Head of Religious Education

About St Philip Howard Catholic School

SPH is a co-educational 11-18 Catholic comprehensive school, which in April 2017 became an academy leading the Bosco Catholic Education Trust. The school and Trust’s ethos is based on its Catholic character with collaborative relationships and high standards being central to our work. As a consequence, both students and staff are happy, positive and enjoy their time at school.

Academic standards at SPH are outstanding with students achieving very well at all levels. In recent years and prior to Centre-Assessed Grades, GCSE progress scores have exceeded 0.5 with over 85% of students achieving 5 or more GCSEs at 4+. A Level outcomes have been equally impressive, putting SPH top in West Sussex for non-selective Sixth Forms. Despite the fact that these results place us in the Top 15% nationally, we have the belief that “getting better never stops!” We are determined to be outstanding in all aspects of our work as a school and pursue this goal relentlessly. There is a great team here at SPH; we are all determined to be the very best we possibly can be and hope that you will be up for this challenge too.

A great deal of emphasis is placed upon extra-curricular life at SPH and outside the formal curriculum there are numerous opportunities for students to take part in a wide range of activities: drama, sport, music, exchanges, days of reflection, Duke of Edinburgh and trips, both nationally and internationally. We would expect you to contribute in some way to this important side of school life should you be successful in your application.

SPH is heavily over-subscribed and is very highly regarded in the local community. Whilst students and staff are well supported, expectations of them are high. We are determined to recruit the very best teachers and those with great potential, to support and develop them in their roles and prepare them for promotion. That is why we invest heavily in professional development. Our staff are our number one asset and must be cherished if we are to succeed in achieving our goals. We are a strategic partner with Xavier Teaching School Hub and this continues to afford staff a wealth of opportunities for training and career progression.

We have a relentless focus on learning and the quality of teaching; under-performance will always be addressed and student outcomes placed at the heart of all we do. We were delighted to be graded as ‘Outstanding’ in every category at our 2016 inspection and retain this status in our recent inspection in October 2021. We believe this to be great affirmation of what we are trying to achieve. I hope you will take the opportunity to access the reports on our school website. As a strategic partner with the Teaching School Hub, we engage with other schools, share best practice and provide school to school support; all things which help to enrich the experience of working at SPH.

The challenge now is to continue to improve and become the best school in the country. Are you the person to help us achieve this goal?

The ideal candidate would be enthusiastic, ambitious and an excellent practitioner. We would expect at least two years’ hard work and good service. In exchange we will prepare you for the next step in your career.

I believe SPH is a fantastic place to work and I am always excited about the prospect of appointing colleagues to help drive the school forward. There are great opportunities here for the right candidate. I would be delighted to meet you in person or to discuss over the phone any aspects of the role, so please do get in touch.

I hope you decide that SPH is the right opportunity for you and I look forward to meeting you soon.

Area Information

SPH is located in the village of Barnham, 200m from the train station which has quick links to the surrounding areas, including main coastal link between Portsmouth and Brighton, as well as from London to the coast (London-Victoria 90 minutes, Brighton 40 minutes and Chichester 8 minutes). As well as from the immediate area, staff easily commute from Brighton, Portsmouth, Horsham, Guildford and Chichester areas, benefitting from reduced rail prices and an accessible road network.

Barnham is one of the 'Six Villages' of West Sussex and has a range of shops, schools, post office and mainline railway station. Nearby is the picturesque town of Arundel and the cities of Chichester and Brighton, accessible via the A27.  Within easy reach of the village are several golf courses, sailing at Chichester harbour, the horse racing courses at Goodwood and Fontwell, Goodwood motor racing circuit and aerodrome, some very good beaches and of course the South Downs which provide numerous opportunities for delightful walks. What an ideal place to live!