Teacher of English

Inspire, transform, teach! We are currently looking to appoint a dedicated and inspiring Teacher of English.

At Harris Academy Purley, you will join a dedicated team of teachers and staff supporting our vibrant students. If you are looking for an opportunity to grow, inspire and develop, this may be the role for you.

About Us

Working at Harris Academy Purley, you will make a real difference to the lives of young people and their families in South London who value the learning and school environment we offer. Our school is oversubscribed; we have families, from a number of boroughs, who choose us for the high standard of education we provide, and staff come from across London as well as Sussex and Surrey to come and work with us.

You will be given ample opportunities to develop and progress your career, and all staff are encouraged to develop their interests and areas of expertise. Our professional development is tailored to ensure all staff are able to continue learning regardless of their role or stage of career.

We strive for excellence and have high ambitions for the future whilst ensuring we maintain a clear focus on staff wellbeing and work-life balance. Our motto: To Learn, To Think, To Act is as true for our staff as it is for our students, and we are committed to investing in your experience with us.

Main Areas of Responsibility

The purpose of your role will be:     

• To implement and deliver an appropriately broad, balanced, relevant and differentiated curriculum for students and to support a designated curriculum area as appropriate.     
• To monitor and support the overall progress and development of students as a teacher/form tutor     
• To facilitate and encourage a learning experience which provides students with the opportunity to achieve their individual potential     
• To contribute to raising standards of student attainment     
• To share and support the academy’s responsibility to provide and monitor opportunities for personal and academic growth

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

• Operational and strategic planning (including lesson planning, developing resources and syllabuses, and contributing to the departmental plan)     
• Curriculum planning     
• Staff development (including continuing professional development and engaging fully in the Performance Management Review process)     
• Quality assurance (including contributing to the process of monitoring and evaluating the subject area)     
• Management of information (including maintaining appropriate records and tracking student progress)     
• Communications with students, parents and other stakeholders     
• Pastoral system (including being a form tutor to a selected group of students)     
• Teaching, ensuring a high quality learning experience for students

Qualifications & Experience

The successful candidate will:     

• Hold QTS (or equivalent) and a relevant undergraduate degree     
• Have successful teaching experience at secondary level (can be teaching practice), ideally including experience in multi-ethnic urban schools and of working in an 11-18 school     
• Understand the theory and practice of effective teaching and learning     
• Understand the importance of high expectations and equality of access for all students, and of being a tutor     
• Have knowledge of National Curriculum requirements at KS3 and KS4, and of writing lesson plans, developing resources and assessing students' work     
• Be able to work as part of a team and to develop and maintain positive relationships with all staff     
• Have a good level of ICT skills, ideally including innovative use of interactive white boards     
• Be able to create a motivating and safe learning environment for all students     
• Be able to communicate positively with parents, carers and other external agencies where necessary     
• Have good written and spoken communication skills     
• Be able to lead and manage their own work effectively     
• Have excellent time management skills     
• Be able to motivate students and raise their aspirations through a range of strategies

Next Steps

If you have any questions about this opportunity, please contact us via e-mail, or call to arrange a conversation.

Before applying, please download the Job Pack for full details on the job responsibilities and person specification. You will need this when completing your application.

Please note: we may hold interviews as and when applications are received and we reserve the right to offer to a candidate prior to the closing date. We only accept applications submitted online via our careers website and which are completed before the closing deadline. With this in mind, we encourage you to apply as soon as possible and advise you check the job information as per the listing on our careers site.

Professional Development & Benefits

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 to senior leadership.

We look for talented individuals who share our vision for creating exceptional places of learning, and are committed to ensuring that every child in London has access to the best possible education.

In addition to the opportunities for career progression, training and development, we also offer a competitive rewards and benefits package which includes our Harris Allowance, a Performance and Loyalty Bonus, Pension Scheme, a Wellbeing Cash Plan and many other benefits.

Safeguarding Notice

The Harris Federation and all our academies are committed to ensuring the highest levels of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, and we expect all our staff and volunteers to share in this commitment. All offers of employment are subject to an Enhanced DBS check, references, and where applicable, a prohibition from teaching check will be completed for all applicants. Before applying, please review our Policy Statement on the Recruitment of Ex-Offenders.

Equal Opportunities

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

As a provider of employment and education, we value the diversity of our staff and students, and all our staff are equally valued and respected. We are committed to providing a fair, equitable and mutually supportive learning and working environment for our students and staff.