Curriculum Leader of Drama
Maiden Erlegh School in Reading, Reading, Berkshire, RG1 5SL8 days remaining to apply
Start date details
September 2026
Closing date
9 June 2026 at 11:59pm
Date listed
27 May 2026
Job details
Job role
- Teacher
Visa sponsorship
- Visas cannot be sponsored
Subject
- Drama
Working pattern
- Full time
Contract type
- Permanent
Full-time equivalent salary
- £32,916.00 - £51,048.00 Annually (Actual) MPR/UPR based on experience , plus a TLR 2b allowance
Curriculum Leader of Drama job summary
Maiden Erlegh School in Reading is seeking to appoint a committed and ambitious Curriculum Leader of Drama to provide strategic and operational leadership for Drama across the school.
This is an excellent opportunity for a skilled Drama specialist who is ready to lead curriculum development, secure high-quality teaching and learning, and ensure students experience an ambitious, well-sequenced and inclusive Drama curriculum.
The successful candidate will lead the development, implementation and evaluation of the Drama curriculum, support strong student progress and outcomes, and contribute to wider whole-school curriculum development. They will line manage the Drama team and play an active role in monitoring, evaluation, staff development and departmental improvement.
The role includes responsibility for the effective management and monitoring of the Drama departmental budget and may involve contributing to cross-school or cross-Trust curriculum development and delivery.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead the development and implementation of an ambitious, well-sequenced Drama curriculum aligned with school and Trust priorities.
- Secure consistently high-quality teaching across the department through modelling, coaching and support.
- Monitor and evaluate teaching, learning, curriculum impact and student performance data.
- Ensure assessment across all key stages is accurate, consistent and supports student progress.
- Implement timely interventions to address underperformance and close attainment gaps.
- Support all students, including disadvantaged students, those with SEND, the most able and students who are not yet fluent readers.
- Line manage, develop and appraise colleagues to improve professional practice and team performance.
- Promote high standards of behaviour, engagement, attendance, punctuality and student wellbeing.
- Provide enrichment and extra-curricular opportunities to enhance students’ learning experience.
- Contribute to whole-school curriculum design, development planning, CPD and wider improvement priorities.
- Ensure compliance with safeguarding, health and safety, statutory requirements and relevant school and Trust policies.
The Ideal Candidate
The successful candidate will have:
- A good quality honours degree.
- PGCE, or equivalent, in secondary education.
- Qualified Teacher Status.
- Strong subject knowledge in Drama and secure understanding of curriculum requirements across relevant key stages.
- The ability to design, implement and evaluate curriculum plans and schemes of work that support inclusive learning and strong student outcomes.
- Secure understanding of effective teaching, learning, assessment and intervention strategies.
- The ability to use assessment and performance data to inform teaching, curriculum planning and student progress.
- Strong communication skills and the ability to build positive relationships with colleagues, students, parents and carers.
- The ability to coach, mentor and support colleagues to improve practice and outcomes.
- Strong organisation, planning and time management skills.
- Well-developed behaviour management skills and a commitment to positive behaviour for learning.
- A commitment to safeguarding, equality, inclusion, professional conduct and continuous professional development.
Maiden Erlegh School in Reading (MER)
Maiden Erlegh School in Reading is an ambitious, over-subscribed 11-16 secondary school in an urban context. The school is as committed to staff and student wellbeing as it is to delivering high-quality education.
Staff voice is central to shaping change and wellbeing priorities. The school benefits from excellent modern facilities and is proud of its vibrant, diverse student body who work hard and have high aspirations. A link to the school can be found here
About Maiden Erlegh Trust
Maiden Erlegh Trust is a growing community of schools across Berkshire and Oxfordshire, working together to deliver the best possible education for every child and young person. With around 800 staff and 5,000 students across eleven schools, including primary, secondary, special and alternative provision, we are proud of the diversity that shapes our expertise.
