Head of Department - History

Strood Academy is seeking a highly skilled Head of Department - History with a can-do ethos, drive, grit and boundless enthusiasm as nearly every day we experience something new for the first time. It is essential that our Head of History is a highly effective teacher with an exceptional understanding of curriculum design, is supportive of others and openly shares best practice, modelling this with their team.  They need to embrace a forward-thinking approach to both curriculum intent and implementation, with carefully sequenced high-quality learning experiences for our students. ​​​​​​​

We are seeking a dynamic teacher who encourages a love for the subject through their teaching and who has both the ability and commitment to inspire and develop the practice of colleagues in the geography department. The successfully appointed person will be an outstanding teacher; they will have a track record for achieving excellent outcomes and will possess the vision, creativity and energy to lead and drive standards in the department, ensuring future success for all learners.

What we are offering:

• Professional coaching and support.
• A bespoke CPD programme.
• A thriving social and community ethos.

We’d like to hear from you if you are:

• Collaborative, building strong professional relationships.
• Able to motivate and inspire students to achieve their full potential.
• Energetic with a ‘can do’ attitude.​​​​​​​

This is a permanent opportunity offering a MPS/UPS commensurate with experience + TLR  

If you have any queries regarding the role or the application process, please contact Rachel Cribben (Recruitment Coordinator) on rachel.cribben@latrust.org.uk or 01643 412 258.

Do you know a great teacher who would like to hear about opportunities with Leigh Academies Trust? If so, make a referral today for the chance to receive £100 as a 'thank you'. Simply complete the referral form by clicking here. T&C's apply.​​​​​​​

Working for Strood Academy:  Since opening in 2009, our academy has transformed the educational opportunities and outcomes for girls and boys in Strood. The improvement in academic performance has been driven by a talented and committed workforce, the hard work of our students, and support from parents and our community. Our new buildings in Carnation Road were designed in partnership with Nicholas Hare and built by BAM as our main contractor at a cost of £26m. They opened in September 2012 and have outstanding learning environments and outside play areas as well as fantastic sports facilities. The buildings reflect our education vision of creating a mature and purposeful educational environment where children of all abilities can learn and thrive.

Our vision is to be an inclusive community where we are all kind, respectful and resilient in our journey towards excellence. Our students thrive through an enriching and diverse curriculum that offers a global perspective, empowering all to become inquisitive lifelong learners.

Our core values are to be:

• Inquisitive
• Respectful
• Resilient
• Kind

Our purpose at Strood Academy is to:

• nurture students’ aspirations and build resilience within an environment of tolerance, respect and empathy;
• shape leaders within a global community;
• develop and celebrate knowledgeable and inquiring minds to promote lifelong learning and;
• help young people develop into well-educated, considerate and caring citizens.

We have a growing roll call of 1400 children, including 200 in Sixth Form. Working in our academy takes a lot of dedication and hard work, but for the right individuals, it can be an incredibly rewarding experience and contribute significantly to personal and professional development. 

Why work at Strood Academy?

• Our recent OFSTED inspection has confirmed that the academy continues to be judged ‘Good’ and is very strong in many aspects and areas. The full report can be found on our website and I would like to share a quote which reflects the culture and ambition we all have for our students. 

‘The principal advocates a culture of high expectations, aspirations and traditional values. Leaders’ high expectations are reflected in the ambitious International Baccalaureate curriculum. This provides a global perspective which encourages pupils to be inquisitive lifelong learners. To read the full report please click here.​​​​​​​

• Centralised behaviour system and detentions - simple for teachers to follow allowing disruption-free classrooms.
• Our commitment to the development of all staff - CPD on Wednesday afternoons and the opportunity to collaborate with staff from other schools in the LAT. Also, all staff at Strood receive regular coaching feedback through our online platform on-track.
• Strood Academy is easily accessible by A2 and the high-speed train can allow for travel into London in less than 30 minutes.
• We have a common sense approach to workload. All teachers are expected to feedback or live-mark. We also work closely as a Trust allowing for centralised resources to be shared across our secondary schools.​​​​​​​

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Our commitment to safeguarding: Leigh Academies Trust and all of our academies are committed to ensuring the highest levels of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of our pupils, and we expect all our staff and volunteers to share this commitment. We adopt a fair, robust and consistent recruitment process across all academies and business units which is in line with Keeping Children Safe in Education guidance. This includes online checks for shortlisted candidates - you can read more about this in our Recruitment Guidance. All offers of employment are subject to an Enhanced DBS check, references, and where applicable, a prohibition from teaching check.

​​​​​​​Our commitment to equality and diversity: As a Trust, we are passionate about diversity and recognise that as individuals, we all bring something unique to the role regardless of any protected characteristics which are why we treat all of our people equally, without compromise. We are committed to providing equality and fairness throughout our recruitment and employment practices and not discriminating on any grounds.​​​​​​​

Based on the quality and quantity of applications received, Leigh Academies Trust reserves the right to close this vacancy sooner than the specified closing date. Applicants will be notified of this where possible. Therefore, early applications are encouraged.