Head of Science

More than one location, Harris Federation

25 days remaining to apply

• Start date details

  September

• Closing date

  24 February 2026 at 11:59pm

• Date listed

  30 January 2026

Important

This teaching role is at more than one school in the trust. You can find out more in schools overview.

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
• Subjects: Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Science
• Working pattern: Full time, part time
• Contract type: Permanent
• Full-time equivalent salary: £39,370 - £57,654 + TLR 2
• Pay scale: MPS/UPS (Outer London) + £1,500 Harris Allowance + TLR 2
• Additional allowances:

  Performance and Loyalty Bonus + Pension Scheme (TPS) + Harris Wellbeing Cash Plan + Additional Harris Benefits

What skills and experience we're looking for

Are you a passionate teacher looking for your next step? We are looking for a qualified, experienced teacher to join Harris Academy Rainham and Harris Rainham Sixth Form as Head of Science.

Harris Academy Rainham and Harris Rainham Sixth Form is open to flexible working so full and part time applications are welcome. We are looking for a strong communicator with proven skills in engaging with, inspiring and motivating, not just the school community but the wider community.

We would like to hear from you if you:

• Hold QTS (or equivalent) and a relevant undergraduate degree, and, ideally, management training
• Demonstrate successful teaching of GCSE at good or better level
• Have experience of initiation and effective management of change
• Show evidence of raising achievement in present post and showing good value added for groups
• Have knowledge of current curriculum developments in subject and their implications
• Have good knowledge and understanding of current educational thinking
• Show good understanding of how children learn and how to raise standards of achievement
• Have good communication skills in speech and writing
• Display excellent organisational skills
• Are able to build and sustain professional standards and relationships with students
• Are able to contribute towards creating a safe and protective environment

For a full job description and person specification, please download the Job Pack.

What the school offers its staff

Harris Academy Rainham is a very popular and oversubscribed 11-16 academy which is part of the Harris Federation. We joined the Federation in September 2016 and there are exciting times ahead.

What makes us different:

• Our values are at the centre of our school and aren't simply a slogan on a website.
• We have a firm but fair approach to behaviour. This is built on the use of consistent routines and teaching our students how to behave.
• We deliver a knowledge rich curriculum that is developed by our staff to meet the needs of our students. The knowledge we teach takes our students beyond their everyday experiences and enables them to see the world differently.
• Our leaders are role models, they lead by example, admit mistakes, welcome opinions and love honest conversations.
• We are a staff united against educational disadvantage with a fierce determination to show our students the world beyond Havering.

What we can do for you:

• Great career progression both within our Academy and the Federation.
• Excellent professional development opportunities. As a Leading edge school we have been recognised as being at the forefront of educational thinking and research is central to all we do.
• Meaningful measures to manage workload – no graded observations, early finish on a Friday, no onerous marking requirements but sensible feedback policies.
• Bespoke support and line management from excellent leaders across the school.
• Opportunities for fantastic professional growth as the school develops a sixth from.
• A school where subjects are ‘front and centre' of all we do. The subject determines our pedagogy.

Teacher Development

At Harris, we have curated professional development pathways that will guide you towards achieving your career ambitions. We have developed a strong culture of collaboration and best practice, with professional development and career planning at its centre. With a strong network of passionate educators, expert development initiatives and a multitude of opportunities for career progression, your journey with Harris could be the most rewarding one yet.

We offer a wide range of high quality teacher professional development programmes via the Harris Institute of Teaching and Leadership.

Benefits

In addition to the opportunities for career development and progression, we also offer a competitive rewards and benefits package which includes our Harris Allowance (usually £2,000 for Inner London and £1,500 for Outer London), a Performance and Loyalty Bonus, Teachers Pension Scheme, a Wellbeing Cash Plan, Employee Assistance Programme, and many other benefits. Learn more about our benefits on our website.

Flexible working opportunities

We are committed to fostering a positive and supportive working environment for our staff, recognising that achieving a balance between professional and personal responsibilities is essential. We understand that each individual's circumstances are unique, which is why we offer flexible working options that can be adapted to meet the needs of both the academy and our employees.