We Aim High, Be Inclusive and Work Together. These values drive our focus on high-quality education for all through collaboration, inclusion and continuous improvement.
Through the Maiden Erlegh Institute, colleagues access high-quality professional learning at every stage of their career, supported by mentoring, leadership opportunities and our annual MET Staff Conference, a day that brings colleagues together to share best practice and learn from one another.
Joining our Trust means being part of a community that invests in people and values expertise, playing a direct role in shaping the lives and outcomes of young people.
Further information about working with us, and insight from colleagues across the Trust, can be found here on our website.
Benefits of Working with Maiden Erlegh Trust
Staff wellbeing and professional development are central to how we work. Colleagues benefit from a wide range of opportunities and schemes, including :
Pension Scheme - Generous employer contributions through the Teachers’ Pension Scheme or Local Government Pension Scheme
Annual Leave - Generous entitlement, increasing with length of service
ME Day - One additional day’s leave each year for a significant personal event
Professional Development - Extensive CPD through the Maiden Erlegh Institute, annual Trust Conference and apprenticeship opportunities
Hybrid Working - Flexible working arrangements for eligible roles
Perkbox - Discounts, wellbeing resources and monthly perk points
Wellbeing and Health - Free flu vaccinations and eye tests (where eligible)
Employee Assistance Programme - 24/7 support and discount schemes
Mental Health First Aid Support
Recognition and Community - Celebrating achievements and milestones across #TeamMET
Employee Referral Scheme
Working for our Trust means contributing to something larger by supporting the education and life chances of children and young people every day.
Additional Information
If you believe this is an environment where you can thrive, develop and make a meaningful contribution, please contact recruitment@maidenerleghtrust.org for an informal discussion.
Applicants are encouraged to apply early, as we reserve the right to close the advert and interview at any time.
Maiden Erlegh Trust is an equal opportunities employer and is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. The successful candidate will be subject to an enhanced DBS check and satisfactory references
Further information about the job
Commitment to safeguarding
Our organisation is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. We expect all staff, volunteers and trustees to share this commitment.
Our recruitment process follows the keeping children safe in education guidance.
Offers of employment may be subject to the following checks (where relevant):
childcare disqualification
Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS)
medical
online and social media
prohibition from teaching
right to work
satisfactory references
suitability to work with children
You must tell us about any unspent conviction, cautions, reprimands or warnings under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975.
Applying for the job
This school accepts applications through their own website, where you may also find more information about this job.
CVs will not be accepted for this application.
View advert on external website (opens in new tab)About Maiden Erlegh School in Reading
- School type
- Free Schools, None, ages 11 to 16
- Education phase
- Secondary school
- School size
- 885 pupils enrolled
- Age range
- 11 to 16
- Ofsted report
- View Ofsted report
- School website
- Maiden Erlegh School in Reading website
Maiden Erlegh School in Reading is an ambitious, over-subscribed 11-16 secondary school in an urban context which is as committed to the welfare of students and staff as it is our high quality education. Our school benefits from excellent, modern facilities and teaching spaces and we are very proud of our vibrant, diverse and engaging students who work hard and have high aspirations.
We have a highly effective team of tenacious, optimistic and talented staff , supported by an experienced leadership team.
Professional development is a strength here, thanks to our Teaching School. We offer a flexible CPD programme which staff can tailor to their own needs which includes coaching and training for new entrants to the profession and to support career returners. We are very happy to discuss flexible working arrangements including part-time working and job-sharing.
The school is a part of the Maiden Erlegh Trust which offers a range of career opportunities in our vibrant and successful schools. We have a proven track record of supporting ambitious staff to middle and senior leadership posts and our can offer Specialist Leader of Education and school improvement opportunities to the right candidates
School location
Similar jobs nearby
Head of Learning (Ideally with the ability to teach Drama or Geography)
Baylis Court School
Gloucester Avenue, Slough, Berkshire, SL1 3AH
Get a job alert when similar jobs are listed