Drama Teacher (Fixed Term – Maternity Leave)
The Saint John Henry Newman Catholic School, Stevenage, Hertfordshire, SG1 4AE11 days remaining to apply
Start date details
November 2026
Closing date
22 September 2026 at 11:59pm
Date listed
8 September 2026
Job details
Job role
- Teacher or lecturer
Visa sponsorship
- Visas cannot be sponsored
Subject
- Drama
Working pattern
- Full time
Contract type
- Fixed term
Full time equivalent salary
- MPS1-UPS3
Additional allowances
MPS1-UPS3
Drama Teacher (Fixed Term – Maternity Leave) job summary
Drama Teacher - Maternity Cover at The Saint John Henry Newman Catholic School
Are you passionate about Drama and committed to inspiring young people through creativity, performance and academic excellence? The Saint John Henry Newman School is an outstanding school in which to develop your teaching career and make a real difference to our students.
- Top 6% nationally for progress in 2026 - KS4 Progress of 8 score of +0.73
- Strong academic achievement in 2026 - KS4 Attainment 8 score of 5.56
- 84% of students achieved 5 or more grades at 9-4, with 74% achieving this including English and Maths
- July 2024 very successful ungraded Ofsted inspection
- Outstanding Catholic Schools Inspection (CSI) report, January 2026
- A school where behaviour is excellent. Ofsted (July 2024) commented on our students: “They are confident, courteous and their behaviour is exemplary.”
- A vibrant and successful Drama Department with a strong commitment to developing students’ creativity, confidence and performance skills
- Opportunities for students to participate in productions, performances and extra-curricular Drama
- Excellent support for teachers, with shared resources and a strong culture of collaboration
- A school with a strong community, as noted by Ofsted: “Whoever you are, wherever you come from and whatever you believe, you are given a warm welcome here.”
- In a recent staff survey, 100% of staff agreed that they were proud to be a member of staff at the Saint John Henry Newman School
We are looking to appoint a full-time Drama Teacher to join our successful and supportive Drama Department from November 2026 on a fixed-term maternity cover basis. The successful candidate will teach Drama across KS3 and KS4, with the opportunity to teach KS5 for a suitably experienced teacher, subject to experience and timetable requirements.
We are looking for a teacher who is passionate about Drama, has high expectations of students and is committed to providing engaging and challenging lessons. You will have the opportunity to contribute to the wider life of the department through extra-curricular activities, productions and performances.
Whether you are an ECT or an experienced teacher, you will be supported as part of our strong culture of professional development and collaboration. We are committed to ensuring that all teachers have the opportunity to develop their practice and make a positive contribution to our school community.
We fully embrace the principles of equal opportunity and inclusion. We encourage applications from all sections of society and will consider flexible working.
The Saint John Henry Newman School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Applicants must be willing to undergo child protection screening including checks with past employers, the DBS and a ‘prohibition from teaching’ check. Following the shortlisting stage, and prior to making a final decision, the School will collect and process information publicly available about you by conducting a brief online search using an internet search engine. This is to ensure the school acts in accordance with its obligations set out in Keeping Children Safe in Education.
Further information about the job
Commitment to safeguarding
Safeguarding
Our school is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Therefore, the position is subject to safeguarding checks that will include the receipt of satisfactory references and an enhanced DBS check.
Following the shortlisting stage, and prior to making a final decision, the School will collect and process information publicly available about you by conducting a brief online search using an internet search engine. We do this to ensure that the school acts in accordance with its obligations set out in Keeping Children Safe in Education.
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 The Saint John Henry Newman Catholic School
- Organisation type
- Academy, Roman Catholic, ages 11 to 18
- Education phase
- Secondary school
- Size
- 1620 pupils enrolled
- Age range
- 11 to 18
- Ofsted report
- View Ofsted report
The Saint John Henry Newman Catholic School serves the North Hertfordshire Catholic community, with a wider catchment extending into Bedfordshire, East Hertfordshire and parts of Cambridgeshire. Originally a six-form entry school, it expanded to eight forms of entry in 2015 and has grown from 830 pupils in 1993 to approximately 1,600 students in 2023, including a thriving Sixth Form of around 400 students, with strong retention and external applications.
The School became part of the Diocese of Westminster Academy Trust in 2012 and has since benefitted from substantial investment in its facilities. This includes the £3.5 million Sports and Performing Arts Pavilion and a major refurbishment programme, with two new teaching blocks now fully operational, providing modern classrooms, a dedicated Sixth Form suite, enhanced IT provision, and improved Library, Dining and Hall facilities. The final phase will include landscaping and the creation of a prayer garden.
Our Mission Statement underpins all aspects of school life, emphasising the practical expression of our Catholic ethos. We are a welcoming, inclusive community where each student is valued as an individual and encouraged to achieve their full potential. While the Chapel is central to school life, our values are lived daily through strong relationships, high expectations and a culture of care, kindness and responsibility.
The School is heavily oversubscribed and has an excellent academic reputation. Students follow a broad and balanced curriculum at Key Stages 3 and 4, with a wide range of GCSE, vocational and creative options. The Sixth Form offers an extensive range of A-level and advanced vocational courses. Outcomes are consistently strong, with high pass rates across GCSE, A-level and vocational qualifications.
We place great importance on enrichment, wellbeing and personal development, supported by a comprehensive careers programme. The School has been awarded the Emotional Health and Wellbeing Kitemark and attendance is above the national average. A Section 48 inspection judged the School to be “Outstanding”, and a recent Ofsted Section 8 inspection confirmed that the School remains “Good”, with inspectors indicating it may now be “Outstanding”.
Inspectors praised our students’ exemplary behaviour, confidence and pride in their school, as well as the calm, purposeful learning environment and the culture of kindness and acceptance fostered by staff. As one Sixth Form student commented, “Whoever you are, wherever you come from and whatever you believe, you are given a warm welcome here.”
We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people. All appointments are subject to an enhanced DBS check.
School location
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