Director of Humanities
Cowes Enterprise College, An Ormiston Academy, Cowes, Isle of Wight, PO31 8HB12 days remaining to apply
Start date details
January 2027
Closing date
5 October 2026 at 9am
Date listed
17 September 2026
Job details
Job role
- Teacher or lecturer
Visa sponsorship
- Visas cannot be sponsored
Subjects
- Humanities, Humanities
Working pattern
- Full time
Contract type
- Permanent
Full time equivalent salary
- £58,569.00 - £64,691.00 Annually (Actual) L6 - L10
Director of Humanities job summary
Work where it matters most, achieve what matters more.
Be part of a team where passion meets purpose, as we work together where the challenge is greatest to change lives and build the futures of children and young people.
At Cowes Enterprise College, An Ormiston Academy we believe every child deserves the chance to thrive, and as Director of Learning for Humanities, you will play a pivotal role in making that happen. You will lead the faculty in delivering the highest standards of teaching and learning through a rich curriculum, within a vibrant, high challenge, low threat and fully inclusive environment.
You will be accountable for leading, managing and developing the faculty, raising standards of student attainment and achievement, and developing the teaching practice of colleagues across the team. Working closely with senior leaders, you will help ensure every student in Humanities achieves their best, whatever their starting point.
You will have:
- Qualified Teacher Status and a relevant degree, with the ability to teach to GCSE and A-Level, and experience leading within a department
- Recent experience teaching KS4 and/or KS5, with a proven track record of outstanding teaching and excellent results
- Experience improving the quality of teaching and learning, and supporting the professional development of staff
- The vision and communication skills to motivate colleagues and students, and a genuine commitment to raising the aspirations of the whole school community
About the Academy
Cowes Enterprise College is a successful and happy school with strong outcomes. At Cowes Enterprise College, our mission is clear: to educate for life. We are dedicated to developing a love of learning in our students and preparing them for the future, whatever it may hold. Our students’ limitless potential drives everything we do, and our purpose is to guide, support, and inspire them to reach their goals.
At Cowes Enterprise College, we’re not just educators, we’re mentors, guides, and champions of lifelong learning. Our mission is clear: to nurture a love for learning and equip our students with the skills they need to thrive in life beyond the classroom.
We can offer you:
- A supportive community dedicated to professional development and staff wellbeing.
- Access to a wider range of resources and opportunities through our Academy Trust.
- Guidance, advice and support from both departmental and senior leadership team who all want to make a positive difference to the education of all our students.
- Automatic pay increments unlinked to targets.
Why work for Ormiston?
Our vision is to create a school system where every child thrives, regardless of background. Our people are at the heart of our approach - they are our greatest asset.
We exist to provide the best learning opportunities every day, in every school for every child. It is the people and teams in our Trust who make this a reality and ensure we have the greatest impact. If you join us at Ormiston, whatever your role, your work will have purpose and meaning.
Ormiston, where every member of staff enjoys…
- The opportunity to build on the legacy of those who came before - being part of one of the longest standing Trusts, created with the sole purpose of enabling children and young people to thrive
- Working for a Trust nationally recognised for its impact on disadvantaged children - a rewarding, stimulating career where staff are challenged to be the best they can be, for the pupils we are proud to serve
- Being part of a team and community where you belong - being part of a well-resourced and ambitious network of experts and professionals that work at the heart of communities
- A supportive environment to grow your career - an extensive professional development programme, alongside flexible working arrangements and generous benefits
We value the contribution of every colleague and offer a range of benefits designed to support your career, wellbeing and work-life balance. Benefits include automatic pay progression, a generous pension scheme, wellbeing support, exclusive discounts, Blue Light Card access and our cycle-to-work scheme.
Ready to Make a Difference?
If you share our commitment to helping every child thrive and want to join our team, we would love to hear from you.
All candidates are advised to refer to the job description and person specification before making an application.
Applications must be received by 5 October 2026. Early applications are welcomed, as we reserve the right to close the vacancy early if a suitable candidate is found. Please note, we do not accept CVs as a form of application.
If you have any questions, please contact Rebecca Dawson, HR Officer at info@cowesec.org.
Further information about the job
Commitment to safeguarding
Cowes Enterprise College is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff to share this commitment. Suitability checks will be undertaken in accordance with KCSIE, including identity, Right to Work, qualifications, Prohibition check, two references and enhanced DBS check including Children’s Barred List.
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 Cowes Enterprise College, An Ormiston Academy
- Organisation type
- Academy, ages 11 to 19
- Education phase
- Secondary school
- Size
- 1156 pupils enrolled
- Age range
- 11 to 19
- Ofsted report
- View Ofsted report
Rachel Kitley, Principal
Cowes Enterprise College, situated on the Isle of Wight, minutes from the mainland and international links yet also minutes from the beach, is a wonderful place to work.
The work of everyone at Cowes Enterprise College is defined by the children that we serve. Their future is our purpose and the purpose of everyone who works across the Ormiston Academies Trust. Educating for life is what Cowes Enterprise College is about: developing a love of learning and preparing students for life itself and all it presents to us. Our aim is for students to fulfil their limitless potential – through perseverance and effort.
We don’t select our students, but we do select our staff. We look for highly trained and dedicated staff to be here to support, guide and inspire our students so that whatever their starting point when they arrive, our students will leave with the world at their feet – equipped and ready to continue their learning through apprenticeships, at university and throughout their careers.
We aim to provide the best opportunities – academic, cultural and sporting – and a sense of moral and social responsibility so that each child realises that humanity is their business and the common good their aim. We take our mission to educate for life seriously and this is epitomised by the student entitlement to a key set of experiences summarised in the student charter. We provide our children with a rich and dynamic curriculum and draw upon our local context to show our pupils why they should be proud of our island.
You will be joining team that Ofsted said ‘focuses relentlessly on the quality of teaching and on the progress pupils make’ and should be prepared to do the same. We are proud of our strong results however recognise that there is much work yet to do and our high expectations mean this work will be relentless and ongoing. Our mission to educate for life doesn’t stop with our pupils.
We have a research driven approach to leadership, management and professional development. Taking what is best from the world of education and translating that into our classrooms. We also know that to have high expectations we also need to provide a high level of support for everyone in our community. That is why we have a staff charter, a public promise to all our staff, and make the most of our national network in order to develop staff. From September our professional development network will extend significantly as we work in partnership with HISP Teaching School Hub. We are the Isle of Wight base where we will deliver high quality nationally recognised and accredited courses by island teachers for island teachers. As part of this work we will also working with the HISP Research School and the Education Endowment Foundation to take part in cutting edge education research.
If you have not visited us before we have a comprehensive virtual tour which allows you to get a feel for our amazing facilities, along with a wealth of information on our website. We must succeed, because these are not just other people’s children. They are also our children. Not even one should be allowed to fail while there is more we could have done to change their story.
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