Head of Chemistry
Westminster City School, London, SW1E 5HJ11 days remaining to apply
Start date details
January 2027
Closing date
19 October 2026 at 12pm (midday)
Date listed
8 October 2026
Job details
Job role
- Teacher or lecturer
Visa sponsorship
- Visas cannot be sponsored
Subject
- Chemistry
Working pattern
- Full time
Contract type
- Permanent
Full time equivalent salary
- £40,317.00 - £62,496.00 Annually (FTE) MPS-UPS (subject to pay award)
Head of Chemistry job summary
Do you wish to work in a school committed to the development of all staff in its care?
Do you wish to join an aspirational and collaborative department which is improving the life chances of all students?
Are you able to inspire a generation of young Scientists who use the opportunities at our school as a launchpad to exciting careers in Medicine and STEAM?
Westminster City School is a successful 11-18 Christian non-denominational comprehensive academy for boys with a mixed sixth form. Ours is a vibrant learning community situated in the heart of central London with all the opportunities and advantages of an inner city school. In May 2026, the school’s OFSTED inspection confirmed that the school was a ‘Strong’ school but we are restless in our ambition to be ‘Exceptional’ in all that we do.
You are joining a successful and high achieving Science department, consistently ranked in the top 20% of all schools nationally for GCSE and with strong attainment outcomes at A Level. We have an exceptionally popular 6th Form and are embarking on a programme of updates to our laboratory spaces in the purpose-built Hinshelwood Block. The department has a very high profile in the school and Science is only taught by subject specialists.
“Pupils are well prepared to make choices…in Science, for instance, guest speakers and visits during science week introduced pupils to a wide range of science-based careers” OFSTED 2022
The post offers an exciting opportunity for someone looking to move into middle leadership. As such, this role will provide opportunities for leadership development that will allow for future professional growth. The role also comes with responsibility for our Pathways to Medicine programme which every year delivers students onto courses in Medicine, Dentistry and Veterinary Science. We strongly encourage staff from GMH backgrounds to apply and complete work as part of the Church of England’s ‘Leaders Like Us’ programme to support leadership growth.
You, like us, will share our belief in the highest standards of academic attainment in a comprehensive setting.
The successful candidate will have:
Strong personal values of integrity and compassion
Excellent subject knowledge and a commitment to continually developing it
Experience of developing and delivering an excellent Chemistry curriculum in at least one key stage
The desire to offer opportunities for our students beyond the classroom that strengthen their passion for STEAM subjects
The ability to lead within our pathways programmes; sustaining established professional links and seeking further partnerships
The ability to build and maintain relationships with external organisations so that our students receive an enhanced extra-curricular offer within Chemistry
The ability to motivate a large team to deliver excellent student outcomes.
A keen interest in developing leadership and management skills within our middle leadership team
Awareness of current best practice and the desire to support and lead upon aspects of our research-based approach to designing and implementing a highly impactful Science curriculum.
You will deliver lessons to a consistently high standard, and you will have a proven track record of excellent outcomes at GCSE and A level.
You will be joining a team of highly motivated middle leaders who are ambitious in ensuring our vision of a powerful knowledge curriculum enables all pupils to take part in the great conversations in society.
We believe in developing our staff and have a dynamic and supportive management team and an effective CPD programme which includes a regular teaching and learning forum, peer-coaching and a Middle Leader development programme. At Westminster City School, we will offer you:
A supportive and collegiate staff culture;
Strict behaviour policy and centralised detentions;
An evidence-informed approach to teaching and learning;
A weekly bespoke CPD programme which runs through an early finish to the school day; and
Staff benefits including an interest-free season ticket loan and cycle-to-work scheme.
“A comprehensive professional learning programme for staff is carefully tailored to the needs of pupils and the aspirations of staff. Teachers receive regular training that helps them to deliver the curriculum well and to understand pupils’ needs. Leaders check the impact of this training and adapt it when needed. Staff feel that their workload is manageable. They are confident that leaders listen to their concerns.” OFSTED 2026
Applicants from a global majority heritage background are strongly encouraged. The school is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and expects all staff to share this commitment. The successful applicant will need to undertake an enhanced criminal records check via the DBS.
If you would like to discuss the role informally with the Assistant Headteacher via phone or video call or to talk informally with the Headteacher please e-mail l.ellens@wcsch.com (PA to Headteacher). You may also wish to visit our website (www.wcsch.com) to research more about the school.
We reserve the right to interview exceptional candidates early.
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 Westminster City School
- Organisation type
- Academy, Christian, ages 11 to 18
- Education phase
- Secondary school
- Size
- 790 pupils enrolled
- Age range
- 11 to 18
- Ofsted report
- View Ofsted report
Westminster City School is a comprehensive with a mixed Sixth Form located in the heart of central London close to Buckingham Palace, the Houses of Parliament and Westminster Abbey. We are proud of our diverse school community which is multi-faith, multi-cultural and a true reflection of the modern city we live in. Ours is a school with a Christian foundation and character but we welcome boys of all faiths and of no faith. Our strong moral and spiritual ethos ensures pupils develop and prosper during their time at our school.
School location
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