Curriculum Director of Humanities

About this Role

Oakbank is a school of potential that drives for the betterment for all. The school is committed to a journey of transformation, where staff, students and parents are committed to improving the quality and experience of education for its community. We believe that every child deserves to not only access the full curriculum, but should thrive in their curriculums, developing academically, personally and holistically as a result of passionate and adaptive teaching, resulting in committed learning that secures successful outcomes. Our current phase of school improvement features our entire team, working together at pace to offer greater stability, more innovation and creativity. The aim is for greater consistency for all students, enabling them to manage their learning and themselves more effectively.

Our collective determination to make Oakbank a happier and higher performing school affirms our commitment to our values: integrity, collaboration and excellence. We believe in excellence for our students to give them the opportunities to have choices in their lives, empowering them to choose the future that they desire off the back of hard work. We believe in working together to ensure that our community supports one another and challenges one another to be the ‘best yet’ versions of ourselves, not because we have to improve but because if we do, the potential is endless. And we believe in the fidelity of our vision for students and staff, and strive to retain our moral compass when making decisions, to ensure an open, inclusive and happy community at Oakbank.

About this role

What will be your key role as curriculum director of Humanities? You will oversee the collection of subjects within the faculty, leading the department, analysing data, and taking responsibility for the intent, implementation and impact of the curriculum in these areas. 

Key Duties 

• Developing a vision of how, through Humanities, we can raise the aspirations and achievement of students both within the school and the wider community
• Developing and leading action plans to enable this vision to happen.
• Leading the development of curriculum materials, including schemes of work, that meet the needs of all learners so they can succeed in and enjoy Humanities.
• Promoting the opportunities your curriculum area brings to the academy, including developing enrichment opportunities such as after-school classes and trips and visits.
• To be in charge of overseeing, organising, and delivering all schemes of work throughout the year and ensuring that they embrace the new Ofsted framework.
• Holding weekly meetings with key stakeholders.
• Take an active role in our whole school instructional coaching model to support your department to constantly improve and develop their practice.
• Developing a high performing team of teaching and support staff within your curriculum area that raises aspiration and achievement.
• Modelling and encouraging effective team behaviours to support the above.
• Evaluate the quality of learning and teaching within the curriculum area.
• Arranging the timetable to ensure that teaching staff within Humanities are best deployed to utilise their strengths.
• Identifying and intervening in areas for development for teaching staff within the curriculum area and across the school and support the development of learning through use of departmental meetings, coaching and individual staff development plans.
• Developing a culture of accountability within the team and across the school in regard to Humanities skills to ensure that teachers have ownership of progress, achievement, and attainment of the students in their classes.
• Leading accountability for student engagement and behaviour within the curriculum area, including the use of rewards and sanctions according to academy policy.
• Ensuring effective assessment of learning is taking place within the curriculum area.

• Maintain tracking systems for aspects of the curriculum area which inform school assessment and data collection procedures.

• Tracking and monitoring student performance within aspects of the curriculum area, including analysis of examination results from all key stages.

• Identifying causes for concern and put in place appropriate intervention to raise achievement.
• Developing and maintaining appropriate routes of communication with students, staff, and parents.
• Ensuring that high quality, stimulating displays are maintained in classrooms and corridors within the curriculum area.
• Maintaining current curriculum information on the academy website and VLE.
• Driving remote education to ensure that home learning is an integral part of our approach to assessing student understanding, and teaching responsively.

Other

• Be aware of and comply with policies and procedures relating to child protection, health, safety, security, and confidentiality, reporting all concerns to an appropriate person.
• Contribute to the overall ethos/work/aims of the school.
• Appreciate and support the role of other professionals.
• Attend relevant meetings as required.
• Participate in training and other learning activities and performance development as required.
• Treat all users of the school with courtesy and consideration.
• Present a positive personal image, contributing to a welcoming school environment which support equal opportunities for all.
• Comply with health and safety policies and procedures at all times and undertake risk assessments as appropriate.
• Promote and ensure the health and safety of pupils, staff & visitor (in accordance with appropriate health & safety legislation) at all times.
• To show a record of excellent attendance and punctuality.
• To adhere to the School’s Dress Code & Staff Code of Conduct.

This job description will be supported by the school improvement plan which will identify key distinct tasks and responsibilities for this role in the school year. These will be derived from ongoing school self-evaluation and other local/national priorities. The postholder’s duties must be carried out in compliance with the school’s policies and procedures including child protection and safeguarding procedures.

These duties and responsibilities should be regarded as neither exhaustive nor exclusive as the post holder may be required to undertake other reasonably determined duties and responsibilities commensurate with the grading of the post.

Please note that we reserve the right to close the recruitment campaign earlier that this date subject to the volume of applications received.  We therefore encourage candidates to submit applications as early as possible.

It is an offence for an individual who has been disqualified from working with children to knowingly apply for, offer to do, accept, or do any work in a ‘regulated activity’. The position advertised is a ‘regulated activity’.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and require all staff and volunteers to share and demonstrate this commitment. The successful candidate will have to meet the requirements of the person specification and will be subject to the relevant pre-employment checks which will, where applicable, include a health check, an enhanced DBS check, the Children’s Barred List check and satisfactory references.

The school is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff to share this commitment.