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Head of Art

Head of Art

Ullswater Community College

Cumbria

  • £28,000 - £43,685 per year
  • Quick apply
  • Expired
Salary:
MPS/UPS + TLR 2 minimum (currently £3017)
Job type:
Full Time, Permanent
Start date:
1September 2023
Apply by:
30 January 2023

Job overview

Hours: full time

Salary: MPS/UPS + TLR 2 minimum (currently £3017/annum)



  •  Are you an innovative and confident Art teacher who delivers motivating, high-quality lessons across all key stages?
  • Are you committed to driving up standards and ensuring that all students are challenged to reach their maximum potential?
  • Could you use your creativity and versatility to lead our vibrant and successful Art Department?
  • Would you like to live and work in one of the most beautiful areas of the UK, teaching keen and dedicated students in a school with high ambitions for all?



Then we would welcome an application to lead our successful and well-regarded Art Department. This permanent position will start on 1 September 2023; we are happy to consider part-time or job-share applications, depending on your situation.

We are looking for an ambitious and enthusiastic teacher and leader with excellent knowledge of a broad range of art, design and craft skills to join our friendly and hard-working team.

The Art Department at UCC delivers fine art and photography at GCSE; fine art, art textiles and photography at A level; and Entry-level Creative Crafts, all with above-national-average exam achievement. We have an impressive suite of rooms and studios with excellent facilities and are highly respected within the school and wider community. Our dedicated sixth form space doubles as an exhibition space and life-drawing room. We pride ourselves on our students’ ambitious and mature work underpinned with solid knowledge and understanding of fundamental skills.

This is a great opportunity for an experienced teacher to work in a friendly, dynamic environment and to play a full and active role in the continual development of high-quality teaching and learning. We welcome applications from existing middle leaders, as well as those ready to step into a leadership role.


We offer our teaching staff:

  • A welcoming and supportive community, where staff really do matter – our Staff Wellbeing group is an integral part of the school culture.
  • An excellent middle leader programme, which is supportive and professionally run.
  • An outstanding programme of continuing professional development at all levels, which provides opportunities to develop the skills and qualities to progress your career.
  • A committed, supportive and approachable senior leadership team with a clear vision for raising standards and maintaining a responsive and professional working environment.
  • Cycle-to-work salary sacrifice scheme.


To apply: we welcome applications using either the TES application procedure or our own application form. This can be downloaded from our website, where full job details and comprehensive information about the school can also be found. Please don't hesitate to contact us with any queries (hr@ullswatercc.co.uk)


UCC is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and we expect all our staff and volunteers to share this commitment. The successful candidates will be subject to an enhanced DBS check.


Employment at UCC is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and the amendments to the Exceptions Order 1975, 2013 and 2020. This means that certain spent convictions and cautions are ‘protected’ and do not need to be disclosed; if they are disclosed, the school cannot take them into account.


Closing date for applications: 12 noon Monday 30 January 2023

Interviews will be held Wednesday 8 February 2023


Please note that we can contact only the successful applicants.

Attached documents

About Ullswater Community College

Information for candidates

Ullswater Community College (UCC) is a happy school, where students and teachers expect to treat one another with respect.

Location: situated in Penrith – a Cumbrian market town on the fringes of the Lake District National Park – UCC is just a stone's throw from Ullswater, the second largest lake in the Lake District.

Caring and well liked: a popular and oversubscribed school, at UCC we're intensely ambitious for our students, care deeply about all aspects of their success and value everyone’s unique differences.

Vision: our vision is to ensure that UCC is ‘best in county’ in all we do. Ofsted rated UCC as "Good" in April 2023. Subsequently, we were recognised as "Best Secondary School in Cumbria" at the annual NewsQuest Educational awards in October 2023.

Community: our wider community is incredibly supportive of our efforts. They value the relationships we develop with them and the wide variety of extra-curricular activities and other opportunities we offer.

About UCC

UCC is a larger than average 11–18 comprehensive school serving the biggest catchment area in England, including both rural and small urban populations.

We have been recognised as one of the most improved in the county and continue to strive for further progress. 

We are currently housed in several buildings of varying age but grouped closely together, with adjacent playing fields across a large site in the heart of Penrith. We have, however, recently been named in the school rebuilding programme and anticipate a significant investment or new build in the near future.

Our staff

UCC is a welcoming and supportive community where staff really do matter – our Staff Wellbeing group is an integral part of the school's culture. Our experienced, approachable senior leadership team has a clear vision for maintaining a responsive and professional working environment.

At UCC we invest heavily in staff development. We offer an outstanding programme of continuing professional development at all levels. Our excellent Early Careers Teacher (ECT) programme is supportive and professionally run.

We consider the well-being of colleagues in every development and encourage all to be fully involved in whole-school and departmental learning initiatives.

Our students

At UCC we pride ourselves on our fantastic students and on our curriculum offer, including for our sixth form.

The percentage of students with statements of special educational needs at UCC is around the national average and we are very proud to host a strategic facility for students who, in the main, have severe, profound or multiple learning difficulties.

The proportion of students who come from minority ethnic groups is very low at UCC, as is the percentage whose first language is not English, although this number has grown in recent years. The proportion eligible for free school meals is lower than the national average. Students come from a wide range of backgrounds, although the majority do not live in areas of significant social deprivation.

A large number of children use school transport; some travelling a considerable distance to reach school each day.

Our pastoral system

Our strong pastoral system is organised on a horizontal basis and most teachers are Form Tutors, in which important aspect of their work they are led and supported by Leaders of Achievement and Success.

These year-group teams deal with the academic progress, welfare and discipline of our students. Our Leaders of Achievement and Success maintain close working contact with parents and with external agencies, ensuring we do everything possible to enable all our students to succeed.

Join us

All those associated with UCC share my pride in being part of something bigger - something that will make a difference to all our students’ lives and set them on their own path to success irrespective of background or ability.

I hope this has provided you with some background and context – please visit the school website to find out even more about our wonderful school.

Stephen Gilby, Headteacher

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Applications closed