Lead Practitioner English Whitley Academy, Coventry, West Midlands
Job description
For an Easter 2020 start (or earlier), we are seeking a well-qualified, suitably experienced and enthusiastic Lead Practitioner to join our English department and support early career stage teachers and non-specialist Opening Minds teachers delivering excellent T&L opportunities and achieving excellent outcomes for students in English KS3-KS5. You will have strong subject knowledge and a proven track-record of exemplary classroom practice together with the ability to be pro-active and responsible for the development of T&L practice in English delivered by a large team of teachers. The well-resourced department has a relentless focus on developing an effective academic curriculum and raising attainment at all Key Stages. The English department is a passionate team at an exciting stage of development, drawing upon the expertise of a number of strong practitioners. You will be supporting the Curriculum Leader, in further developing the strengths of the team. English at KS5 is popular and we successfully recruit a significant number of Y11 students to the A level course. This is an exciting opportunity for someone to begin or further advance their leadership expertise. Our Academy is on a rapid improvement journey. You will be joining a forward-thinking school that values the professional development and well-being of its staff.
The successful candidate must be:
- Able to teach English to KS5 confidently,
- Values driven,
- Ambitious for every child and highly inclusive,
- Passionate about English and its impact on learning, with the ability to motivate pupils and achieve excellent results,
- Resilient with a strong personal drive,
- Someone who has high expectations of both students and their colleagues,
- Able to lead and support the development of T&L in the English Department,
- Someone who can forge positive relationships with students to encourage great learning, and
- Someone who has a passion for English in the real world and the ability to share this with young people.
Essential educational requirements
• Good first degree with English as the main strand.
• Recent substantial teaching experience with Secondary aged pupils in English.
• Evidence of successful and varied experience in secondary schools.
• Recent experience of a leadership responsibility within a department or pastoral team.
• Proven track record of raising educational standards and improving teaching at departmental level.
• Evidence of involvement in the development of the English curriculum in Secondary School.
Essential qualifications
• Qualified Teacher.
Essential skills and experience
• Effective communicator, with the vision and ability to inspire others.
• Emotional intelligence, tact and a sense of humour.
• Use of range of data to track individual students, set targets and monitor them.
• The capacity to establish and maintain good professional relationships and to deal with difficult situations sensitively.
• Able to lead and be a team player and the ability to teach English effectively in a comprehensive ethos.
• High expectations of personal performance and of students' success.
• Commitment to one's own learning.
• A belief that schools can make a difference.
• Able to think strategically, action plan and contribute to whole school priorities.
• Commitment to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people.
Employee benefits
We will offer you;
- A positive and innovative learning culture, where wellbeing and workload are effectively managed,
- A dedicated, highly skilled and committed staff, upholding high expectations of and aspirations for all of our students,
- A strong sense of community and a warm, welcoming workplace,
- Access to the RSA Academies’ Teaching School Alliance, which offers high quality training and leadership experiences for all staff, to ensure that everyone is enabled to develop, grow and collaborate,
- PiXL network access, developing new ideas and strategies to impact on student learning and
- A number of additional benefits including a fantastic internal CPD programme built into directed time - fostering excellence in teaching and learning, free parking, and a vibrant modern building and facilities in a beautiful location within easy reach of the M40/M6 corridor.
About Whitley Academy
When staff, students and families walk through our gates and onto our site they belong to the Whitley Academy community. In our community, we are proud of our school and are committed to supporting all staff and students to be the best they can be.
- Address
- Abbey Road, Coventry, West Midlands, CV3 4BD
- Phase
- Secondary
- Type
- Academy
- Website
- Whitley Academy website (opens in a new window)