Head of House
Great Western Academy, Swindon, SN25 2PP3 days remaining to apply
Start date details
September 2024
Closing date
7 May 2024 at 9am
Date listed
25 April 2024
Job details
Job role
- Head of department or curriculum
- Pastoral, health and welfare
Visa sponsorship
- Visas cannot be sponsored
Key stage
- Key stage 3, Key stage 4, Key stage 5
Working pattern
- Full time: Full-time
Contract type
- Permanent
Pay scale
- MPS/UPS + TLR 1a (£9,272)
Additional allowances
TLR 1a (£9,272)
What skills and experience we're looking for
Are you an existing or aspiring pastoral leader? Do you want the opportunity to broaden and develop your leadership experience in a forward-thinking setting? If so then joining Great Western Academy’s fantastic ‘Care’ team could be perfect for you!
Our pastoral team is divided in three Houses; all staff, students and their families are part of one of these Houses. Each House is led by a Head of House with a reduced teaching load, supported by a non-teaching pastoral intervention leader. There are two tutor groups in each House in each year group in years 7 to 11, usually with 25 or 26 students. There are one or two tutor groups per House in the Sixth Form, though this will grow next year as our first cohort of students progresses to year 13 for the first time. The pastoral team is led by our Vice Principal, and also includes transition coordinators for year 6 to 7, and year 11 to 12 who support Heads of House with our year 7 and 11 year groups. There are strong links with our SEND team and with many external agencies. We are proud of the standards our team enables for students, including excellent attendance levels, productive behaviour for learning, and professional and thorough safeguarding. There is also a strong House competition underpinned by the daily award of ACE points to students and a series of around 15 annual House events, ranging from performing arts, to sport, to baking and more.
With one of our Heads of House having been promoted to a role at another local school a vacancy has arisen. We are looking for someone who is ambitious for student well-being, who has a track record of making a difference to student attitudes and outcomes, and who can learn from and contribute to an excellent team.
What the school offers its staff
‘Achievement, Care and Excellence’ drives all our work at GWA, with Care deliberately in the centre of our vision. We believe that students will thrive if they feel welcomed, safe, and properly supported. Our Ofsted report from 2023, good in all categories, affirms our very strong pastoral provision: pupils are “respectful and friendly”, “proud of their part in shaping the school”, and they “appreciate the high expectations staff have of them and understand staff want them to do well”.
Great Western Academy runs a successful enrichment program for all students from 3.10 to 4.15 on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. The subjects studied are as diverse as Astronomy, Orchestra, Volleyball, Pokemon and Scrabble. Enrichment broadens and deepens a student’s range of experiences at school and gives them the opportunity to learn with other age groups. All teachers will run one enrichment session a week as part of their directed hours. It is an opportunity to engage students’ interest in an area of your own interest.
Additional benefits of working at GWA include:
- Average class sizes of 26 in years 7 to 11
- Flexible working opportunities
- Excellent CPD opportunities
- State of the art facilities
- Leading edge ICT, including a laptop provided for all staff
- Free Health and Wellbeing Support Service
- Cycle to work scheme through Cyclescheme
- Access to EV charging on site. Electric Vehicle Salary Sacrifice scheme
- Easy access to the A419, and free parking
Commitment to safeguarding
Great Western Academy is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and we expect all staff to share this commitment and undergo appropriate checks. All posts within the Trust are therefore subject to an Enhanced DBS and barred list check.
Applying for the job
Please download the application form using the link below, and once completed send to recruitment@gwacademy.co.uk
Upload additional documents
If you need these documents in an accessible format, please contact the school.
About Great Western Academy
- School type
- Free School, ages 11 to 18
- Education phase
- View all Secondaryjobs
- School size
- 878 pupils enrolled
- Age range
- 11 to 18
- Ofsted report
- View Ofsted report (opens in new tab)
- School website
- Great Western Academy website (opens in new tab)
- Email address
- recruitment@gwacademy.co.uk
- Phone number
- 01793 209700
Great Western Academy opened in brand new, state-of-the-art facilities in North Swindon in September 2018. The Academy is heavily oversubscribed in years 7,8,9,10 and 11 and our first two cohorts of A-level students celebrated their exceptional results in summer 2021 and 2022
Arranging a visit to Great Western Academy
To arrange a visit and increase the chance of a successful application email recruitment@gwacademy.co.uk.
School location
Similar jobs nearby
Second in Science Department (Lead teacher of Chemistry or Physics)
Quick Apply
Burford School
Cheltenham Road, Burford, Oxfordshire, OX18 4PL
Cheltenham Bournside School and Sixth Form Centre
Warden Hill Road, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, GL51 3EF
Get a job alert when similar jobs are listed
Find more school jobs in Swindon