Head of History

We are currently looking to appoint a dedicated and inspiring Head of History to join our Humanities Department, supporting our excellent students, promoting fresh thinking, creativity and ingenuity. This full-time, permanent position is available for a September start. The successful candidate will have QTS and strong subject knowledge teaching up to and including KS5, with middle leadership experience desirable. As Head of History, you'll lead the department to continued success, whilst being responsible for shaping curriculum delivery, raising standards, and instilling a lifelong love for History in your students across all key stages.

At Harris Academy Orpington, we have worked hard to create an environment where we look after and care for each other. Colleagues at Harris Academy Orpington know that we work together as a team and we look out for each other; the environment here is one of care, nurture and support, along with a bit of challenge! We are a community school that serves families in and around Orpington and we are well on our way towards providing an outstanding education for the students who come here. We want our students to succeed and have choices in their lives; to take control of their futures and achieve beyond their dreams. We are ambitious, tenacious and enterprising and committed to helping our students succeed.

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.
• 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).
• Ensuring the delivery of an appropriate, comprehensive, high quality and cost effective curriculum.
• 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).
• Pastoral system (including being a form tutor to a selected group of students).
• Teaching, including acting as an outstanding role model.

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.

Thank you for your interest in this position. If you would like to discuss this opportunity, or to request a visit, please email the academy via the Why work page on our careers website. Before applying, please download the Job Pack for full details on the job responsibilities and person specification. We encourage you to apply as soon as possible as we may interview and offer to a candidate before the closing date.

We are committed to fostering a positive and supportive working environment for our staff, recognising that achieving a balance between professional and personal responsibilities is essential. In addition to the opportunities for career development and progression, we also offer a competitive rewards and benefits package.

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.