Head of Department

Paddock School, London, SW17 0DZ

21 days remaining to apply

• Job start date

  12 April 2027

• Closing date

  4 December 2026 at 12pm (midday)

• Date listed

  13 November 2026

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
• Working pattern: Full time, term time: Teachers directed hours
• Contract type: Fixed term - Fixed Term from 12th April 2027 to 12th April 2028 - Maternity or parental leave cover
• Pay scale: Salary: MPS/UPS (Inner London)
• Additional allowances:

  Teaching Learning Responsibility (TLR) ; Special Educational Needs Allowance (SEN)

What skills and experience we're looking for

Main purpose

The teacher will:

• Fulfil the professional responsibilities of a teacher, as set out in the School Teachers’ Pay and Conditions Document.
• Meet the expectations set out in the Teachers’ Standards.

Duties and responsibilities

Teaching

• Demonstrate an ability to plan and teach consistently good and outstanding well-structured lessons to assigned classes, following the school’s plans, curriculum and schemes of work.
• Assess, monitor, record and report on the learning needs, progress and achievements of assigned pupils not only in your class group, but in the wider department, making accurate and productive use of assessment.
• Adapt teaching to respond to the strengths and needs of pupils using a range of specialist teaching strategies including structured teaching, PECS, Attention Autism and Intensive Interaction.
• Set high expectations which inspire, motivate and challenge pupils.
• Promote good progress and outcomes by pupils within the department and in a curriculum area across the whole school.
• Demonstrate good subject and curriculum knowledge.
• Support colleagues to develop their practice both in your department and across the school.

Whole-school organisation, strategy and development

• Take a leadership role in the development, implementation and evaluation of the school’s policies, practices and procedures in your department and curriculum area so as to support the school’s values and vision.
• Together with SLT, lead on the school self-evaluation process for your department and curriculum area including lesson observations, monitoring of school standards and bringing about improvement.
• Have overall responsibility and accountability for your curriculum area ensuring curriculum continuity, consistency, balance, match and progression.
• Monitor standards including recorded work as relevant to your TLR area across the school including reviewing long and medium term planning.
• Make a positive contribution to the wider life and ethos of the school.
• Lead others on curriculum and pupil development to secure co-ordinated outcomes.
• Provide cover, in the unforeseen circumstance that another teacher is unable to teach.
• To support pupils with transition into and beyond your department.
• Lead meetings as appropriate relevant to your department and curriculum area.

Health, safety and discipline

• Promote the safety and wellbeing of pupils across the department.
• Support colleagues to maintain good order and emotional regulation among pupils, managing behaviour that challenges effectively to ensure a good and safe learning environment.

Professional development

• Take lead role part in the school’s appraisal procedures, acting as appraiser for assigned teachers and support staff.
• Take part in further training and development in order to improve own teaching.
• Lead, monitor and develop an area of expertise that you can share with others.

Communication

• Communicate effectively with pupils, parents and carers.
• Support colleagues to communicate effectively.
• Produce written reports for a rage of audiences.
• Present concisely to governors or other stakeholders.

Working with colleagues and other relevant professionals

• Collaborate and work with colleagues and other relevant professionals within and beyond the school.
• Develop effective professional relationships with colleagues.

Personal and professional conduct

• Uphold public trust in the profession and maintain high standards of ethics and behaviour, within and outside school.
• Have proper and professional regard for the ethos, policies and practices of the school, and maintain high standards of attendance and punctuality.
• Understand and both act and inspire others to act within the statutory frameworks setting out their professional duties and responsibilities.
• To act as a role model to others in school and champion school vision, values, policies and practices.

Management of staff and resources

• Direct and supervise support staff and teachers.
• Contribute to the professional development of other teachers and support staff.
• Deploy and monitor the effective use of resources delegated to them.
• Manage, monitor and accurately account for departmental budget.

Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead

• Act as a Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead.
• Support the Designated Leads in managing referrals, maintaining accurate and secure records and training staff in safeguarding policies and procedures.
• Safeguard and promote the welfare of children and young people, and follow school policies and the staff code of conduct.

• Undergo training to develop and maintain the knowledge and skills required to carry out the role effectively.

• Support the Designated Safeguarding Leads to ensure staff can access and understand the school’s child protection and safeguarding policy and procedures (especially new and part time staff).
• Support the Designated Safeguarding Leads to ensure the school’s child protection policies are known, understood and used appropriately.
• Be alert to the specific needs of children in need, those with special educational needs and young carers.

• Encourage a culture of listening to children among all staff, ensuring that children’s feelings are heard where the school puts measures in place to protect them.

Other

• Assist in the smooth running of the school at all times, including being responsible with the other TLR holders for the school in the absence of the headteacher, heads of school and assistant headteachers.

