Head of Department: Art
The Cooper School, Bicester, Oxfordshire, OX26 4RS13 days remaining to apply
Start date details
The role is available for either a 1 January 2026 or 1 April 2026 start
Closing date
17 November 2025 at 12pm (midday)
Date listed
4 November 2025
Job details
Job role
- Teacher
Visa sponsorship
- Visas cannot be sponsored
Subject
- Art and design
Working pattern
- Full time
Contract type
- Permanent
Full-time equivalent salary
- £32,916.00 - £51,048.00 Annually (FTE) This post also carries a TLR 2.2 allowance, currently £5,869 per annum
Head of Department: Art job summary
The Cooper School is seeking an exceptional Head of Art to lead our dynamic and creative Art Department. This is a fantastic opportunity for an experienced teacher with leadership aspirations or an established middle leader to shape the artistic journey of our students and drive excellence in curriculum, pedagogy, and personal development.
Key Responsibilities:
- Lead and manage the department effectively
- Ensure high standards of teaching, learning, and assessment
- Drive academic progress and outcomes across the subject
- Develop innovative and inclusive schemes of work
- Contribute to whole-school leadership and strategic planning
The Ideal Candidate Will:
- Be an excellent classroom practitioner with a proven track record in teaching Art
- Have experience of curriculum leadership or a readiness to take the next step in their career
- Demonstrate strong interpersonal, organisational, and leadership skills
- Be committed to student success and passionate about raising achievement
This is a fantastic opportunity for someone ready to take on a leadership role within a supportive and ambitious school environment.
The Cooper School and the Acer Trust are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all children and preventing extremism; all staff must ensure that the highest priority is given to following the guidance and regulations to safeguard children and young people. The successful candidate will be required to undergo an Enhanced Disclosure from the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) and obtain any other statutorily required clearance. Employment will also be conditional on the receipt of at least two acceptable references (one from current/last employer) and evidence of the formal qualifications required for the role.
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 The Cooper School
- 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
- School website
- The Cooper School website
At The Cooper School, we pride ourselves on being forward thinking in terms of curriculum decisions which support our students; focused on improving learning through the use of new technologies and determined to continuously refine our approaches to teaching and learning. Investing in the Media Suite reflects a small part of our approach to making learning engaging, relevant and active for our students.
Joining us as a member of staff at The Cooper School means being able to see the big picture for the students here. It means that whilst we always strive for academic excellence, we also place great value upon students becoming adaptable, resourceful and enquiring. These are the sort of skills that will enable them to become effective citizens, just as much as their academic results will. As such, we encourage independent learning, enrichment initiatives and House-based teamwork and co-operation.
Working here is an opportunity to flourish as a professional. We ‘grow our own’ leaders. Many new staff have taken on additional responsibilities which is a mark of their quality and commitment to making progress in their own careers as well as their desire to become part of a successful and positive organisation.
School location
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