Head of History

Head of History

Full Time

Commencing: September 2025

Salary Scale: MPS/UPS plus TLR 2C 

We are seeking to appoint a dedicated and inspirational individual to lead our thriving and successful department. They should combine excellent historical and pedagogical knowledge to inspire students in and outside the classroom. You must be a reflective practitioner and be committed to continuing professional development and pedagogical research. This position would suit an ambitious and passionate teacher looking to gain leadership experience, or an accomplished leader seeking further experience in a new context. Our Outstanding Ofsted Report (February 2024) stated that “Leaders have designed a highly ambitious curriculum for all pupils. Teachers have excellent knowledge of the subjects that they deliver. Pupils’ work is consistently of high quality”. Ofsted highlighted the department for well planned and sequenced lessons that have a clear rationale: “Pupils apply their knowledge across different time periods, such as when studying the Norman invasion, the reign of Henry VIII or migration. This enables pupils to identify and debate more-complex issues of causation when they go on to study history at GCSE and A Level”

• Curriculum knowledge mapped clearly.

• SEND have ambitious curriculum.

• Recapping and revisiting through retrieval and do now.

• Strong subject knowledge across the department.

• Books reflect curriculum plans. Regular opportunities to revisit and recap; Pupils find this useful.

• Effective questioning.

• Clear understanding of pedagogy by teachers and Leaders.

Therefore, joining Barking Abbey School represents a rare opportunity to join an outstanding department.

This is an exciting time to join us. Our curriculum has geographical scope, depth, utilises enquiry questions & allows students to develop their understanding of key second-order concepts. We are a successful subject at KS5 achieving an ALPS 1 in Summer 2022.

Wellbeing & professional development, particularly subject knowledge, is prioritised in the department, in which you will be supported. The History Department is vibrant and ambitious and leads on several highly successful extra-curricular activities involving various trips to local archives, museums, workshops, to name just a few.

The full current curriculum for all year groups can be viewed on our website:

https://www.barkingabbeyschool.co.uk/home/curriculum/history/

Full details are provided on the job description and person specification.

Barking Abbey is an Ofsted Outstanding heavily over-subscribed dual campus secondary school in the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham, with a well-deserved reputation for academic excellence and a supportive professional environment.

The school is located less than 10 minutes walk from Upney tube and 15 minutes from Barking mainline station.

Barking Abbey celebrates its diversity, and we positively welcome applications from all sections of the community. If you are interested in making a difference in young people’s lives whatever your background or history please apply.

In return we offer:

·        A supportive and encouraging staff team

·        The opportunity to access a wide range of CPD opportunities within and beyond school

·        A school which understands the importance of staff well-being and workload management

·        A positive ethos with excellent behaviour reinforced by highly visible SLT and centralised behaviour systems

We are proud that Ofsted recently judged the school to be Outstanding in all areas. The report states; “This is a large and diverse school where difference is valued. Pupils, and students in the sixth form, are supportive and respectful of each other. Pupils’ conduct is exemplary, both inside lessons and around the school. Leaders have established simple and clear rules that everyone understands. Pupils are focused, engaged and participate well in lessons. Staff feel that their workload and well-being has been carefully considered by leaders. They appreciate their open-door policy”. (Ofsted, February 2024)

Please click here to find out more information about what it is like to work at Barking Abbey: https://www.barkingabbeyschool.co.uk/home/join-us/staff-vacancies/

Barking Abbey is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and is an Equal Opportunities Employer.

This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and a comprehensive screening process, including Disclosure check, will be undertaken on all successful applicants. Online searches may be conducted for all shortlisted candidates and will be conducted for all successful candidates as part of our due diligence checks.