Head of Religious Studies

Are you a passionate teacher looking for your next step? We are looking for a qualified, experienced teacher to join our academy as Head of Religious Studies.

About Us

At Harris Academy Merton we promote the ethos ‘’Achievement is Success’’ and believe every student has the right to the highest standard of education so that they can accomplish their aspirations. Our aim is to give every student an educational experience that is enjoyable and holistic so that they develop into responsible, articulate and successful young people.

We combine the traditional values of strong discipline, good manners, respect and pride in appearance with contemporary best practice in teaching and technology. With these core values embedded, we develop our students into confident and capable individuals that have a desire to excel academically and personally now and in the future.

Main Areas of Responsibility

The purpose of your role will be:   

• To be accountable for leading, managing and developing the subject area.   
• To raise standards of student attainment and achievement within the whole subject/curriculum area and to monitor and support student progress.   
• To ensure the provision of an appropriately broad, balanced, relevant and differentiated curriculum for students studying in the department, in accordance with the aims of the academy and the curricular policies determined by the Governing Body and Principal.   
• To teach the relevant subject across the age and ability range.   
• To facilitate and encourage a learning experience which provides students with the opportunity to achieve their individual potential.   
• To effectively manage and deploy staff, financial and physical resources within the department.   
• To share and support the school’s responsibility to provide and monitor opportunities for personal and academic growth.

Your main areas of responsibility will fall under the areas of:   

• Operational and strategic planning (including formulating the subject and faculty improvement plans, and leading the development of appropriate syllabuses, resources, schemes of work, marking policies, assessment and teaching strategies)   
• Ensuring the delivery of an appropriate, comprehensive, high quality and cost effective curriculum and leading development of the subject and its delivery   
• Staff development (including recruiting, building and managing an effective team of motivated staff)   
• Student outcomes (including ensuring the effective operation of target setting, monitoring and evaluation systems and the input and maintenance of accurate student data)   
• Pastoral system (including being a form tutor to a selected group of students)   
• Teaching, including acting as an outstanding role model

Qualifications & Experience

The successful candidate will:   

• Hold QTS (or equivalent) and a relevant undergraduate degree, and, ideally, management training   
• Demonstrate successful teaching of GCSE at good or better level   
• Have experience of initiation and effective management of change   
• Show evidence of raising achievement in present post and showing good value added for groups   
• Have knowledge of current curriculum developments in subject and their implications   
• Have good knowledge and understanding of current educational thinking   
• Show good understanding of how children learn and how to raise standards of achievement   
• Have good communication skills in speech and writing   
• Display excellent organisational skills   
• Be able to build and sustain professional standards and relationships with students   
• Be able to contribute towards creating a safe and protective environment

Next Steps

If you have any questions about this opportunity, please contact us via e-mail, or call to arrange a conversation.

Before applying, please download the Job Pack for full details on the job responsibilities and person specification. You will need this when completing your application.

Please note: we may hold interviews as and when applications are received and we reserve the right to offer to a candidate prior to the closing date. We only accept applications submitted online via our careers website and which are completed before the closing deadline. With this in mind, we encourage you to apply as soon as possible and advise you check the job information as per the listing on our careers site.

Professional Development & Benefits

Our people are at the heart of our success. We have developed a strong culture of collaboration and best practice, with professional development and career planning at its centre. We invest in our staff with support, coaching, mentoring, and a wide range of top-quality training programmes delivered at every level to senior leadership.

We look for talented individuals who share our vision for creating exceptional places of learning, and are committed to ensuring that every child in London has access to the best possible education.

In addition to the opportunities for career progression, training and development, we also offer a competitive rewards and benefits package which includes our Harris Allowance, a Performance and Loyalty Bonus, Pension Scheme, a Wellbeing Cash Plan and many other benefits.

Safeguarding Notice

The Harris Federation and all our academies are committed to ensuring the highest levels of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, and we expect all our staff and volunteers to share in this commitment. All offers of employment are subject to an Enhanced DBS check, references, and where applicable, a prohibition from teaching check will be completed for all applicants. Before applying, please review our Policy Statement on the Recruitment of Ex-Offenders.

Equal Opportunities

The Harris Federation is an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applications from all suitably qualified candidates.

As a provider of employment and education, we value the diversity of our staff and students, and all our staff are equally valued and respected. We are committed to providing a fair, equitable and mutually supportive learning and working environment for our students and staff.