Head of Geography

Reports to: SLT

Start date:   September 2022

Contract:        Permanent 

Salary:               Ark Main pay scale: AM1-AM6 + TLR2B

The Role

• To take a lead role in the creation of a transformational school community by developing and leading an exciting Geography curriculum which enables the highest level of pupil progress and attainment.

• To lead and manage teaching and support staff working in the Geography department 

• To be part of a middle leadership team that are sharply focused on improving standards at the academy

Key responsibilities

• Lead the development of all subject teachers and support staff in the Geography department 

• Develop and maintain an outstanding quality of teaching and learning

• Ensure rigorous monitoring and assessment across the Geography department to enable students to achieve challenging targets 

Outcomes and Activities

Leadership of the Geography department 

• Lead and develop the department through the provision of CPD, inset training days, supervising NQTs, ITT students and support staff, etc. 

• Monitor, evaluate and continually improve the quality of planning, teaching, and assessment of the Geography Department 

• Manage departmental budget and resources effectively and efficiently 

• Lead behaviour management in the department, securing strong routines for learning, consistent with the academy’s policy, and liaising with tutors and parents when necessary 

• Develop strong partnerships and ensure regular communication with parents and carers 

Curriculum setting and assessment

• Ensure all staff have medium and long term plans to teach rigorous and rewarding lessons

• Ensure that the curriculum in Geography is appropriate yet stretching for all

• Implement regular and robust assessments that provide valid measures of student achievement

• Embed effective moderation of assessment practices to ensure reliability and validity

• Ensure all pupil data is understood and analysed by each member of your team so that it can be used to inform planning and intervention for sub-groups and individual students

Accountability 

• When required, participate in recruitment, selection and induction activities

• Take responsibility for the line management, performance management and appraisal of staff in the department in line with Academy policy 

• Manage the departmental budget and resources effectively and efficiently

Improving Teaching & Learning 

• Model outstanding teaching and lead collaborative planning and development, including the sharing of resources and best practice within the department 

• Be responsible for tracking student progress across the faculty, analysing all relevant data to make data-driven changes to the curriculum design and intervention strategies and using the data to monitor the performance of subject staff 

• Be accountable for student progress in Geography across the school at all key stages, ensuring that all students achieve results in line with, or better than, value-added predictions 

• Monitor the work of the department through rigorous and regular lesson observations, work scrutinise, and provide detailed, constructive feedback 

• Lead joint practice development across the faculty subject teams, ensuring that outstanding practice is shared with all staff in the faculty and the wider school, and work with other department heads to exploit cross-year and cross-curricular links 

• Plan, deliver, monitor and evaluate the curriculum provision and enrichment for all year groups within the department, consulting with the relevant subject leaders 

• Monitor the identification of and provision for students with individual needs, and develop differentiated learning and teaching methods and schemes of learning 

• Participate actively throughout the network, by attending relevant meetings, and, as appropriate, delivering network-wide training and initiatives 

Academy Culture 

• Contribute to the development of an Academy culture and ethos that is utterly committed to high achievement and exemplary behaviour

• Live the values of the academy by modelling caring and respectful behaviour

• Support the academy’s vision by contributing to the development and implementation of policies practices and procedures

• Work alongside other middle leaders to help create a strong community of learners, characterised by everyone seeking advice on how to improve and develop

• Support, work in collaboration and share best practice with colleagues and other professionals in and beyond the Academy

Other department related issues

• Offer enrichment opportunities that stretch and challenge 

• Work closely with the SEN department so that low attaining students are supported in making rapid and sustained progress 

Other

• Undertake other various responsibilities as directed by members of the SLT or Principal.

• Undertake the other main professional duties of a teacher as set out in the ARK schools pay and conditions of service document

Role review

This job description sets out the main duties of the post at the time of drafting. It cannot be read as an exhaustive list. These responsibilities will be discussed annually as part of the post holder’s annual performance review and are subject to change. However, it may be altered at any time subject to need in consultation with the post holder subject to the Principal’s approval.

Person Specification: Head of Geography

Qualification Criteria 

• Qualified to degree level and above 

• Qualified to teach and work in the UK.

Experience

• Experience of raising attainment in a complex urban environment

• Experience of establishing a high achieving department within a large and complex school environment

• Experience of leading, coaching and managing staff and securing accountability 

• Experience of delivering consistently outstanding lessons to students at all key stages 

• Experience of implementing behaviour management strategies consistently and effectively across a department 

• Experience of supporting students of all ages and abilities to make excellent progress and achieve impressive examination outcomes

• Experience of having designed, implemented and evaluated effective, imaginative and stimulating Schemes of Work

• Experience of leading successful enrichment and extracurricular activities which inspire and motivate learners.

Behaviours, skills and qualities 

Leadership

• Effective leader, team builder and coach

• Resilience, motivation and commitment to driving up standards of achievement and enabling 

• Positive role model to staff and students

• Vision aligned with EGA and ARK’s aspirations and high expectations of self and others

• Genuine passion and a belief in the potential of every student

• Motivation to continually improve standards and achieve excellence

• Commitment to the safeguarding and welfare of all pupils.

• Excellent communication, planning and organisational skills 

Leading the Curriculum

• Able to lead the development and review of an appropriate curriculum and schemes of work in the Geography department 

• Effective coordination, delivery and monitoring of  the assessment cycle 

• Active monitoring of student progress