Secondary Head of Religious Education

Location: Enfield – easily accessible from central, north, and east London, as well as surrounding areas.

Salary: Ark MPS or UPS (Outer London) £38,805‑£58,404 and TLR2c £8,609 depending on experience.

Working pattern: Full‑time (Part‑time working will be considered)

Contract: Permanent

Start date: September 2026.

Closing date: Monday 18th May at 5pm.

We are looking to appoint an inspiring and knowledgeable Head of Religious Education to join our secondary phase at Ark John Keats Academy. We are seeking a dynamic curriculum leader with strong subject expertise and a proven ability to cultivate a rigorous, thoughtful and enriching RE curriculum. The successful candidate will be a highly effective classroom practitioner who is passionate about the academic, personal and moral development that outstanding RE teaching can provide.

As Head of RE, you will take strategic responsibility for the quality of teaching, curriculum design, assessment and overall direction of the subject. You will lead and develop the RE team to secure excellent outcomes for all students, ensuring that lessons promote deep thinking, intellectual curiosity and respectful engagement with diverse beliefs and worldviews.

Benefits:

• Salaries 2.5% higher than main pay scale.
• Twice as many training days as standard.
• 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.

Ark John Keats was founded in 2013 with one class of reception children. We are now a fully‑fledged all‑through school, running from nursery to year 13, with over 1,700 children. Our secondary school is oversubscribed, with a waiting list for every year group. Our community is composed of supportive and committed families who buy into our vision and work with us to ensure their children achieve all they are capable of in the future. We aspire for all our children to have the academic knowledge necessary to enable them to progress to university, for pupils to have a love of learning and curiosity about the world, and for them to be polite, well‑mannered young people who take responsibility for their choices and drive their own destinies.

Ark John Keats is part of Ark Schools, a hugely successful network serving pupils from deprived communities. Our network shares a belief in our six pillars.

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.