Head of English

Helena Romanes School, Great Dunmow, Essex, CM6 2AU

10 days remaining to apply

• Earliest start date

  1 June 2026

• Latest start date

  1 September 2026

• Closing date

  12 January 2026 at 12pm (midday)

• Date listed

  2 January 2026

Job details

• Job role:
  • Teacher
  • Head of department or curriculum
• Visa sponsorship: Visas cannot be sponsored
• Key stage: Key stage 3, Key stage 4, Key stage 5
• Subjects: English, Media studies
• Working pattern: Full time
• Contract type: Permanent
• Pay scale: MPS/UPS
• Additional allowances:

  TLR for Head of English role.

What skills and experience we're looking for

English at Helena Romanes School:

The English and Media Faculty at Helena Romanes School is a high-performing department with a proven track record of delivering strong academic outcomes for its students. We maintain a clear ethos of high standards, expecting and fostering hard work, resilience, and ambition in the classroom. This success is underpinned by an expert team possessing a wealth of collective experience, which is actively utilized for robust, in-house Continuing Professional Development (CPD) and continuous departmental improvement. Furthermore, the team is integral to promoting strong literacy skills across the curriculum and fostering a genuine love of English through engaging initiatives, including theatre trips, book swaps, and reading challenges.

The faculty's curriculum is challenging and meticulously planned across all key stages, utilizing AQA specifications for our core courses. At GCSE, both English Language and English Literature are taught in mixed ability groupings. Our Literature texts of choice are established classics including Macbeth, A Christmas Carol, An Inspector Calls, and the 'Power & Conflict' poetry cluster. This focus on rigour yields excellent results, as demonstrated by the 2025 GCSE English Language outcomes where 74% of students achieved Grade 4 or above, and almost 20% achieved the top Grades 7-9.

At Key Stage 5 (A Level), we offer the successful AQA combined English Language and Literature course, featuring stimulating texts such as The Handmaid’s Tale, A Streetcar Named Desire, and The Kite Runner. Looking ahead, we are excited to introduce the OCR English Literature course in 2026 to further broaden student choice and academic depth. The faculty also leads a successful and growing Media Studies programme spanning from Year 9 through to successful GCSE and A Level uptake, adding a vibrant and popular dimension to our provision.

Successful candidate profile:

• Exceptional Curriculum Leader and Subject Expert: Proven ability to lead the strategic development and delivery of a challenging English curriculum across KS3, KS4 (AQA), and KS5, including an awareness of contemporary educational shifts (e.g., the introduction of OCR at A Level).

• Inspirational Classroom Practitioner: A highly effective teacher with a track record of implementing high-quality teaching and learning strategies that significantly raise achievement and maintain an ethos of hard work, resilience, and ambition (evidenced by strong outcomes like the 74% Grade 4+ at GCSE).

• Collaborative and Developmental Coach: Skilled in utilizing the team's collective wealth of experience to drive robust, in-house CPD and foster a culture of professional growth and high standards among colleagues.

• Visionary for Literacy and Enrichment: Ability to champion the importance of literacy across the curriculum and lead engaging enrichment initiatives (theatre trips, book swaps) that successfully foster a genuine love of English among students.

• Effective Faculty Manager: Proven capability to successfully oversee and develop the broader faculty provision, including leading the popular and growing Media Studies programme alongside the core English curriculum.

What the school offers its staff

Benefits from working at Helena Romanes School include:

• The school is a popular and successful all through comprehensive situated in the beautiful North Essex countryside with good communication links to London and the South East and is approximately 7 miles from Stansted Airport.

• The school is currently located adjacent to the town’s leisure centre, of which we receive a discounted membership, and we have ample on-site parking.

• We are proud to offer our staff a 50% discount on wraparound care for their children in the primary school, helping to support work-life balance. This benefit provides significant savings on before and after school care for children, ensuring that our team can feel confident and supported both at work and at home.

• Our Staff benefit from an Employee Assistance Programme, delivered by Education Support.

This is an exciting time to join the school:

• It is confirmed that Bowmer & Kirkland will commence our new school building shortly, funded by the Department for Education. This building will be to the highest specification with brand new equipment and a fully resourced technology area. The school is set to open to the primary phase in 2026 and the secondary and sixth form phase shortly after.

