Head of English

HARRIS ACADEMY ORPINGTON; Camden Town; On-site; GBP 43,000 - 53,000; Full time

Job summary

A secondary school in Camden Town is seeking a Head of English to lead the English department from September 2025. The role requires a qualified teacher with QTS and a strong track record in teaching and leadership. Responsibilities include developing the curriculum, managing staff, and ensuring students achieve their potential. A competitive benefits package is offered, along with opportunities for professional development within a supportive environment.

Benefits

Harris Allowance

Performance and Loyalty Bonus

Teachers Pension Scheme

Wellbeing Cash Plan

Qualifications

• Strong subject knowledge teaching up to and including KS5.
• Track record of raising standards and effective management of change.
• Understanding of current educational thinking.

Responsibilities

• Lead, manage and develop the subject area.
• Ensure provision of a broad and balanced curriculum.
• Monitor and support student progress.

Skills

Communication skills

Organisational skills

Interpersonal skills

Education

QTS or equivalent and relevant undergraduate degree

Management training (ideally)

Job description

Overview

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.

Note: The main areas of responsibility 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

Are you an enthusiastic and passionate English teacher looking to step into middle leadership? Could you inspire us to continue to improve and raise students\' achievements, have a commitment to sharing expertise and bring the department to the next level? This position is for a September 2025 start. The successful candidate will have QTS and strong subject knowledge teaching up to and including KS5.

The successful candidate should be a dedicated and highly motivated practitioner with a proven track record of driving up standards, with excellent interpersonal skills to join our highly committed team, sharing in the school\'s values, vision and ethos.

• 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

About Harris Academy Orpington We have worked hard to create an environment where we look after and care for each other. Colleagues at Harris Academy Orpington know that we work together as a team and we look out for each other; the environment here is one of care, nurture and support, along with a bit of challenge!

Harris Academy Orpington opened in September 2016, joining the Federation of Harris academies in London. We are a community school that serves families in and around Orpington and we are well on our way towards providing an outstanding education for the students who come here. We want our students to succeed and have choices in their lives; to take control of their futures and achieve beyond their dreams. We are ambitious, tenacious and enterprising and committed to helping our students succeed. Our work as a Health Science Specialist school gives students access to recognised professional qualifications, work experience and careers. We have incredible facilities and a curriculum that is ambitious and broad. We aim to ensure that every student is inspired and supported to achieve his/her personal best and learning comes first. Our motto is "Together We Can".

We are looking for a qualified, experienced English teacher to join Harris Academy Orpington as the Head of English. We offer professional development pathways through the Harris Institute of Teaching and Leadership, a culture of collaboration and best practice, and opportunities for career progression. We value the diversity of our staff and students and are committed to an inclusive, fair, equitable and mutually supportive environment.

In addition to career development and progression, we offer a competitive rewards and benefits package including the 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.