Head of Biology
Harris Academy Beckenham, Beckenham, Kent, BR3 3SJThis job expired on 11 April 2024 – see similar jobs
Start date details
September
Closing date
11 April 2024 at 11:59pm
Date listed
18 March 2024
Job details
Job role
- Head of department or curriculum
Visa sponsorship
- Visas cannot be sponsored
Key stage
- Key stage 3, Key stage 4, Key stage 5
Subjects
- Biology, Science
Working pattern
- Full time: Directed
Contract type
- Permanent
Full-time equivalent salary
- £36,014-£52,679 + TLR
Pay scale
- MPS/UPS (Outer London) + £1,500 Harris Allowance + TLR
Additional allowances
Performance & Loyalty Bonus + Harris Wellbeing Cash Plan + Pension Scheme (TPS) + Additional Harris Benefits
What skills and experience we're looking for
Are you a passionate teacher looking for your next step? We are looking for a qualified, experienced teacher to join Harris Academy Beckenham as Head of Biology.
We would like to hear from you if you:
- Hold QTS (or equivalent) and a relevant undergraduate degree, and, ideally, management training
- Demonstrate successful teaching of GCSE at good or better level
- Have experience of initiation and effective management of change
- Show evidence of raising achievement in present post and showing good value added for groups
- Have knowledge of current curriculum developments in subject and their implications
- Have good knowledge and understanding of current educational thinking
- Show good understanding of how children learn and how to raise standards of achievement
- Have good communication skills in speech and writing
- Display excellent organisational skills
- Be able to build and sustain professional standards and relationships with students
- Be able to contribute towards creating a safe and protective environment
For a full job description and person specification, please download the Job Pack.
What the school offers its staff
Since opening in 2011, Harris Academy Beckenham has gone from strength to strength. We have been oversubscribed for the last three years, rapidly becoming the school of choice in the local area. Our GCSE and A Level results have improved each year, with our English and Maths combined score in 2016 reaching an outstanding 80% A*-C. Our ambition and aspiration will ensure that we continue to focus on the success of all of our students, irrespective of background. Since converting, results have dramatically improved and we secured a judgment of ‘Outstanding' from Ofsted in 2017.
Why work at Harris Academy Beckenham?
‘The school's culture of aspiration and ambition is clearly demonstrated in classes. Teachers are aspirational for their pupils and set high expectations for them. Pupils respond positively. They are determined to do their best and are confident about meeting ambitious targets set by their teachers.' (OFSTED 2017)
We invest in training and resources for our staff to help them make lessons fun, interesting and engaging. Class sizes are kept as small as possible and we place a firm emphasis on good behaviour so that students can learn in a calm and orderly environment.
We have a harmonious community with excellent relationships between students and staff, and our students have a focused and mature attitude towards their academic studies.
In addition to the opportunities for career development and progression, we also offer a competitive rewards and benefits package which includesour Harris Allowance for teachers on MPS/UPS,a Performance and Loyalty Bonus, Pension Scheme with generous employer contributions, a Wellbeing Cash Plan including access to a virtual GP, electric car scheme, and many other benefits.
Further details about the role
The purpose of your role will be:
- To be accountable for leading, managing and developing the subject area.
- To raise standards of student attainment and achievement within the whole subject/curriculum area and to monitor and support student progress.
- To ensure the provision of an appropriately broad, balanced, relevant and differentiated curriculum for students studying in the department, in accordance with the aims of the academy and the curricular policies determined by the Governing Body and Principal.
- To teach the relevant subject across the age and ability range.
- To facilitate and encourage a learning experience which provides students with the opportunity to achieve their individual potential.
- To effectively manage and deploy staff, financial and physical resources within the department.
- To share and support the school's responsibility to provide and monitor opportunities for personal and academic growth.
Your main areas of responsibility will fall under the areas of:
- Operational and strategic planning (including formulating the subject and faculty improvement plans, and leading the development of appropriate syllabuses, resources, schemes of work, marking policies, assessment and teaching strategies)
- Ensuring the delivery of an appropriate, comprehensive, high quality and cost effective curriculum and leading development of the subject and its delivery
- Staff development (including recruiting, building and managing an effective team of motivated staff)
- Student outcomes (including ensuring the effective operation of target setting, monitoring and evaluation systems and the input and maintenance of accurate student data)
- Pastoral system (including being a form tutor to a selected group of students)
- Teaching, including acting as an outstanding role model
Commitment to safeguarding
The Harris Federation and all our academies are committed to ensuring the highest levels of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people, and we expect all our staff and volunteers to share this commitment. All offers of employment are subject to an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check, references, an online search, and where applicable, a prohibition from teaching check will be completed.
About Harris Academy Beckenham
- School type
- Academy, ages 11 to 18
- Education phase
- Secondary
- School size
- 1228 pupils enrolled
- Age range
- 11 to 18
- Ofsted report
- View Ofsted report (opens in new tab)
- School website
- Harris Academy Beckenham website (opens in new tab)
- Email address
- info@harrisbeckenham.org.uk
- Phone number
- 0208 650 8694
Harris Academy Beckenham opened in September 2011, joining the highly successful Federation of Harris academies in London. The academy has specialisms in Science and Enterprise, using these to accelerate and innovate learning across all subject areas. Our students are training how to become effective and successful learners through the 4Rs (Resilience, Reflectiveness, Resourcefulness and Reciprocity), developing a growth mind-set in order to face learning challenges with optimism and confidence. Our Leadership Team is exceptional, with a strong commitment to collaboration, maintaining standards and accountability. We are oversubscribed, with a thriving student population of 1,100 from Year 7-13. Since converting, results have dramatically improved and we have secured a judgment of ‘outstanding’ from Ofsted under the new framework (July 2017).
‘The school’s culture of aspiration and ambition is clearly demonstrated in classes. Teachers are aspirational for their pupils and set high expectations for them. Pupils respond positively. They are determined to do their best and are confident about meeting ambitious targets set by their teachers.’ (OFSTED 2017)
It is our ethos of "Aspire, Discover, Achieve" that was recognised and praised in our recent inspection, and which contributed to Harris Academy Beckenham being judged as ‘outstanding’ in every category. In addition, the outstanding progress made by our students, placing us as the most successful school in Bromley (Progress 8 2016), vastly impressed the inspectors.
We have a harmonious community with excellent relationships between students and staff, and our students have a focused and mature attitude towards their academic studies.
‘Pupils’ conduct around the school is exemplary and the school is a calm and orderly environment.’ (OFSTED 2017)
Our ethos at Harris Academy Beckenham aims to create outstanding scientific learners, as we train our students in resilience, reflectiveness, resourcefulness and reciprocity. These crucial skills underpin an enterprising attitude to learning and have already had significant impact on our students’ progress. In order to equip our students with the skills required to be confident and eloquent writers, readers and speakers, our innovative WORD programme is placed at the heart of our curriculum.
Our focus on raising aspirations at every level has contributed to this excellent performance, and we intend to sustain and improve these results further year on year. Harris Academy Beckenham is an enriching, innovative and swiftly improving academy, with a brand new premises from September 2017.
Come and see us in action: visits to Harris Academy Beckenham are strongly encouraged and very welcome. Please call 0208 650 8694 or email info@harrisbeckenham.org.uk to arrange a time to come in or an informal conversation with the Principal.
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