful candidate would join a teaching staff of two to oversee affairs at Fair Isle Primary School which currently has three pupils.
The new head would receive a salary of £56,787 a year plus an annual payment of £2,265 under the Scottish government’s Distant Islands Allowance.
The job posting
The scheme was introduced by the Scottish government recently to attract qualified professionals to live on remote islands.
Fair Isle, owned by the National Trust for Scotland, is one of the 94 islands hoping to benefit from this.
In an advert posted online, the school says it wants someone with a 'can-do-attitude.'
As well as the relevant qualifications and experience, qualities we are looking for are: a can-do attitude, vision, energy, initiative, good communication skills and self-discipline. The grade of this post is Depute Head Teacher and Head Teacher 3 and you must be registered with the General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS) before starting in post.
‘Great place to live’
Located between Orkney and Shetland, this idyllic island can be reached via a 25 minute flight from Shetland or by a two-and-a-half-hour ferry trip.
The island—roughly three square miles—is known for its natural beauty, knitwear and seabirds including around 10,000 puffins at the last count.
Fair Isle Primary School Parent Council chair Susannah Parnaby, told local media:
There are lots of opportunities for creative teaching... For the right person, Fair Isle is a great place to live and provides the opportunity to build relationships with the children and a supportive local community.
