Head of Department Art, Design & Technology

Salary: Inner London M1-UPS3 (£38,766 to £60,092) Plus TLR1A £9,973

Required for: September 2025 or January 2026

Closing Date: Friday 20th June 2025 (by 8:30am)

Interview Date: TBC

Main salary dependent upon experience. Please note that Cardinal Pole reserves the right to interview and appoint prior to the closing date.

We are looking for an exceptional teacher to head up an outstanding department which promotes excellent teaching and learning in order to secure outstanding outcomes, and who works well with staff and students to inspire a love of Art, Design & Technology. The department has highly experienced and stable staff that are in a position to support professionals at all stages of their career.

Our school is built on strong foundations of discipline and moral purpose. We offer a lively, dynamic and highly successful environment in which to achieve. We are also a faith community, providing an inclusive and enriching education which cares deeply about the wellbeing and development of our children and our community.

Cardinal Pole School is an inclusive school where all members of the school community are of equal worth and each have the opportunity to be the best that they can be. We are a community of service guiding young people on a path to opportunity, aspiration and reward, founded on Catholic values.

We seek to ensure that everyone is treated with dignity and respect. We also make sure all our students pursue a rich programme of study at all key stages appropriate for their age and ability, ensuring that there is no narrowing of the curriculum. These aims, coupled with high expectations for everyone, has resulted in remarkable success for our students.

We very much welcome applications from all faiths and backgrounds and value the unique experience that every individual can bring to our school and look forward to receiving your application.

Professional Development: We can offer you professional development to begin or advance your career. You will be part of a school that is established in developing practitioners and nurturing future leaders. The opportunities for progression at Cardinal Pole are significant. We offer a range of CPD, including multiple Middle Leadership pathways in addition to supporting preparation for Senior Leadership via MA study, NPQSL and SLT secondment opportunities. There is no doubt that these opportunities will help you achieve your own career ambitions rapidly.

Benefits:

• Two-week October half term break.
• You will be joining an AWARD-WINNING National School of the Year 2024 & TWICE TES Secondary School of the Year nominated school.
• Free staff access to a modern and high-quality gym which was fully refurbished in September 2023.
• An incredible team of staff who are highly skilled, dynamic and passionate about securing the very best outcomes for the community we serve.
• Excellent CPD opportunities at all levels including part-funded MA study (T&Cs apply).
• Opportunities for progression.
• Sophisticated modern school building set in the heart of vibrant Hackney.
• A proactive and thriving staff well-being group with regular staff socials, coffee mornings and opportunities for cross departmental interaction.
• Free Breakfast Club every day for staff and students.
• Free Bike servicing for staff.
• Travel Loans: Interest free loans to assist staff in meeting travel costs (T&Cs apply).
• Teachers’ Pension Scheme or Local Government Pension Scheme which includes 3 x salary life assurance cover whilst you remain in service.
• Employee Assistance Programme.

Main Duties & Responsibilities:

