Subject Leader - Performing Arts
Paddington Academy, London, W9 2DR19 days remaining to apply
Job start date
1 September 2025
Closing date
31 March 2025 at 11:59pm
Date listed
10 March 2025
Job details
Job role
- Teacher
- Head of department or curriculum
Visa sponsorship
- Visas cannot be sponsored
Key stage
- Key stage 3, Key stage 4, Key stage 5
Subjects
- Dance, Drama, Music
Working pattern
- Full time: 37.5 hours a week
Contract type
- Permanent
Full-time equivalent salary
- Competitive Salary
What skills and experience we're looking for
Subject Leader – Performing Arts
We are a high performing school and have a relentless focus on high standards in all that we do. We have a total belief that every student can be successful regardless of their starting point and we have a strong culture of excellence to achieve this. Students make exceptional progress during their time at Paddington and we are consistently in the top 1% of schools in the country for student progress.
We ensure that our classrooms are disruption-free so our teachers can focus on the main thing – teaching and learning. We have effective behaviour systems in place which means that behaviour is well-managed and teacher time is protected. We are renowned for the positive environment and strong relationships between staff and students. We like to keep messages and systems simple and aim to reduce workload by doing so.
Paddington Academy is a mixed Academy for 1,200 students aged 11-18. The Academy was recently judged to be outstanding by OFSTED in March 2023 maintaining its outstanding judgement from 2011. Paddington has been described by the Education Minister as a ‘jewel in the crown of state education’. Our thriving and oversubscribed Academy also has a large Sixth Form with over 300 students. Students excel in our Sixth Form and achieve exceptional outcomes which enables them to achieve their next step which for the vast majority of students is university. 95% of students went to university, with 45% gaining a place at a Russell Group university in 2024.
We are seeking an ambitious and experienced middle leader, or an outstanding teacher ready for their next challenge, to lead our highly successful and ‘Outstanding’ Performing Arts department.
Performing Arts is a valued part of the curriculum at Paddington Academy, with Music and Drama taught as discrete subjects at KS3 and both offered as GCSEs at KS4. Our students enjoy participating in Performing Arts and recognise its importance in developing confidence, creativity, and self-expression. We are committed to ensuring that every student has the opportunity to develop their appreciation and understanding of Music and Drama while also acquiring the technical skills needed to perform, create, and evaluate effectively.
Both Music and Drama have well-structured and coherent curricula. To ensure the curriculum best serves our students and community, we continuously review and refine it—thinking carefully about what we teach and why. This year, we have introduced new schemes of work at KS3, including an exploration of ensemble performance and musical composition in Music, and a unit on physical theatre and devising techniques in Drama. These units are designed to enrich students’ creative and analytical skills at KS3 and better prepare them for success at KS4, where they will further develop their understanding of performance techniques, dramatic texts, musical composition, and production elements.
At Paddington Academy, the teaching of Performing Arts is research-informed and rooted in strong pedagogy. The department engages in weekly ‘Curriculum Masterclasses’ to share expertise, develop subject knowledge, and collaboratively plan lessons. In addition, the team plays a key role in whole-school events, showcasing students’ talents and providing opportunities for large-scale performances beyond the taught curriculum. This year, the department has already successfully staged a production of Annie, which was a resounding success. Each year, a full calendar of performance showcases, concerts, and ‘playground pop-ups’ is carefully planned to ensure students have regular opportunities to participate in and experience live performance—an essential part of their creative and personal development. Performing Arts is a vital part of our enrichment provision, fostering students’ confidence, collaboration, and self-expression. We offer peripatetic instrumental lessons, allowing students to develop their musicianship under the guidance of specialist tutors, and our popular Drama Club is well attended by KS3 students, providing a space for them to refine their performance skills, explore different styles of theatre, and develop a love for the arts beyond the classroom.
As Subject Leader for Performing Arts, you will have the opportunity to shape the curriculum at KS3 and KS4, oversee its implementation, and develop high-quality resources and teaching materials. You will lead and inspire a dedicated team, supporting the development of both experienced teachers and trainees. You will also play a key role in embedding performance opportunities throughout the year, ensuring students have access to high-quality extracurricular experiences, including concerts, showcases, productions, and external performance events.
As a middle leader at Paddington Academy, you will be empowered to drive change, set strategic priorities, and shape the teaching of your subject. You will have the autonomy to refine curriculum design, implement research-led teaching strategies, and ensure consistently high standards of delivery across all key stages. Your leadership will directly impact student outcomes, fostering a culture of excellence and a passion for the Performing Arts.
Subject Leaders at Paddington also benefit from access to a national network of Performing Arts subject leaders across United Learning, providing opportunities for collaboration, professional learning, and the sharing of best practice on a broader scale. The Subject Advisor for Performing Arts will be on hand to provide support and guidance to help develop your curriculum, ensuring that it remains ambitious, engaging, and reflective of the latest developments in Music and Drama education.
Paddington Academy is the lead school for United Teaching national SCITT and is a designated Teaching School Hub, so you will be able to access high-quality training at every stage of your career. We are fully committed to teacher and leadership development and training.
The ideal candidate will:
- Be passionate about their subject
- Be committed to continually improving their teaching and learning;
- Be committed to our ethos of high expectations
- Have the belief that every student can be successful
- Have the desire to make a real difference to the lives of our students
- Have experience of leading a Teaching and Learning initiative in their department
- Have excellent understanding of curriculum in their subject
- Have excellent subject knowledge and understanding of subject pedagogy
- Have evidence of excellent student attainment
- Keep up to date with current educational research
- Be a team player able to work effectively with colleagues across the organisation
What the school offers its staff
10 reasons to choose Paddington Academy
Why work at Paddington Academy?
United Learning
We are part of United Learning, the largest academy trust nationally, which offers a life-changing education to children and young people across England.
Our schools work as a team and achieve more by sharing than any single school could. Our subject specialists, our Group-wide intranet, our own curriculum and our online learning portal all help us share knowledge and resource, helping to simplify work processes and manage workloads for an improved work-life balance.
As a Group, we can reward our staff better: with good career opportunities, better pay, benefits, and ultimately, the satisfaction of helping children to succeed. We invest in our staff wellbeing. Our academies each have a rich CPD curriculum and an ongoing group-wide wellbeing programme. It's an ethos we call ‘the best in everyone’.
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.
Applying for the job
Apply for the job by following the link below.
CVs are not accepted.
Additional documents
If you need these documents in an accessible format, please contact the school.
About Paddington Academy
- School type
- Academy, Christian, ages 11 to 18
- Education phase
- Secondary
- School size
- 1259 pupils enrolled
- Age range
- 11 to 18
- Ofsted report
- View Ofsted report
- School website
- Paddington Academy website
- Email address
- hr@paddington-academy.org
Paddington Academy ensures that every student is well-educated, has the opportunity to attend university, and is able to lead a happy and fulfilled life.
Paddington Academy shares the objective of bringing out 'the best in everyone', enabling each student to become a balanced, happy and articulate person with the intellectual freedom to be creative; confidence to initiate; flexibility to respond to challenge, change and adversity; compassion to serve others; spirit to enjoy life; integrity to be trustworthy; and motivation to have a lifelong love of learning.
Arranging a visit to Paddington Academy
To arrange a visit and increase the chance of a successful application email hr@paddington-academy.org.
School location
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