Head of Modern Foreign Languages in Felixstowe

Felixstowe School is seeking a dynamic and visionary Head of Modern Foreign Languages to lead a thriving Modern Foreign Languages department and champion the power of language learning in shaping confident, globally aware young people. This is an opportunity to inspire curiosity, cultural understanding, and a lifelong love of communication beyond borders.

Our vision is for Felixstowe School to be a place where remarkable learning happens. The Head of MFL will be pivotal in making that vision a reality for our pupils. MFL is not an isolated subject: it opens cultural understanding, builds communication skills, strengthens aspiration and resilience, and directly supports our values of Inspiration (Aim High), Influence (Work Hard) and Integrity (Be Kind). You will lead a team that gives pupils the confidence to take intellectual risks, to engage respectfully with other cultures, and to leave school with the linguistic and cultural capital that widens life chances. This role is supported by a collaborative, experienced senior leadership team committed to high-quality curriculum implementation, staff development and pupil wellbeing.

Core purpose
To provide dynamic, curriculum-led leadership for MFL so that every pupil is seen, challenged and supported to grow. You will design and implement a coherent, knowledge-rich MFL curriculum; secure consistently excellent classroom practice; and ensure strong progress and engagement for all pupils, including disadvantaged pupils, those with SEND and pupils with EAL.

Key responsibilities

• Leadership and vision
  • Articulate and lead a clear vision for MFL that aligns to the school’s mission and values and the current school improvement priorities (assessment; attendance; inclusion; curriculum implementation).
  • Promote a culture of high expectations where pupils are ambitious, resilient and curious about languages and cultures.
  • Be a passionate and ambitious practitioner with a clear vision for excellence in modern foreign languages.
  • Promote a culture where languages are valued, visible and enjoyed across the school curriculum and teaching.
  • Lead the design, sequencing and implementation of a carefully crafted MFL curriculum that ensures pupils accumulate and retain key knowledge and skills over time.
  • Be an outstanding classroom teacher with the ability to teach Spanish up to GCSE. The ability to also teach French would be advantageous.
  • Ensure curriculum intent, implementation and impact are coherent, evidence-informed and consistently applied across key stages 3 to 4.
  • Embed effective assessment for learning and use assessment information to plan responsive teaching that secures progress for all cohorts (including Pupil Premium, SEND, EAL).
• Quality assurance and improvement
  • Model and monitor consistently high-quality teaching; lead focused lesson drop-ins, work sampling and feedback cycles that drive rapid improvement.
  • Use department-level data to set challenging but realistic targets, track progress, intervene promptly and evaluate the impact of approaches.
  • Support colleagues to use retrieval practice, spaced practice and effective modelling in daily teaching.
• Staff development and line management
  • Lead, line-manage and develop the MFL team: set clear professional standards and create a supportive MFL CPD programme tied to classroom impact.
  • Work collaboratively with the senior leadership team to access whole-school CPD and align departmental development with school priorities.
  • Demonstrate strong leadership skills, with the ability to inspire, support and challenge colleagues.
• Inclusion, equality and pupil voice
  • Ensure all pupils have equitable access to the MFL curriculum and that resources, scaffolding and challenge are provided so disadvantaged pupils, SEND and EAL pupils make strong progress.
  • Use pupil voice and curriculum impact evidence to adapt provision and maintain high engagement (including extra-curricular opportunities such as language clubs, trips, exchanges and cultural enrichment).
• Behaviour, attendance and safeguarding
  • Promote positive behaviour for learning and attendance within the department; contribute to whole-school approaches to reduce persistent absence and disruption.
  • Be a champion of safeguarding: ensure all staff follow statutory procedures and record/report concerns promptly.
• Accountability and reporting
  • Have a proven track record of securing strong student outcomes.
  • Report regularly to SLT Line Manager on departmental performance, priorities and resource needs.
  • Contribute to whole-school self-evaluation and prepare clear, evidence-based impact reports for inspection and improvement cycles.

Felixstowe School is set within a new site and boasts bright classrooms and excellent facilities. French and Spanish are popular subjects within our school spanning ages 11-16. Languages are a popular subject at GCSE. The department is incredibly committed to raising aspirations in terms of language learning and offers a range of enrichment activities, including trips abroad. The department is a fantastic strength and resource within our school. The Senior Leadership team advocates for the continuing development of languages at Felixstowe School.

This exciting role is also supported by a very experienced MFL Trust Lead. We offer job satisfaction through making a positive impact on our students’ lives, a friendly and supportive working environment, supportive and positive management, investment in your training and development, bespoke teacher development programmes supported by our Teaching School Hub, excellent career development opportunities in our school and across the trust including secondments to other trust schools, evidence informed research opportunities via our Research School and programmes to reduce teacher workload including the development of the CUSP curriculum and other programmes the staff within our school benefit from, and a wellbeing support service, both in and outside of school.

The team prides itself on working together and delivering the best opportunities possible for our students and is keen to appoint a colleague who shares a similar ethos. If you think you have what it takes to be successful in this role, even if you don’t meet all the requirements, please apply as we may be able to support you in any areas for development or we may have alternative roles that are a good fit for you. We would appreciate the opportunity to consider your application.

For more information
Please read the Job Description (pdf). We welcome a visit to meet our staff and students. Please contact Shane Hurren, by calling 01394 288228 or email: shurren@fxs.org.uk.

How to apply
To apply please visit our website. Closing date: 9 am, 8 May 2026. Please note we may hold interviews as and when applications are received and we reserve the right to offer to a candidate prior to the closing date. We only accept applications submitted online via our careers website and which are completed before the closing deadline. In line with safer recruitment, we are unable to accept CVs. Failure to complete an application form satisfactorily may result in not being shortlisted for the post.

Unity Schools Partnership is committed to safeguarding, safer recruitment and promoting the welfare of pupils. Our comprehensive recruitment and selection processes aim to discourage and screen out unsuitable applicants. Successful candidates are subject to rigorous pre-employment checks. We are equally committed to eliminating discrimination and encouraging diversity. We aim for our workforce to be representative of society and that each employee feels respected and able to give their best. We are committed to providing equality and fairness in our recruitment and employment practices and not to discriminate on any grounds. We oppose all forms of unlawful and unfair discrimination. We care deeply about inclusive working practices and diverse teams. If you would prefer to work part-time or as a job-share, we will facilitate this wherever we can, whether to help you meet other commitments or to help you strike a great work-life balance. We are keen to ensure we’re designing an organisation that works for everyone, so we particularly encourage applications from different under-represented groups.