Lead Practitioner of Physics

Join us in providing outstanding teaching and learning experiences for our pupils. We are looking for a qualified, experienced teacher to join Harris Science Academy East London as Lead Practitioner of Physics.

About Us

We are a co-educational secondary academy and Sixth Form with a mission to provide children in this part of East London with a truly world-class education.

Our curriculum is stimulating and challenging and our teachers are, across the board, experts in their subjects. Our approach to pastoral care means every student feels safe and can learn, and our timetable is packed with trips, talks, clubs, and activities that make the most of our location close to the centre of London. Since September 2022, we have been part of the Harris Federation, a high-performing group of 52 primary and secondary academies in and around London.

Our aim is to produce confident, ambitious and successful pupils who are able to pursue their goals. We abide by the following principles in order to make this vision a reality:

All children deserve the best education possible

Education is about more than achieving good grades. Our aim is to show pupils that ideas have the power to shape the world we live in. We want to instil a love of learning that lasts a lifetime.

A ‘well educated' pupil must have a good science education

A science education, grounded in the disciplines of mathematics, physics, chemistry and biology, is fundamental to understanding the world we live in.

Good teaching is the best way to open a child's mind

We expect all our teachers to intellectually challenge our pupils and utilise their extensive knowledge to deliver exceptional lessons.

The best pupils are open to questioning their own thought

A true measure of a critical thinker is his or her ability to accept criticism. Through knowledge of the beliefs of others, our pupils will be encouraged to develop a stronger sense of their own beliefs.

Pupils should be encouraged to strive to improve and develop new skills

We will foster our pupils' talents in the arts, sports and debate to create a space for all our pupils to thrive. Our teachers hold our pupils to high expectations, and we expect our pupils to hold themselves to the same standards.

We will provide our students with relevant skills to enable them to succeed in the modern workplace

Our technical education will open doors for pupils, by providing them with knowledge and skills necessary for them to achieve successful careers.

Main Areas of Responsibility

You will play a leading and highly visible role in the improvement of teaching and learning of the Faculty and academic success of all students, ensuring the highest standards of teaching, learning and achievement and leading in the monitoring, evaluation and review of standards and provision in the subject area.

The general expectations of this role are:

• To collaborate as a member of the Lead Practitioner Team in order to build and realise the shared vision of excellence and high standards for all students.
• To account for students' performance in line with Academy procedures.
• To provide the Governing Body with relevant and accurate information relating to the Faculty's performance and development.
• To support and participate in the work of the Harris Federation, including strand or subject groups as appropriate.
• To contribute actively towards the formulation of all Academy policies and procedures, ensuring their consistent implementation.
• To ensure high quality teaching and learning in the Faculty or across the Academy.
• To participate in duties at lunch, break, before, during and after school the Academy day.
• To ensure that the subject knowledge of staff in the Faculty is exemplary.
• To ensure that behaviour in the Faculty is exemplary.
• To ensure that Schemes of Learning and Independent Work books are of a high quality.

Qualifications & Experience

The successful candidate will:

• Hold QTS (or equivalent) and a relevant undergraduate degree, and, ideally, be able to show evidence of ongoing professional development
• Demonstrate outstanding teaching practice and excellent behaviour management
• Have experience of lesson observations and giving robust feedback
• Have experience of improvement planning and of implementing a range of strategies to raise student achievement, with evidence of success
• Be able to contribute to improving on the quality of learning and teaching and curriculum
• Have a proven track record of excellent results at KS3 and 4, and, ideally, experience of teaching to KS5
• Have experience of high quality pupil tracking and feedback practices
• Ideally, have experience of working with governors and of working in more than one school

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.