Head of Department - Science and Technology

About The Role

Do you want to be part of a family team who are committed to working together to deliver opportunities for all, that genuinely cherishes individuality and celebrates creativity - all in a rural setting?

You will provide strong and purposeful leadership for the department, demonstrating the highest ambitions for learning and rigorously instilling high expectations across the department. You will be expected to support and challenge staff to raise the standards of learning and the achievement of all students.

We require, for a September 2021 start, an enthusiastic and highly committed person who will be an excellent leader of Science and Technology.  Whilst the initial role is in Charles Read Academy there is great scope to progress to different schools and roles across the Trust allowing staff opportunities for Post-16 teaching, leadership positions and the chance to take on network-wide responsibilities such as a Subject Lead where desired. This role could suit an ambitious teacher reasonably early on in their career who has already demonstrated excellent leadership skills or a second in department who is ready to make the next step in their career. For the right candidate there are other whole school roles that could accompany this position; these include a pastoral role or a Raising Standards Lead.

About the Faculty

You will be supported by a Trust Wide Subject Lead and a community of fellow subject experts who meet regularly to co-plan curriculum and to share best practise. As a middle leader you will be supported by a comprehensive CPD programme both in school and via the science subject community meetings. The science department at CRA has strong links with the Institute of Physics to support with development of subject expertise.

The school is well resourced with two well equipped laboratories and one prep room which enable a wide range of practical activities across all year groups. You will have the opportunity to join an experienced and dedicated team of teachers and support staff who are passionate about science.

Pupils are taught separate sciences in Year 9 following the AQA GCSE Chemistry, Biology and Physics specification. In Year 10 students are selected to either continue studying separates science or AQA GCSE Combined Sciences. The GCSE results across that faculty have been extremely strong over the past 5 years.

About our Academy

The Charles Read Academy is an 11-16 school in Corby Glen, Lincolnshire and it serves the villages between Stamford, Bourne and Grantham. In 2016, we were ranked one of the most improved secondary schools in the country in the performance tables and were proud to be judged 'good' by Ofsted in all areas in January 2017.

We have a strong sense of purpose and are fervently committed to the achievement of every individual. We aim to provide a high-quality education in a safe, happy, caring and focused environment. We encourage all students to embody our values of confidence, resilience, ambition, courage, respect and aspiration. We are intent on developing a love of learning amongst our students, offering them a broad and balanced curriculum, enhanced by a range of enrichment activities designed to support their personal growth. We encourage all students to take responsibility for their own learning.

We are ambitious for every child, no matter what their background, prior attainment or needs. We are very proud of our community and believe we offer something genuinely different and exciting for those who join us. Our rural setting allows us the privilege of working in a stimulating and dynamic   school that, combined with our co-educational ethos and smaller size, engenders a culture that genuinely cherishes individuality, aims to instil creativity and independence and celebrates open-minded thinking. Underpinned by our values of Confidence, Resilience, Ambition, Courage, and Aspiration we are student focused and we believe that there are no limits for outstanding learning and outstanding achievement.  We have high expectations of our students and staff, high aspirations for them and demonstrate complete belief in them all.

We are looking for a leader who:

Has the capacity to generate energy and enthusiasm for learning

Will be able to raise achievement through motivating, challenging and inspiring our students;

Will be a reflective and resilient practitioner;

Will have a commitment to inclusion;

Will help foster a culture of high expectations and achievement within the department;

Will have a commitment to the school’s ethos and vision;

Will be able to establish strong relationships with students and staff ;

Will model professional standards across all areas of work.

About The Trust

Our schools work as a team and achieve great things through these partnerships. Our subject specialists, our trust-wide intranet, a common curriculum and our online learning resources all help us share knowledge and expertise simplifying work processes allowing staff to focus on high quality teaching.

We value our staff highly, and take work/life balance seriously; we realise a happy staff is an effective staff. The leadership of this Academy is determined to create an environment where teachers can carry out their core role of delivering excellent lessons.  We have a clear and simple behaviour policy that is easy to administer.  If action is needed beyond the basic classroom routines the pastoral and senior teams take the burden away from the teachers, conducting detentions, following up and dealing with parents on your behalf.

In addition to this, teachers are trusted to be professionals and as such we have:

·         No unannounced observations

·         No lesson grading

·         Meeting and INSET day time for joint team planning

Continuing Professional Development and Support

We aim to bring out the best in you as well as in our students and we understand the importance of quality CPD. Charles Read offers a range of development opportunities, with both internal and external providers for staff at different stages in their career.  We are responsive to staff needs supporting them with training and development so that they can deliver excellent teaching.

Being part of the Trust enables us to collaborate with a range of staff, both Primary and Secondary, as well as accessing CPD from HMIs and Ofsted trained staff.  We are always keen to develop all our staff in which ever career direction they wish to go.

Ours is a warm and compassionate community where students explore their creativity and discover their passions working alongside staff who are committed to enriching the lives of their students. We really believe that we are starting to do something really special for our students.

Apply now

To complete our application form, please click visit our website.   Please include in your application, an outline of how your skills and experience are relevant to this role and make evident how you will carry it out with distinction.

​​​​​​​Interviews are planned to take place on 17th May 2021.

​​​​​​​Charles Read Academy is committed to equality, safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. An enhanced DBS check is required for all successful applicants.