Head of Department for Art

Darton Academy are looking to appoint a Head of Department for Art to join our academy in January 2025 on a permanent, full time basis. This role presents a wonderful opportunity for any candidate who wishes to take their career to the next level. You will join a talented team and also benefit from all the advantages of working for a multi academy trust. In the summer of 2023 our results were considerably above national average with Progress 8 score of 0.35 overall. If you love your subject and are passionate about developing pedagogy and practice, then this is the job for you. 

Art is a very popular subject at Darton Academy and pupils achieve exceptional outcomes at Key Stage 4. In 2023 the progress 8 score for Art was 1.29 and Photography 0.93. The department is well resourced, with multiple computer suites and photography equipment. Pupils can experience using a wide range of different types of art media and techniques. Art lessons take place in the “Art Barn”, which is an open plan multi-purpose space, with a vast amount of natural light and impressive views of the South Yorkshire countryside from all classrooms. Art, along with all creative subjects is highly valued in the academy, with exhibitions and visits featuring as part of the curriculum.

Darton Academy is an exciting place to learn and as soon as you enter the building you can feel a buzz of enthusiasm. There is a sense of purpose, and the academy is calm and orderly, with state of the art facilities. We are a close knit community, and we pride ourselves on knowing our pupils well and doing our utmost to ensure everyone fulfils their true potential.  

We aim to ensure that our pupils can learn in a safe and supportive environment, where everyone values academic achievement and has a positive attitude to learning. As a result of our journey of continuous improvement, our pupils secured an amazing set of exam results in the summer of 2023, with 55% of pupils achieving a grade 5 or higher in maths and English, and 75% achieving a grade 4 or higher. We continue to go from strength to strength and our progress 8 score is 0.35 which far exceeds expectations for pupils of similar ability nationally. Darton Academy is yet again one of the highest performing schools in Barnsley. In February 2023 Ofsted graded us Good with an outstanding personal development offer. 

We strongly encourage our pupils to take part in enrichment activities so they can discover all their strengths and talents, and run over forty clubs, as well as pupil support sessions and interventions. We also regularly organise whole school events and educational visits so that our pupils have a broad experience of learning beyond the classroom. 

We believe in rewarding pupils for good behaviour, attendance and achievement and run a number of celebration events throughout the year, from “Super September” to our summer “DartFest”. We place learning at the heart of everything we do and use our core values of respect, responsibility, and resilience to build a positive ethos. 

Ultimately, we understand that our pupils are most successful when they feel happy, valued, challenged, and supported to achieve their very best. We believe this also applies to our staff. We are passionate about giving people the chance to develop and progress their careers, and also offer an extensive range of opportunities, incentives and benefits including: 

As a Trust, we have developed an extensive range of employee benefits that focus on your Financial, Physical and Mental Wellbeing. Here are just a few examples in each area… 

Financial Wellbeing:

·        Membership to either the Teachers’ Pension Scheme or the Local Government Pension Scheme

·        Technology scheme and Vehicle Leasing Scheme*

·        Access to an extensive discounts platform

Physical Wellbeing:

·        24/7 access to an online GP or Advanced Nurse Practitioner for you & your household

·        Gym & fitness discounts

·        Cycle to Work scheme*

·        Free annual flu jab

Mental Wellbeing:

·        Access to an industry leading Employee Assistance Programme

·        Menopause Support Service

·        Trained Mental Health First Aiders in all our settings

*Subject to ensuring NMW is maintained 

For more information and to apply for this position please visit our website at Careers with Delta • Delta Academies Trust (deltatrust.org.uk)

In accordance with DfE Keeping Children Safe in Education, an online search will be completed on all shortlisted applicants prior to interview. Any relevant information will be discussed further with the applicant during the recruitment process.

The Trust is committed to safeguarding the welfare of its students and the successful applicant will be subject to an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service certificate and checks of the relevant barred list / prohibition lists.

Delta Academies Trust undertake to treat all applicants for posts fairly and not to discriminate unfairly against volunteers or paid staff who voluntarily reveal that they have a criminal conviction. Equally, we will not discriminate unfairly against volunteers or paid staff where a Disclosure and Barring Service check reveals a criminal conviction or other information about offences.

Therefore, we will consider job applicants who have a criminal record based on their skills, abilities, experience, knowledge and, where needed, qualifications and training. However, our approach depends on the job, and whether it is covered by, or exempt from, the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974.

We are proud to be a Disability Confident employer and guarantee an interview to anyone disclosing a disability whose application meets the minimum criteria for the post. However, it is important to note that if we receive a high volume of applications, we may limit the numbers of interviews offered to people with and without a disability.

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