Head of Geography
Lynch Hill Enterprise Academy, Slough, Berkshire, SL2 5AYThis job expired on 20 May 2024
Job start date
1 September 2024
Closing date
20 May 2024 at 12pm (midday)
Date listed
13 May 2024
Job details
Job role
- Head of department or curriculum
Visa sponsorship
- Skilled Worker visas can be sponsored
Key stage
- Key stage 3, Key stage 4
Subject
- Geography
Working pattern
- Full time: 32.5 hours a week
Contract type
- Permanent
Pay scale
- U3
Additional allowances
TLR2b
What skills and experience we're looking for
Job Description- Head of Geography
Responsible To:
SLT link
Primary Purpose:
To promote the highest possible achievement of students in geography through a high-quality curriculum and consistently good teaching.
Main Duties and Responsibilities:
Job Purpose:
- To ensure that students make progress equivalent to or better than expected on the basis of prior attainment data
- To ensure that students’ progress is monitored and that appropriate measures are taken to address underachievement of groups and individuals
- To ensure effective learning takes place through consistent, high quality teaching.
- To contribute to curriculum review to ensure it remains relevant in our changing world
- To demonstrate achievement of Teachers’ Standards.
Main Duties and Responsibilities
Strategic direction
- Promote the subject, its importance, and the value that it brings across the school
- Have a good understanding of how well the subject is being delivered and the impact it has on pupil achievement
- Use this understanding to feed into the school development plan and produce an action plan for the subject
- Promote pupils’ spiritual, moral, social, cultural, physical and mental development alongside British values in the teaching of the subject
- Consult pupils, parents and staff about the subject and its effectiveness, and assess the feedback against the school’s values, visions and aims
- Work with the special educational needs coordinator (SENCO) to ensure the curriculum matches the needs of different pupils, such as disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND)
- Promote enterprise and careers education through the subject and ensure that teaching and learning illustrates how the subject might lead to career opportunities
- Use additional staff in the subject area to ensure there is a framework for deployments and that teaching assistants are deployed effectively
Leading the curriculum
- Develop and review regularly the vision, aims and purpose for the subject area
- Oversee the planning of the curriculum content, ensuring it is well sequenced to promote pupil progress
- Ensure the planned curriculum is effectively and consistently implemented across the school
- Make sure there is an effective system of assessment that oversees the progress of pupils to ensure the curriculum has a positive impact on pupils’ learning
- Have an overarching responsibility for pupils’ achievement and standards in the subject area
Leading and managing staff
- Establish an effective team and hold regular meetings to keep staff informed on any developments or changes
- Provide support to staff regarding teaching and learning, resources, and planning in the subject area
- Monitor teaching and learning by visiting lessons, scrutinising books, and talking with pupils to assess how well the subject area is being implemented and how well it is delivered across the school
- Provide feedback to staff based on the above observations to identify training needs and provide continuing professional development (CPD) in the subject area
- Coach and model team teaching
- Liaise effectively with exam boards to ensure that teachers understand and are familiar with the syllabuses that are being delivered
- Support teachers to make accurate assessments, manage internal and external moderation, and complete external moderation exercises
- Take responsibility for performance management for your team, appraising staff in line with the school’s policy
- Contribute to timetabling and manage setting pupils into attainment groups
Efficient and effective deployment of resources
- Provide support with textbooks and library books in subject area
- Create a safe, welcoming environment and take care of the classroom accommodation, ensuring classroom displays are stimulating, of high quality, and inspire curiosity in pupils
- Audit, check and manage resources to ensure they are up to date and match pupil and curriculum needs
- Manage the subject budget effectively to ensure it is spent on resources that add value and enhance the learning experience
Person Specification- Head of Geography
Experience, Qualifications and Training
- Qualified Teacher Status.
