Head of Creative Arts in Birmingham

An exciting opportunity to shape Creative Arts. Lift Greenwood is seeking an ambitious and inspiring Head of Creative Arts to lead and develop Art, Design Technology, Music, and Drama across the school. This is a genuine opportunity to shape curriculum, provision, and outcomes across the Creative Arts, inspiring students through high-quality practical and creative learning.

While the role spans all Creative Arts subjects, this post would ideally suit a candidate with a Design Technology background and a readiness to take on broader faculty leadership.

Your New School: Lift Greenwood is part of Lift Schools, an ambitious multi‑academy trust of 58 schools, including 10 across the Midlands. Lift Schools is committed to excellent professional development and clear career progression. Under the leadership of Daniel Opoku, Lift Greenwood is a progressive secondary school with a clear and ambitious vision. Since his appointment, Daniel has established a strong foundation and is committed to ensuring that Greenwood becomes one of the best schools in the country by 2030. The school has a strong sense of community, fosters positive relationships, and is committed to ensuring every pupil is supported to succeed.

Your New Role: As Head of Creative Arts, you will lead Art, Design Technology, Music, and Drama, setting a clear vision for an engaging, inclusive, and ambitious Creative Arts curriculum. Drama is a popular subject at Lift Greenwood, particularly at Key Stage 3, where all learners study it, and it remains well established at Key Stage 4. The department is well‑resourced, providing strong foundations for creativity, performance, and student engagement.

As national discussions around future curriculum development continue, this role offers a genuine opportunity to help shape and refine Greenwood’s Creative Arts curriculum, ensuring it is future‑facing, relevant, and aligned with emerging national direction. Working with a committed team, you will inspire students—many from disadvantaged backgrounds—to develop creativity, confidence, and practical skills, while raising standards and outcomes across the Creative Arts.

What You’ll Need to Succeed: You will be invested in Creative Arts education and committed to high‑quality teaching and learning. You will be able to lead, coach, and support colleagues, bringing ambition and clarity to curriculum development. The successful candidate will benefit from middle leadership development, including CIPD‑aligned leadership training delivered through Lift Schools, as well as bespoke leadership support from Lift Greenwood.

Who is Lift Schools? We’re a diverse and inclusive network of schools with one clear mission; to provide an excellent education to every child—in every classroom, every day. And we do this across each of our 58 schools. As with our students, we want our team to be empowered to do their best work, supported by the best leadership they’ve ever had. We acknowledge and appreciate the exceptional efforts of everyone here in making this an incredible organisation.

We offer you:

• Career development and training: Access a wide range of statutory and developmental training to boost your career. Our partnership with One World powers our innovative Instructional Excellence Program. We also offer a comprehensive range of CPD programs, including Ambition Institute’s Early Career and NPQ offerings, tailored to both individual and network needs.
• Generous benefits: From your pension plan to healthcare and financial support, we've got you covered.
• Lifestyle perks: Enjoy discounted gym memberships, travel deals, and even electric vehicle incentives.

If you would like a confidential discussion before applying and/or a tour of the school, please contact Sue Britland, PA to the Principal. Please don’t wait until the closing date to apply; we will review and interview applications as we receive them. Closing Date: 27th February 2026. We reserve the right to close this vacancy early should we receive an overwhelming response. All candidates are advised to refer to the job description and person specification before making an application.

Lift Schools are committed to ensuring the highest levels of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of our pupils, and we expect all our people and volunteers to share this commitment. We adopt a fair and consistent recruitment process which is in line with Keeping Children Safe in Education guidance. This includes online checks for shortlisted candidates. All offers of employment are subject to an Enhanced DBS check, references, and where applicable, a prohibition from teaching check. Lift Schools embraces diversity and promotes equality of opportunity. Job share, part‑time and flexible working opportunities will be considered. We are a Disability Confident Employer and there is a guaranteed interview scheme for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.