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.

The purpose of your role will be:

• To be accountable for leading, managing and developing the subject area.
• To raise standards of student attainment and achievement within the whole subject/curriculum area and to monitor and support student progress.
• To ensure the provision of an appropriately broad, balanced, relevant and differentiated curriculum for students studying in the department, in accordance with the aims of the academy and the curricular policies determined by the Governing Body and Principal.
• To teach the relevant subject across the age and ability range.
• To facilitate and encourage a learning experience which provides students with the opportunity to achieve their individual potential.
• To effectively manage and deploy staff, financial and physical resources within the department.
• To share and support the school's responsibility to provide and monitor opportunities for personal and academic growth.

Your main areas of responsibility will fall under the areas of:

• Operational and strategic planning (including formulating the subject and faculty improvement plans, and leading the development of appropriate syllabuses, resources, schemes of work, marking policies, assessment and teaching strategies)
• Ensuring the delivery of an appropriate, comprehensive, high quality and cost effective curriculum and leading development of the subject and its delivery
• Staff development (including recruiting, building and managing an effective team of motivated staff)
• Student outcomes (including ensuring the effective operation of target setting, monitoring and evaluation systems and the input and maintenance of accurate student data)
• Pastoral system (including being a form tutor to a selected group of students)
• Teaching, including acting as an outstanding role model

Commitment to safeguarding

The Harris Federation and all our academies are committed to ensuring the highest levels of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, and we expect all our staff and volunteers to share in this commitment. All offers of employment are subject to an Enhanced DBS check, references, and where applicable, a prohibition from teaching check will be completed for all applicants. Before applying, please review our Policy Statement on the Recruitment of Ex-Offenders.

Applying for the job

Apply for the job by following the link below.

CVs will not be accepted for this application.

Additional documents

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

Head of Department Science.pdf - 315 KB (opens in new tab)

About the schools

• Type: Multi-academy trust
• Website: Harris Federation website
• Email address: careers@harrisfederation.org.uk
• Phone number: 01708 552811
• See more jobs: teaching-vacancies.service.gov.uk/organisations/harris-federation

Making an impact
Educating 1 in 41 young people in London, we have a track record of achieving success through rapid school improvement, and a reputation for running outstanding academies. Our focus is on the most challenging schools in London and turning them into places where every young person has access to a high-quality education.

Commitment to young people in London
Unlike other large multi-academy trusts, we are committed to transforming schools in London and the surrounding areas. This focus on localisation means we intimately know the communities we work in and have the expertise to help our young people from these backgrounds to succeed. It also allows us to build a much stronger whole Federation network, collaborating more closely to share best working practices across our academies.

Centralised support
To ensure our academies can deliver exceptional education to our young people, we provide them with a strong support provision. Our dedicated central team supports all 55 of our academies, acting as a central hub with expertise in Finance, HR, Compliance, Estates, Audit, Recruitment, and IT, and many more. This centralised structure takes away much of the educational administration from our academy colleagues, allowing them to focus on what they do best – developing bright futures for our young people.

Experts in education
We are focused solely on education and have a team of experienced senior leaders who drive our ambition to deliver outstanding learning opportunities to as many young people as possible. Our organisation is led by people who have extensive experience working in education and know exactly what it is like to be at the forefront of teaching.

School Details

Harris Rainham Sixth Form

• School type: Free School, ages 16 to 19
• Education phase: Sixth form or college
• School size: 240 pupils enrolled
• Age range: 16 to 19
• Ofsted report: View Ofsted report
• School website: Harris Rainham Sixth Form website
• See more jobs: teaching-vacancies.service.gov.uk/organisations/harris-rainham-sixth-form

Harris Academy Rainham

• School type: Academy, ages 11 to 16
• Education phase: Secondary school
• School size: 901 pupils enrolled
• Age range: 11 to 16
• Ofsted report: View Ofsted report
• School website: Harris Academy Rainham website
• See more jobs: teaching-vacancies.service.gov.uk/organisations/harris-academy-rainham

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