• Helena Romanes has also made excellent progress with the support of Saffron Academy Trust towards being judged by Ofsted as a Good school (Oct 2023). Working with the talented senior leadership team that is in place across all phases of the school, and drawing on the commitment from staff to provide the best possible outcomes for the pupils.

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

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

Apply for the job by following the link below.

CVs will not be accepted for this application.

Upload additional documents

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

Head of English Recruitment Pack 2026.docx.pdf - 5.57 MB (opens in new tab)

About Helena Romanes School

• School type: Academy, ages 4 to 18
• Education phase: All through school
• School size: 1309 pupils enrolled
• Age range: 4 to 18
• Ofsted report: View Ofsted report
• School website: Helena Romanes School website
• Email address: eball@hrs.education
• See more jobs: teaching-vacancies.service.gov.uk/organisations/helena-romanes-school

Helena Romanes School is a mixed state all through school catering for students from ages 4 through to 18. Set in leafy Great Dunmow, the school prides itself on being a school for the community whilst providing students with a broad range of enriching experiences to prepare them for their future lives. We value every aspect of our students, not just their academic success, and foremost of our values is kindness. In whatever capacity you join our school, as teacher, parent, student or support staff, you will be joining a friendly and inclusive community where your individuality is valued.

Students can join us at any stage of the journey. The primary phase opened in 2021 and currency consists of years R-5, with plans to expand to a two-form entry in 2025. Staff with a child in the primary school benefit from a 50% discount in wraparound care fees and the knowledge that their child is learning happily nearby.

Students in KS3 benefit from a broad range of subjects which include the core subjects of English, Maths and Science (double and triple award is offered), as well as a number of humanities subjects, including Religious Studies, History, Geography and Classical Civilisation. In addition there are numerous practical subjects such as PE, Design and Technology (including Textiles and Timber), Music, Art and Drama. We have impressive facilities: a large sports hall, specialised dance studio, extensive playing fields and astro turf, as well as a large library and well-equipped performing arts facilities. At KS4, students typically opt for between nine and ten GCSE subjects.

Many students choose to remain with us to continue their learning as valued members of the 6th form. Although we have a dedicated 6th form teaching block (complete with Costa cafe), lessons also take place in the main school building. Most Sixth Formers take at least three A-levels and may choose the EPQ and other qualifications in addition.

Students of all ages benefit from the passion and dedication of their teachers who give so generously of their time to help our students. Departments frequently run trips and excursions to extend and enrich students’ classroom learning, and many of our Year 13s go on to continue their learning at universities or further education establishments. Helena Romanes School is committed to educating the whole person, and to this end we run co-curricular activities such as Duke of Edinburgh and adventurous trips with companies like World Challenge: in 2025 some students and a few lucky staff members will be going to Cambodia.

Helena Romanes School is committed to developing not only its students but also its staff. We welcome Early Careers Teachers and have a number of experienced mentors on our staff. ECTs and their mentors work with our Appropriate Body - Saffron Teaching School Hub - and receive in-house training as well as the statutory entitlements during their induction period. The senior leaders of Helena Romanes prioritise staff wellbeing; staff training and social events are organised with this in mind.

Benefits from working at Helena Romanes School include:
● The school is a popular and successful all through comprehensive situated in the beautiful North Essex countryside with good communications to London and the South East and is approximately 7 miles from Stansted Airport.
● The school is currently located adjacent to the town’s leisure centre and we have ample on-site parking.
● We are proud to offer our staff a 50% discount on wraparound care for their children in the primary school, helping to support work-life balance. This benefit provides significant savings on before and after school care for children, ensuring that our team can feel confident and supported both at work and at home.

This is an exciting time to join the school:
● It is confirmed that Bowmer & Kirkland will commence our new school building shortly, funded by the Department for Education. This building will be to the highest specification with brand new equipment and a fully resourced technology area. The school is set to open to the primary phase in 2025 and the secondary and sixth form phase in 2026.
● Helena Romanes has made excellent progress with the support of Saffron Academy Trust towards being judged by Ofsted as a Good school (Oct 2023). Working with the talented senior leadership team that is in place across all phases of the school, and drawing on the commitment from staff to provide the best possible outcomes for the pupils.

Arranging a visit to Helena Romanes School

To arrange a visit and increase the chance of a successful application email eball@hrs.education.

School location

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