Subject Team Leader Media Studies

Are you a passionate teacher looking for your next step? We are looking for a qualified, experienced teacher to join Harris Academy Ockendon as Head of Media Studies.

Perhaps Harris Academy Ockendon is the school you've been looking for. If you're ready to be part of something extraordinary, we'd love to hear from you.

A School That Transforms Lives!

At Harris Academy Ockendon, we are passionate about three things:

1. Creating a remarkable school for the community we serve – a place where students are inspired, challenged, and supported to grow into well-rounded, ambitious, and successful young people, ready to put a ding in the universe.
2. Your path to professional excellence – we believe in nurturing talent, growing together, and empowering futures. Just as we are dedicated to our students, we are equally committed to ensuring our staff thrive and have the support and opportunities they need to succeed.
3. Work-life balance matters – being an exceptional school should not come at the cost of well-being. HAOC is a life-friendly school where teaching and leading with balance is a priority. At HAOC work fits your life.

Being great at number 1 and number 2 should not mean we can't do number 3!

A School That Inspires Excellence

We are an 11-18 academy with a thriving Sixth Form, set in a modern, welcoming building designed to ignite curiosity and ambition. In February 2024, Ofsted rated us ‘Outstanding' in every category, stating:

“Pupils benefit hugely from attending this remarkable school. Staff and leaders' sky-high expectations are immediately evident in pupils' scholarly demeanour. The school and trust have created a centre of true excellence. Pupils experience an extraordinary education at Harris Academy Ockendon.”

But what truly defines us is our culture. We help our students and staff dream bigger than they ever thought possible and support them in turning those dreams into reality. At HAOC, three values shape everything we do: Work Hard. Be Kind. Take Responsibility.

These are not just words; they are the foundation of a school where people feel valued, supported, and inspired to be their best.

Why Join Us?

• A high-achieving, inspiring 11-18 academy with a Sixth Form full of ambitious young people.
• A stunning, modern school building that provides an exceptional learning and working environment.
• An unbeatable location, just outside the M25, attracting staff from across Essex and London. Many of our team travel from Kent, Surrey, Southeast, and Central London because they love the school so much!
• A supportive, well-balanced working culture, where your professional growth matters, but so does your well-being.
• The backing of the Harris Federation, one of the most successful school groups in the country, while maintaining a unique and vibrant school identity.

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

We would like to hear from you if you:

• 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
• Are able to build and sustain professional standards and relationships with students
• Are able to contribute towards creating a safe and protective environment

For a full job description and person specification, please download the Job Pack.

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 young people, and we expect all our staff and volunteers to share this commitment. All offers of employment are subject to an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check, references, an online search, and where applicable, a prohibition from teaching check will be completed.

Equal Opportunities

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

We value the diversity of our staff and students, and everyone at the Harris Federation is equally valued and respected. We aim to be an inclusive employer that reflects the communities we serve. We are committed to providing a fair, equitable and mutually supportive learning and working environment.