Lady Margaret School:
Development Officer
One of London’s highest-performing state schools needed a standalone fundraiser with the strategic and relational skills to lead a £1.4 million five-year programme, and the cultural fit to earn the trust of a tight-knit school community.
The school
A state school pioneer in fundraising
Lady Margaret School introduced The Rose Fund in 2012 and appointed its first professional fundraiser in 2019, years ahead of most state schools. When their Head of Fundraising departed in 2024, rather than a like-for-like replacement they reset strategy entirely, commissioning a new 2026–2029 Fundraising Strategy before making the next appointment.
With 91% of students achieving GCSE English and Maths at grades 9–4 and an Outstanding Ofsted rating, LMS has the community profile, alumni loyalty, and institutional credibility to sustain a serious fundraising programme.
Role overview
The brief
The Development Officer would take sole ownership of the school’s fundraising function, combining major donor cultivation, regular giving, alumni engagement, Gift Aid, CRM management, and event-based relationship building. No team, no line reports. A direct line to the Headteacher, Bursar, and Governors.
The five-year target: raise £1.4 million for The Rose Fund, with a minimum of £275,000 per year.
The placement challenge
Two talent pools — neither a perfect fit
Six candidates were interviewed from two distinct backgrounds. The split was deliberate: the school wanted to test whether sector knowledge could substitute for fundraising technique, and vice versa.
Strong community trust, stakeholder fluency, and an instinctive understanding of how a school community works. But often lacking the technical fundraising depth, major donor moves management, CRM practice, Gift Aid administration, that a standalone strategic role demands.
Proven income-generation track records and technical credibility. But sometimes underestimating the complexity of a school community, the governance structure, the Christian ethos, the intimacy of parent and alumni relationships, and the culture of a high-performing girls’ school.
This is a rare opportunity to build a sustainable fundraising programme in one of London’s highest-performing state schools.
— Lady Margaret School, recruitment brief
What this tells us
State school fundraising is a real and growing market
Lady Margaret School is not typical — it has been fundraising professionally for over a decade and enters this appointment with a clear multi-year strategy. But it represents the direction of travel. As government funding continues to fall short of the true cost of a well-rounded education, more high-performing schools and MATs will look to build development functions.
The agencies and candidates who establish credibility in this space now — who understand the difference between a school community and a charity donor base — will be the ones schools turn to when they are ready to make the hire.
Working on a similar brief?
Rory White · [email protected] · 07905 175133