Deputy Director of English

Are you a senior leader or middle leader looking for your next step in school leadership? This may be the role for you. We are looking for a qualified, experienced teacher to join our academy as Deputy Director of English for the secondary phase at Harris Garrard Academy. As Deputy Director, you will join a dedicated and open team of professionals supporting the wider academy team.

Harris Garrard Academy is a school with drive and ambition. Located in the wider South Thamesmead area, we cater to a vastly vibrant 3-19 aged student community. Accessible by fantastic rail and bus transport links, the academy’s stunning working environment is within a purpose-built school designed by Norman Foster and nominated for the Stirling Prize for architecture in 2004.

Dedicated to moving forward

Our vision is clear: nothing is impossible and everything is possible, irrespective of personal characteristics or background. Every problem has a solution. We believe we are more robust, resilient and determined as a team than as a group of individuals. We support, challenge and hold each other to account at all levels within the academy to ensure that our students achieve their potential, are motivated, engaged and fully prepared for life beyond our academy.

As one of Harris’s successful all-through academies, staff at all levels belong to a strong, cohesive team working with Executive Principal Chris Everett and the wider SLT team. Staff can expect to grow with us as we continue to innovate and evolve as an academy. With ample opportunity to build on CPD, your potential is limitless with us.

The purpose of your role will be:

• To deputise for the Director. To assist in leading the creation and establishment of outstanding provision within the subject area. This to include all programmes, systems and structures taking account of the academy’s values and vision leading to outstanding teaching and learning.
• To be accountable for student progress and development in the subject area across KS3, KS4 and post 16, including meeting student achievement targets for subject areas which are agreed by the Principal and the Governing Body.
• To ensure high standards of teaching and learning across the subject area through continuously, developing and enhancing the quality of teaching and learning.
• To ensure the provision of an appropriately broad, balanced, relevant and differentiated curriculum for students in the subject area, in accordance with the academy aims and policies, as determined by the Principal and Governing Body.
• To ensure that all school policies and procedures are implemented and applied consistently by all staff in the subject area.
• To ensure agreed tutor programme is implemented and that tutors are effective in their role.
• To effectively and efficiently manage and deploy teaching/support staff, financial and physical resources across the subject area.
• To lead development for literacy, within subject areas, to raise standards of Literacy across the academy.

Your main areas of responsibility will fall under the areas of:

• Operational and strategic planning (including contributing to the subject and faculty improvement plans, and assisting in the development of appropriate syllabuses, resources, schemes of work, marking policies, assessment and teaching strategies)
• Ensuring the delivery of an appropriate, comprehensive, high quality and cost effective curriculum and leading development of the subject and its delivery
• Staff development (including assisting in recruiting, building and managing an effective team of motivated staff)
• Student outcomes (including assisting the director in ensuring the effective operation of target setting, monitoring and evaluation systems and the input and maintenance of accurate student data)
• Pastoral system (including being a form tutor to a selected group of students)
• Teaching, including acting as an outstanding role model

We would like to hear from you if you:

• Hold QTS (or equivalent) and a relevant undergraduate degree
• Have a minimum of one year’s teaching experience
• Have proven success in raising achievement.
• Show a high level of ICT skills and experience of how new technologies can be used to raise achievement
• Have recent experience of involvement in innovative curriculum development
• Show good understanding of creative whole school strategies for improving literacy and numeracy and the importance of this in raising achievement
• Have experience of embedding innovative strategies for Assessment for Learning and Learning to Learn.
• Be willing to use coaching as a model for ensuring on-going professional development.
• Have a proven ability to identify and implement strategies to raise standards of Teaching and Learning.

If you have any questions about this opportunity, please send us an email, or call to arrange a conversation.

Before applying, please download the Job Pack for full details on the job responsibilities and person specification. This will be helpful for you when completing your application, and throughout the recruitment process.

We encourage you to apply as soon as possible as we may interview and offer to a candidate before the closing date. Please note that we only accept applications submitted before the closing date via our careers website.

Our people are at the heart of our success. We have developed a strong culture of collaboration and best practice, with professional development and career planning at its centre. We invest in our staff with support, coaching, mentoring, and a wide range of top-quality training programmes delivered at every level.

In addition to the opportunities for career development and progression, we also offer a competitive rewards and benefits package which includes our Harris Allowance for teachers on MPS/UPS, a Performance and Loyalty Bonus, Pension Scheme with generous employer contributions, a Wellbeing Cash Plan and many other benefits. Learn more about our benefits on our website.

The Harris Federation and all our academies are committed to ensuring the highest levels of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people, and we expect all our staff and volunteers to share this commitment. All offers of employment are subject to an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check, references, an online search, and where applicable, a prohibition from teaching check will be completed.

The Harris Federation is an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applications from all suitably qualified candidates.

We value the diversity of our staff and students, and everyone at the Harris Federation is equally valued and respected. We aim to be an inclusive employer that reflects the communities we serve. We are committed to providing a fair, equitable and mutually supportive learning and working environment.