Head of Religious Studies & Sociology

Shaw Education Trust; Bury St Edmunds; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 50,000; Full time

Job summary

An education trust in England seeks a dedicated Head of Religious Studies and Sociology to provide strong leadership in a thriving secondary school. The ideal candidate will lead the development of an engaging curriculum and ensure high-quality teaching while mentoring staff. A commitment to inclusive education and the ability to inspire students are essential. This role gives you the chance to significantly impact the department and the school's overall vision of achieving excellence.

Benefits

Local Government Pension Scheme

Generous holiday entitlement

Access to health & wellbeing plan

Discounts for teachers

Free eye tests

Access to professional development opportunities

Qualifications

• Must have strong subject knowledge in Religious Studies or Sociology.
• Proven record of effective teaching and learning.
• Experience or potential for leadership at middle level.

Responsibilities

• Lead the strategic direction of Religious Studies and Sociology.
• Deliver high-quality teaching and an engaging curriculum.
• Support, mentor, and develop staff within the department.

Skills

Excellent classroom practitioner

Strong subject knowledge in Religious Studies and/or Sociology

Ability to inspire students and staff

Commitment to inclusive education

Leadership potential or experience

Education

Qualified Teacher Status

Job description

This job is brought to you by Jobs/Redefined, the UK's leading over-50s age inclusive jobs board.

We are seeking an inspirational and committed Head of Religious Studies and Sociology to join our thriving secondary school. This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced practitioner or aspiring middle leader to shape a dynamic and forward-thinking department at a key stage of its development.

The successful candidate will lead the strategic direction of Religious Studies and Sociology, ensuring high-quality teaching, strong outcomes, and an engaging curriculum that encourages critical thinking, debate, and reflection.

As Head of Religious Studies and Sociology, you will:

• Provide strong leadership and vision for the departments across Key Stages 3 and 4
• Deliver outstanding teaching and learning, modelling best practice
• Develop and implement an ambitious, inclusive curriculum aligned with examination specifications
• Use assessment and data effectively to raise attainment and close gaps
• Support, mentor, and develop staff within the department
• Contribute to the wider life and leadership of the school

We are looking for a teacher who:

• Is an excellent classroom practitioner with strong subject knowledge in Religious Studies and/or Sociology
• Has the ability to inspire students and staff through passion, expertise, and high expectations
• Demonstrates strong leadership potential or experience at middle leadership level
• Is committed to inclusive education and promoting students' moral, social, and cultural development
• Shares our commitment to safeguarding and student wellbeing

Tottington High School is a school with a very clear vision for its future, having recently converted to academy status to be part of the family within Shaw Education Trust; committed to the continued professional development of all members of staff and the sustained successful performance of all its academies.

At THS we are relentless in our pursuit of excellence.

We want to inspire our school community to believe they can achieve their high aspirations and will be successful in the future.

We will accomplish this by:

• Working as a team and promoting inclusivity
• Striving for greatness everydayBeing inspired to reach our goals

All candidates are required to provide a supporting statement on the formal application forms which states clearly your reasons for applying, skills and experience for this position.

Join Shaw Education Trust - Support, Teach, Lead... Make the Remarkable Happen.

At Shaw Education Trust, we believe every role holds the power to transform a life. Whether you're supporting behind the scenes, inspiring in the classroom, or leading with vision, you'll be part of something extraordinary.

We are a dynamic and growing family of Primary, Secondary, and Special Schools, proudly serving communities from Birmingham to Bury. Our mission is to unlock opportunity for every young person-whatever their background, ability, or starting point.

Our people are our greatest asset, and we are deeply committed to their growth. Through high-quality training, apprenticeships, talent acceleration, and research opportunities, we empower our staff to thrive as skilled, confident professionals and we champion wellbeing, value every voice, and create a culture where you feel supported, motivated, and inspired to make a real difference.

You will join a collaborative network of schools where shared expertise and professional community fuel success. Every academy in our Trust has an equal voice, and every colleague plays a vital part in shaping tailored learning experiences that raise aspirations and build brighter futures.

At the heart of our work is a deep respect for the children and young adults we serve-our "precious cargo." We are proud to "exactly like nothing else" and bridge the gap between education and the wider world, preparing every student for further education, employment, or training in inclusive environments where integrity, equality, and opportunity thrive.

If you have the heart, passion, and drive to help shape lives and create futures filled with promise, we would love you to join our incredible team.

Support. Teach. Lead. Belong. Thrive.

Together, let's make the remarkable happen.

In our secondary schools, we pride ourselves on our innovative approach to curriculum design, to ensure all our schools have breadth and ambition for all students, regardless of their starting points and barriers. Standard curriculum models don't always engage all students, so we constantly seek to innovate and provide better opportunities to develop both knowledge and skills for life. We want our students to believe their curriculum is bold, exciting, purposeful, and ultimately leads to something meaningful for them. Some examples of our innovation include moving towards an extended school day, to provide a world class enrichment programme and more opportunities for essential skills like reading and cultural capital. We are also introducing vocational and technical pathways, which run through the normal school curriculum but attract support from leading employers and universities to develops work-readiness in our students, so that they can progress onto T Levels and apprenticeships.

Our secondary schools are currently driving 'PedTech' across the sector: we believe teaching and technology should go hand-in-glove and are passionately committed towards providing a fully digitally enhanced curriculum. We are very close to achieving full 1:1 device delivery and are sprinting towards better use of iPads in lessons to enhance the experience and learning.

Shaw Education Trust offer the following employee benefits with your Teaching or Support Staff employment:

• An excellent Local Government Pension Scheme (Support Staff) / Teachers Pension (Teaching Staff)
• Support Staff only based on working full time, all year - Generous holiday entitlement from your first day of employment (37 days holiday rising to 39 days after 5 years' service including Bank Holidays)
• Access to Medicash Health & Wellbeing Plan: Enjoy health services designed to support your well-being.
• Free DiscountForTeachers Scheme for all staff (Support and Teaching), Exclusive discounts to save money with a wide selection of discounts and exclusive offers from hundreds of the biggest brands.
• Free Eye Tests
• Cycle to work scheme
• Access to our Institute of Education and fantastic opportunities to help you grow, contribute and flourish in your role and in the Trust.

We know our people are the key to our success and so we're committed to ensuring the employment experience at Shaw Education Trust is a rewarding one.

Colleagues within the Trust benefit from: Access to a full range of courses both in-house and professionally accredited. These courses include a variety of the National Professional Qualifications and the Early Carer Teacher Programme delivered by Shaw Education Trust as a delivery partner for Ambition Institute.

• Experienced leadership and subject-specific support.
• Guidance from former HMIs and serving Ofsted Inspectors within the Trust.
• Access to the Trust's Institute of Education and SCITT.
• Opportunities to work with different schools within the Trust as a Professional Advocate.
• Participating in peer reviews.
• Access to a suite of online courses.
• Placement projects within our family of schools.