Head of Geography
Thomas Gainsborough School, Sudbury, Suffolk, CO10 0NH16 days remaining to apply
Start date details
January 2026 (or earlier by agreement)
Closing date
8 October 2025 at 1am
Date listed
22 September 2025
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
Subject
- Geography
Working pattern
- Full time
Contract type
- Permanent
Full-time equivalent salary
- MPR1 to UPR3 (FTE: £32,916 - £51,048 per annum) + TLR2b
Additional allowances
TLR 2b
Head of Geography job summary
Thomas Gainsborough School
Head of Geography
Contract: Full time, permanent
Start date: January 2025 (or earlier, if available)
Salary: MPR 1 to UPR 3 (Subject to Experience) + TLR 2b
Responsible to: Assistant Headteacher
Join a team delivering “Excellence: for each, for all” At Thomas Gainsborough School, our mission is simple and ambitious: excellence for every individual and for our whole community. We provide a personalised, aspirational and inclusive education that builds character, raises aspirations and nurtures a love of learning. Following sustained growth and consistently strong outcomes, we are seeking an inspiring Leader of Geography to shape our provision across Key Stages 3–5 and to lead a talented, collaborative team.
Why Geography at TGS?
• High take-up and strong progression: All students study a humanities subject at GCSE, with many choosing Geography and continuing into our thriving Sixth Form.
• Curriculum from KS3 to A level: A popular A Level, rich fieldwork at every key stage, and a curriculum that situates students in the local, national and global context they will help shape.
• Culture, Character, Currency: Our curriculum and wider offer broaden horizons, build resilience and secure academic excellence—so students not only dream, but achieve.
• Expert leadership around you: Dedicated support from an Assistant Headteacher who oversees Humanities, within a well-resourced faculty and an award-winning building designed for modern learning.
You will:
• Lead the strategic development of Geography across KS3–KS5, modelling research-informed practice and ensuring high-quality teaching and learning.
• Drive curriculum ambition, assessment and fieldwork that develop character and intellectual curiosity, while securing the currency students need for future success.
• Coach and develop colleagues so that great teaching is the norm and outcomes are consistently excellent.
• Champion our values—Respect, Resilience, Honesty, Happiness, Confidence and Positivity—in the classroom and across the team.
About you:
• A well-qualified geographer and effective middle leader (or aspiring leader) with a track record of improving outcomes.
• Able to teach A Level Geography and to lead a curriculum that is ambitious, inclusive and knowledge-rich.
• A confident communicator who builds strong relationships with students, staff and families, and aligns naturally with our mission of “Excellence: for each, for all.”
What we offer:
• A high-performing, truly comprehensive school that places students at the heart of the curriculum.
• Investment in professional development and career progression; a supportive, collegiate culture; and well-resourced classrooms.
• Staff wellbeing at the forefront, including a two-week autumn half-term, salary-sacrifice schemes (transport and local nursery), and access to an on-site gym and swimming pool with discounted membership.
How to apply To learn more or arrange a visit, please contact Jess Wood at jwood@tgschool.net or call 01787 375232 and ask for Mrs Mel Griss (HR Manager).
Thomas Gainsborough School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Successful applicants will be subject to enhanced DBS checks and other relevant pre-employment checks.
Closing date: Wednesday 8th October 2025, 09:00am
Interviews: Monday 13th October 2025
Please note: we may hold interviews as and when applications are received and we reserve the right to offer to a candidate prior to the closing date. We only accept applications submitted online via our careers website and which are completed before the closing deadline. With this in mind, we encourage you to apply as soon as possible and advise you check the job information as per the listing on our careers site.
In line with safer recruitment, we are unable to accept CVs. Failure to complete an application form satisfactorily may result in not being shortlisted for the post.
Unity Schools Partnership is committed to safeguarding, safer recruitment and promoting the welfare of pupils. Our comprehensive recruitment and selection processes aim to discourage and screen out unsuitable applicants. Successful candidates are subject to rigorous pre-employment checks. We are equally committed to eliminating discrimination and encouraging diversity. We aim for our workforce to be representative of society and that each employee feels respected and able to give their best. We are committed to providing equality and fairness in our recruitment and employment practices and not to discriminate on any grounds. We oppose all forms of unlawful and unfair discrimination.
We care deeply about inclusive working practices and diverse teams. If you’d prefer to work part-time or as a job-share, we’ll facilitate this wherever we can – whether to help you meet other commitments or to help you strike a great work-life balance. We’re keen to ensure we’re designing an organisation that works for everyone, so we particularly encourage applications from different under-represented groups.
Further information about the job
Commitment to safeguarding
Unity Schools Partnership is committed to safer recruitment, equal opportunities, safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people, and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. An enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check will be required.
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 Thomas Gainsborough School
- School type
- Academy, ages 11 to 18
- Education phase
- Secondary
- School size
- 1615 pupils enrolled
- Age range
- 11 to 18
- Ofsted report
- View Ofsted report
- School website
- Thomas Gainsborough School website
Thomas Gainsborough School invests in high quality professional development and provides a range of employee benefits. We are closely linked to the Unity Research School and lead the way in many local and national initiatives including being an EdTech Demonstrator School and being an ArtsMark platinum school. We provide excellent support care and support for our staff and students. There are Lead Practitioners to support colleagues in continually improving their practice. As a large, successful and popular school their are opportunites for colleagues to develop at every stage of their career.
In September 2015 the school moved into an award-winning new building, where subjects are taught in specialist rooms either in our Sixth Form block or alongside other History classrooms. The team is very supportive and expectations for students are high.
Thomas Gainsborough School is a consistently high performing, well resourced, and truly comprehensive school, with a firm belief in excellence for each and every student, placing students at the heart of their curriculum. You can find out more about the school at www.tgschool.net
The school continues to invest in high quality professional development and provides a range of employee benefits. This is an excellent opportunity for any teacher to develop their practice and continue their career progression.
The school is located just south of Sudbury in Suffolk and is within easy reach of Colchester, Ipswich and Bury St Edmunds. There are also many delightful and affordable villages in the surrounding area, which also make travelling to London, Cambridge and Norwich a possibility.
Many of our staff work flexibly in different ways including part-time working. For this role we are open to discussing the possibility of reduced hours of flexible start and end times. Please talk to us at the interview stage about the flexibility you would like and we will explore what’s possible for specific roles.
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