Head of English in London

We are seeking a highly skilled and committed Head of English to join our team and build on a very successful department that has excellent outcomes in KS4 and 5. The successful candidate will be an expert classroom practitioner who is passionate about English and the development of our students. As a Head of English, you will be part of the Ark English network which provides many opportunities to work with colleagues across Ark to develop excellent practice. This subject network supports all English teams to continuously work to better the provision on offer to our students and strive to be the best.

Key Responsibilities

• Ark Mastery – At Ark Putney we follow the Ark Mastery English curriculum, with some modification. We are aligned to the Ark assessment programme at KS4/5.
• Implementation of the English curriculum and subject coordination across the academy.
• Conduct collaborative planning and development, including the sharing of resources and best practices within the department.
• Be accountable for student progress across the school at all key stages, ensuring that all students achieve results in line with value-added predictions.
• Monitor the identification of and provision for students with individual needs and develop different learning and teaching methods and schemes of learning.

Skills and experience

• Experience of having designed, implemented and evaluated effective, imaginative and stimulating schemes of work and of leading successful enrichment programmes, including establishing a high achieving department.
• Experience of improving the quality of teaching and learning.
• Experience of leading a team and/or working to support the significant success of others within a secondary school, including professional development and effective management of underperformance.
• Effective and systematic behaviour management.
• The ability to motivate and challenge learners of all abilities.
• The resolve and enthusiasm to make a real difference to the lives of our students.
• Excellent interpersonal, written, and oral communication skills.

If you would like to discuss this opportunity or for any queries, please contact Julie Rickard at j.rickard@arkputneyacademy.org or call 020 8161 4974.

Benefits

• Tailored professional development based on the needs of the teacher and department to ensure everyone achieves their full potential.
• Regular rewards and recognition for effort.
• Salaries 2.5% higher than main pay scale.
• Generous pension scheme.
• Access to Ark rewards – a scheme offering savings from over 3,000 major retailers.
• Interest-free loans – up to £5,000 available for season ticket or to buy a bicycle.
• Gym discounts – offering up to 40%.
• Access to Employee Assistance Programme – providing free, confidential counselling, legal advice and a range of different support.

About Us

Ark Putney Academy opened in September 2012 as part of the Ark network in the London Borough of Wandsworth. We’re a non-selective, mixed secondary school with 750 students, ranging from year 7 through to sixth form. We offer a rich curriculum emphasising core academic subjects, whilst providing the facilities, time and specialist staff to ensure students develop across a range of subjects. Music is at the heart of our school, with every student learning an instrument and all secondary students having the chance to be part of our band programme. We adopt a holistic view to educating young people. Through our commitment to inclusion, equality and attainment, we prepare every student to be a pillar of any community. We’ve also been celebrating a successful year so far with extremely strong GCSE results. This reflects our excellent teaching and the dedication of our staff both to the students and each other. In our 2022 Ofsted inspection we were rated ‘Good’ in every category with real strengths in teaching and learning, curriculum breadth and personal development.

Diversity and inclusion: We aim to build a diverse and inclusive organisation where everyone – staff and students – can do their best work and achieve their full potential. We want to reflect and represent diverse perspectives across our organisation because we know that doing so will make us stronger and more effective.

Safeguarding statement: Ark is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people in its academies. In order to meet this responsibility, its academies follow a rigorous selection process to discourage and screen out unsuitable applicants. Ark requires all employees to undertake an enhanced DBS check. You are required, before appointment, to disclose any unspent conviction, cautions, reprimands or warnings under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975. Non-disclosure may lead to termination of employment. However, disclosure of a criminal background will not necessarily debar you from employment - this will depend upon the nature of the offence(s) and when they occurred.

Please note we will be reviewing applications on an on-going basis and this role may close earlier than advertised depending on the level of response. We strongly encourage to submit your application at your earliest convenience.