- Educated to degree level
- Evidence of relevant further professional development
- Teaching experience
- Good or better teaching
- Leadership experience (not essential)
Knowledge and Skills:
- Expert knowledge of the National Curriculum
- Understanding of high-quality teaching and learning strategies in the subject, and the ability to model
this for others and support others to improve
- Awareness of local and national organisations that can provide support with delivering the subject
- Ability to build effective working relationships with staff and other stakeholders
- Ability to adapt teaching to meet pupils’ needs
- Ability to build effective working relationships with pupils
- Knowledge of guidance and requirements around safeguarding children
- Good IT skills
- Effective communication and interpersonal skills
- Ability to communicate a vision and inspire others
Personal qualities:
- A commitment to getting the best outcomes for all pupils and promoting the ethos and values of the school
- Uphold and promote the ethos and values of the school
- Ability to work under pressure and prioritise effectively
- Maintain confidentiality at all times
- Commitment to safeguarding and equality
What the school offers its staff
Healthcare and mental health
- Free annual flu vaccination
- Eye care vouchers to cover some/all the costs of eye tests and spectacles.
- Free confidential and independent counselling helpline
- Healthcare package opt in for staff and their families which includes a 24/7 GP advice line and a 24/7 Mental Health helpline.
Social connection
- Staff social committee who arrange social events
- Buddies scheme for new staff
- End of term events with refreshments provided
- Supportive and committed team of staff
Timetabling and cover
- Additional protected PPA time for form tutors
- We employ Cover Supervisors to reduce the amount of cover by teachers
- Maximum teacher contact time set at 43 hours (about 2 days) per/fortnight
Planning, marking, assessment and reporting
- Specific staff support for administration planning of educational visits and other activities
- Teachers encouraged to set homework when it is meaningful, not to a rigid timetable
- Feedback policy designed to make marking and feedback demands on staff manageable
- Reporting requirements reviewed regularly and streamlined where possible
- Friday afternoon department planning meetings run from 2.30-3pm each week.
Communications and technology
All staff are supplied with a laptop
Communication streamlined using daily message document and weekly staff briefing
ClassCharts used to help teachers work more efficiently and flexibly
Calendar planning
- Deadlines and events scheduled to spread workload where possible
- Programme of after school meetings is relatively light compared to many schools
- Term dates are carefully set to maximise the number of weekends in school holidays
Professional development
- Extensive in-house CPD programme and opportunities for external training
- Funding to support teaching and support staff working towards relevant professional qualifications
- In-house Outstanding Teacher Programme
Flexible working and leave of absence
- Staff absence policy is applied generously
- Informal and formal requests for flexible working considered
- End of term early finish for all staff
Staff wellbeing
- 2-week Autumn Half-term
- Free tea/coffee and biscuits
- Friday treats such as cheese/biscuits, doughnuts, fruit and chocolate for all staff at break
- On site Dining Hall which offers a free lunch when you ‘dine in’.
- Late start following Open evening
Other benefits
- Cycle to work scheme and ample on-site parking.
- Refer a friend incentive of £500.
- Long service awards
- London fringe allowance
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.
Upload additional documents
If you need these documents in an accessible format, please contact the school.
About Lynch Hill Enterprise Academy
- School type
- Free School, ages 11 to 18
- Education phase
- Secondary
- School size
- 874 pupils enrolled
- Age range
- 11 to 18
- Ofsted report
- View Ofsted report (opens in new tab)
- School website
- Lynch Hill Enterprise Academy website (opens in new tab)
- Email address
- vacancies@lhea.org.uk
- Phone number
- 01753691583
Lynch Hill Enterprise Academy is a vibrant, growing new school close to the centre of Slough. State of the art and purpose built facilities, provide an outstanding learning environment in which to deliver an exciting curriculum and broader learning opportunities. We aim to ensure that everyone in the school is able to achieve academic success and, discover new skills and talents. Through our developing partnerships with the local community, organisations and businesses, students will develop the enterprise skills needed to be well equipped for the world of work in the 21st century.
We want our learners to be happy, confident and to have high aspirations.
Arranging a visit to Lynch Hill Enterprise Academy
To arrange a visit and increase the chance of a successful application email vacancies@lhea.org.uk.
School location
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