Lead Practitioner of Science

King Edward VI Balaam Wood Academy, Birmingham, West Midlands, B45 0EU

19 days remaining to apply

Start date details
September 2025 (a January 2026 start would also be considered)
Closing date
9 June 2025 at 12pm (midday)
Date listed
19 May 2025

Job details

Job role: Teacher
Other leadership roles
Visa sponsorship: Visas cannot be sponsored
Key stage: Key stage 3, Key stage 4
Subjects: Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Science
Working pattern: Full time (Can be done as a job share): Full Time, Monday to Friday
Contract type: Permanent
Pay scale: LP4

What skills and experience we're looking for

“Pupils and staff enjoy belonging to a vibrant school community where caring, respectful relationships are the norm” – Ofsted (January 2024)

We are welcoming applications for the post of Lead Practitioner of Science at King Edward VI Balaam Wood Academy, an academy recently graded as ‘Good’ by Ofsted in all four areas in January 2024. We are seeking an experienced, driven and bold practitioner to play a pivotal role in shaping the academic journey of our pupils from September 2025 (although a January 2026 start would also be considered).

We are seeking a bold, committed and passionate practitioner to take on a pivotal role within our Science department. The ideal candidate will be ambitious and have a passion for curriculum development and implementation, have excellent subject knowledge and be able to inspire and motivate pupils through their exceptional teaching practice. They will be collaborative and work with colleagues to ensure pupils have access to quality teaching across all three disciplines. This is an exciting opportunity for a talented teacher to take the next step in their professional development. Most importantly, you will be joining a small, kind and powerful community of Senior Leadership, Teaching and Support staff where “staff feel valued and appreciate how their workload and wellbeing are considered by leaders at all levels” as recently noted in our Ofsted Inspection Report.

King Edward VI Balaam Wood Academy is a dynamic and forward-thinking school, recently recognised as the most improved school in the West Midlands by the Fairer Schools Index (January 2025). We are also incredibly proud to be the first Birmingham City Academy School in conjunction with Birmingham City Football Club, fostering a unique and inspiring environment for our pupils.

We are incredibly proud of the journey our academy is on and we are looking forward to meeting other like-minded professionals who want the best outcomes for our pupils who “know staff have high expectations of them and want them to be successful.” Both staff and pupils are “rightly proud of how much Balaam Wood has improved over recent years” in which “daily life reflects the school’s values of being bold, ambitious, collaborative and kind.” We are looking forward to receiving your application and welcoming you to our vibrant community.

King Edward VI Balaam Wood Academy is located in south west Birmingham. The academy is rapidly improving and continuing to benefit from having joined King Edward VI Academy Trust Birmingham which has led to investment across the academy, including the availability of cutting-edge technology in each classroom. King Edward VI Balaam Wood Academy is proud to be part of The Schools of King Edward VI Birmingham which supports its schools, faculties/departments and individual staff to work collaboratively. The successful candidate will benefit from a wide range of professional development opportunities encompassing the potential to experience schools across the Foundation and to pursue professional qualifications. There will be opportunities to collaborate with other schools and to benefit from their expertise and resources.

Our expectations and aspirations

King Edward VI Balaam Wood Academy has the highest aspirations and expectations for all members of its community. As a member of staff, you will be valued, challenged and supported in making a difference to the lives of our young people. We expect the same of our pupils. We demand courtesy, endeavour and resilience from all of our pupils and the support of their parents and carers.

We are exceptionally proud of our academy and our young people and would encourage interested applicants to come and spend some time with the leadership team to understand our shared vision, have a look around and experience what life is like as part of our community.

Please note we reserve the right to close the deadline early in receipt of an exceptional application.

What the school offers its staff

The King Edward VI Foundation, Birmingham, is a progressive charitable organisation which has supported excellence in education across the city since 1552. Our schools are diverse in nature but have a common purpose and commitment to achieving our mission of “making Birmingham the best place to be educated in the UK”.

Our Academy Trust currently consists of two independent schools, six selective, and five non-selective academies. Our recent expansion into a wider diversity of local communities is enabling us to accelerate our strategies for improving the life chances of young people in Birmingham, whatever their background.

The King Edward VI Academy Trust Birmingham (“the Academy Trust”) was established in 2017 and is made up of the academies outlined above. The academies receive back office central support services including governance, from the Foundation Office (a central support services function), with several staff being seconded from the Foundation to deliver support services to the Academy Trust and the academies themselves.

Our highly focused five-year strategy aims to build on our existing strengths and heritage and deliver our ambitious growth strategy which aims to bring in a further five academies over the next five years.

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.