• To provide professional leadership, strategic direction and management of Department throughout the school to secure high quality teaching and learning, to raise standards of attainment and to ensure the progress, achievement and enjoyment of all pupils.
• To lead on planning, reviewing, monitoring and evaluating subject delivery and development in the school having regard to current and future developments in order to raise standards.
• To have a strategic impact on the school through realising leadership status by participating in corporate leadership duties, leading on whole school initiatives and working within the time demands of the role.
• To produce a departmental handbook in line with school requirements and to update it annually.
• To keep public exam syllabuses under review.
• To be responsible for public examination entries in consultation with the deputy head and examinations officer.
• To provide a summary of the programme of study for each year group for inclusion in the parent handbook and for revision booklets.
• To be responsible for all internal assessments ensuring that relevant data is collected and passed on for processing and that interventions are planned according to the information gleaned.
• To ensure cover work is set when members of the department are absent.
• To be responsible for all departmental rooms, having regard to aspects of Health & Safety.
• The delivery of attractive displays across all classrooms to provide an encouraging learning environment.
• To manage the departmental budget effectively.
• To ensure the organisation of resources within the department, having regard to security, stock taking and keeping accurate accounts.
• To chair departmental meetings providing agendas and minutes to all relevant staff.
• Provide information and administrative returns as and when required by senior staff making sure deadlines are met.
• To keep records and files of evidence of all monitoring, activities, meetings and outcomes including exemplar work as evidence.
• To create a climate which supports and encourages all pupils in the subject.
• To track and monitor the academic progress of all pupils in the subject including the more able and those with SEN or linguistic needs and liaise with the relevant line manager and the SENCO/EMAS/G&T coordinator.
• To ensure that all pupils make good progress by using prior attainment data and tracking to identify underachieving individual pupils or groups of pupils and where necessary create and implement effective interventions to support those pupils in liaison with the relevant Head of Learning.
• To recognise and acknowledge all aspects of achievement and implement the school’s rewards and merits systems consistently.
• To follow up discipline matters within the department in accordance with the school Behaviour policy and to implement appropriate sanctions.
• To create a climate which supports and encourages all departmental staff.
• To take advantage of relevant opportunities for professional development to ensure professional growth and to encourage professional development amongst members of the department.
• Provide departmental training and set up peer observation as a means for sharing good practice.
• To implement the school’s performance management policy and to be responsible for the leadership, guidance, direction and support of members of the department.
• To play an active role in the recruitment of staff.
• To provide effective support for NQTs, GTPs, Teach First and Beginning Teachers in conjunction with the DH responsible for these.
• To be responsible for and insist that calm, orderly, purposeful lessons take place throughout the department with due reference to planning, pace and differentiation.
• To insist on punctual arrival for lessons and continual classroom supervision by departmental staff.
• To support those staff with whom there are concerns to ensure that opportunities for improvement are available through peer observation, coaching and mentoring, target setting and Inset.
• To ensure teachers in the Department complete all aspects of the target setting, assessment and audit cycle on time and to a good standard.
• To develop and up-date schemes of work.
• To plan, promote and support intervention strategies for all year groups and in particular public exam cohorts.
• To promote the use of ICT both to enhance teaching & learning and for administration purposes.
• To monitor and evaluate the teaching & learning in the subject through results’ analysis, formal and informal observations, drop-ins, work sampling and checking planning in order to ensure pupil progress and achievement.
• To ensure that the school assessment policy and departmental marking policy is strictly adhered to by checking and monitoring marking within the department including records and work sampling on a regular basis, ensuring marking is formative and pupils are aware of the level they are working at and how to make progress.
• To ensure that displays in classrooms are attractive and include pupil level/grade information and exemplars of levelled/graded work and that all pupils have copies of such information in their exercise books including the departmental marking policy.
• To monitor the setting of appropriate homework and assessments for all pupils in the subject.
• To plan and teach high quality lessons at all times and lead by example.
• To teach across the whole age and ability range.
• To work with external vocational providers on assessment/moderation and work placements if applicable to department.
• To promote Literacy and Numeracy within the subject consistently.
• To ensure the best available provision for Special Needs within the department through close liaison with the coordinators for Special Needs and to ensure that the department is represented at SEN working party meetings. Ensure that all members of the department have copies of IEPs and that they are responded to.
• To lead a departmental review in liaison with the line manager on a two-yearly cycle identifying strengths and areas of concern for development in a report to be presented to Governors.
• To take part rigorously and effectively in the school’s monitoring and evaluation cycle ensuring deadlines are met, results are shared and appropriate action is taken.
• To ensure that there is an ethos of sharing good practice and resources among the department’s teachers and provide opportunities for this to take place.
• Promote and support the organisation and planning of subject related activities and events to enhance teaching & learning.
• To liaise with LA advisers and meet with them regularly to take advantage of collaborative local working plans.
• To undertake additional or other duties as may be appropriate to achieve the objectives of the post and as directed and deemed appropriate by the Line Manager.
• To promote the Catholic ethos of the school.
• To promote the school vision.
• To support and implement relevant aspects of the School Development Plan.
• To develop, implement and monitor school policies with a commitment to high standards, high expectations and high achievement.
• To be aware of current educational developments and the conclusions of educational research as they may be relevant to practices and policies within the school.
• To be aware of all Health & Safety issues relevant to the department.
• To attend and contribute to middle management meetings.
• To attend relevant external meetings.
• To attend SLT and Governors’ meetings when requested.
• To ensure consultation with other departments on cross curricular themes and needs.
• To have a high profile around the school by regularly patrolling stairs and corridors and visiting classrooms.
• Promote and support school events.
• To be prepared to attend meetings and organise out of school hours interventions beyond directed time.
• To carry out his/her responsibilities at all times with due regard to Hackney Educations (the LA) policy, organisation and arrangements for Health & Safety at Work.
• It is the post-holder’s responsibility to carry out his/her duties in line with Hackney Educations policy on Equality and Diversity and be sensitive and caring to the needs of others, promoting a positive approach to a harmonious working environment.
• You must promote and safeguard the welfare of children, young and vulnerable people that you are responsible for or come into contact with.
• Cardinal Pole School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.