Please note that this is illustrative of the general nature and level of responsibility of the role. It is not a comprehensive list of all tasks that the teacher will carry out. The postholder may be required to do other duties appropriate to the level of the role, as directed by the headteacher or line manager.

Person specification

Criteria

Essential

Desirable

Qualifications and experience

• Qualified teacher status
• Degree
• Training and experience of using a range of specialist strategies
• At least three years successful teaching experience
• A Middle Leadership Qualification or other appropriate training
• At least three years successful teaching experience in a special school setting

Skills and knowledge

• Knowledge of the National Curriculum and how to apply to teaching in a specialist setting
• Knowledge of exemplary, effective teaching and learning strategies for pupils with special educational needs
• Knowledge of effective methods of supporting colleagues to develop their skills and practice
• A good understanding of how children learn
• Ability to adapt teaching to meet pupils’ needs
• Ability to use skills and knowledge and interpersonal skills to build effective working relationships with pupils, colleagues, parents and the wider school community
• Knowledge of guidance and requirements around safeguarding children and how to implement it effectively
• Knowledge of effective behaviour management strategies and commitment to follow whole school protocols to support emotional regulation
• Good ICT skills, particularly using ICT to support learning
• Recognised qualification or training in a relevant strategy in order to deliver accredited training to others
• Experience of delivering training and evaluating its impact
• Experience of developing self evaluation and development plans for curriculum areas, strategies or school departments
• Deputy DSL experience

Personal qualities

• A commitment to and ability to inspire others in getting the best outcomes for all pupils and promoting the ethos and values of the school
• High expectations for children’s attainment and progress in your class and department and within your curriculum development area
• Ability to work under pressure and prioritise effectively and support others with workload
• Commitment to maintaining confidentiality at all times
• Commitment to safeguarding and equality

Notes:

This job description may be amended at any time in con

What the school offers its staff

To work at Paddock, where the focus is on providing outstanding support and education for pupils with severe learning difficulties and autism, there are several qualities and attributes that are highly valued:

• Team Player
• Compassion and Empathy
• Keen to contribute to school life
• Commitment to putting pupils first and helping them to reach their potential
• Life Long Learning
• Resilience
• Celebrate Learning
• Strong work ethic

We offer:

• Highly competitive Local Government Pension Scheme
• Flexible PPA time (with agreement of senior leadership)
• Strong senior leadership support
• Opportunities to develop area of specialism
• Partnership for training and development with schools in Wandsworth and beyond.
• An outstanding training programme
• Access to employee wellbeing scheme
• Opportunities for promotion within the school
• Cycle 2 Work
• Smart Schools Benefits (which include Lifestyle Savings, Wellness support, saving scheme for everyday expenses)

Further information about the job

The candidate will be required to undergo a full enhanced DBS check and must be eligible to work in the UK.

Visas cannot be sponsored.

If you're interested in teaching or training to teach in England as an international citizen, we can help you understand your next steps.

Commitment to safeguarding

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

This post is subject to an enhanced DBS check.

Please note that we do not accept CVs.

Applying for the job

Apply for the job by following the link below.

CVs will not be accepted for this application.

Additional documents

If you need these documents in an accessible format, please contact the school.

Head of Department Job Description and Person Specification.pdf - 131 KB (opens in new tab)

About Paddock School

• Organisation type: Special school, ages 4 to 19
• Size: 246 pupils enrolled
• Age range: 4 to 19
• Ofsted report: View Ofsted report
• Website: Paddock School website
• Email address: recruitment@paddock.wandsworth.sch.uk
• See more jobs: teaching-vacancies.service.gov.uk/organisations/paddock-school

Paddock School is a growing, outstanding and innovative split site school in Tooting, SW17 0DZ and Putney, SW16 6HL.

Paddock is a special place where we put pupil’s interests first in everything we do. We are an Ofsted outstanding and innovative split site special school for pupils aged 4 – 19 with severe learning difficulties. Most of our children also have a diagnosis of autism.

We pride ourselves on the warm, nurturing culture of the school, and staff share a deep commitment to supporting the individual needs of our pupils. Every pupil here is known, understood and nurtured.
Our valued staff are exceptional practitioners who work as part of an extensive multi-disciplinary team of specialists to plan and deliver highly personalised learning opportunities that make learning fun, meaningful and engaging for our pupils.

Our reputation is founded on our high standards, and maintained by our caring, dedicated staff, who create a nurturing and inspirational atmosphere throughout the school. The whole team is enthusiastic and united in their desire to prepare pupils for life beyond Paddock.
To work at Paddock, where the focus is on providing outstanding support and education for pupils with severe learning difficulties and autism,

Arranging a visit to Paddock School

To arrange a visit and increase the chance of a successful application email recruitment@paddock.wandsworth.sch.uk.

School location

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