Associate Assistant Headteacher - Personal Development and Head of Department: Religious Studies

This is a Senior Leadership Team post to lead the School’s Personal Development provision and also lead our Religious Studies department. This role represents an excellent opportunity for an ambitious Head of Religious Studies to progress into a senior leadership role.

Rickmansworth School is an 11-18 heavily oversubscribed co-educational partially (35%) selective academy with approximately 1500 students on roll, increasing to around 1575 students over the next two years. Academic results are strong at KS4 and KS5 with the vast majority of students securing their first choice university destinations.

We can offer you:

• Excellent CPD opportunities
• A school currently rated Good by Ofsted where students’ behaviour is exemplary
• A professional working environment where teamwork is highly valued
• A partially-selective school with a focus on academic achievement (Progress 8 in 2021-22 was +0.53)
• Admission criteria where preference is given to staffs’ children
• A school which invests heavily in the future with £6M recent school expansion and strong ongoing financial support from our Foundation and PTA
• A hugely talented and cohesive support staff
• An outstanding wellbeing programme offering: 
• Fortnightly wellbeing period
• Flu jabs
• Free access to our first-class fitness suite and swimming pool
• Complimentary eye tests

The successful candidate will:

• Take the lead on whole school Personal Development provision including:
• SMSC
• PSHE
• Relationships & Sex Education (RSE)
• Character development
• Lead the Religious Studies department by providing a professional, positive, pro-active and creative approach
• Support the Leadership Team in implementing whole school practice, policy and vision
• Model excellent learning and teaching
• Lead curriculum change
• Lead the Religious Studies department by providing a professional, positive, pro-active and creative approach
• Be an excellent teacher of Religious Studies up to A Level and model best practice for others in the team
• Ensure students are at the centre of planning and teaching
• Engage and empower students with the skills to thrive as independent learners
• Contribute to whole school strategic planning; this includes writing schemes of work or long-term plans and creating and sharing resources
• Being an aspirational leader in order to introduce new and exciting courses to supplement the syllabus

About the Religious Studies Department

The aim of the department is to foster the naturally inquisitive character of our students while developing the critical and evaluative skills that help them make sense of the world around them. We encourage students to show their understanding of religious beliefs, teaching and practices by comparing and contrasting their own personal beliefs to those of a religious believer. The Religious Studies, Philosophy and Ethics department nurtures a love of learning and promotes intellectual curiosity through the topics covered; utilising an array of pedagogical approaches. We encourage students to draw upon current affairs and to demonstrate their understanding of the impact of religion through a range of activities including: research projects, presentations, class debates, re-enactments and writing essays of an evaluative nature.

At all levels in the School the department provides opportunities for students to enhance their interest in, and enjoyment of, contemplating and analysing religious beliefs, teachings and practices through provision of activities beyond the classroom. We organise enrichment days which involve guest speakers, discussion activities and trips to places of religious significance. The department is well resourced and has two dedicated classrooms. Religious Studies is taught across all Key Stages and achieves good results in public examinations. Students study Eduqas Hinduism and Christianity at GCSE and Eduqas A Level in Religious Studies, Philosophy and Ethics with the chosen religion being Buddhism; allowing for a comparison between Western Philosophical approaches and, what some may say, is an Eastern Philosophical system. The diversity of the subject and topics studied results in all students finding aspects of Religious Studies, Philosophy and Ethics deeply interesting.

For an informal discussion about the School and the post, please contact Matt Fletcher, Headteacher, via head@rickmansworth.herts.sch.uk.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and are an equal opportunities employer.  Applicants must declare any criminal convictions and submit to a check with the Disclosing and Barring Service as the post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974.  Further details can be obtained from the website www.rickmansworth.herts.sch.uk, by calling the School on 01923 773296 or by email to applications@rickmansworth.herts.sch.uk.

We are required for only shortlisted candidates to conduct online searches about an applicant as part of our shortlisting process in accordance with Keeping Children Safe in Education guidance 2022  in order to identify any incidents or concerns which are publicly available online.  On signing the declaration on application  you will be agreeing to the  acknowledgement  that such searches will be conducted as part of the shortlisting process.

Deadline for applications: 08:00 Wednesday 30 November  2022

Interviews: W/C 05 December 2022  (or sooner on receipt of application)

We reserve the right to interview and appoint prior to the closing date