Head of English

How would you like to be paid for five days but only work four*?

Our colleagues’ wellbeing is at the heart of everything we do at OFG, so we’re always looking for new ways to improve everyone’s work/life balance. We’re taking part in a trial of the 4-Day Working Week, meaning that you could be working one day less a week (or equivalent).

If the trial is a success, we’ll be rolling the 4DWW out across the Group – so there’s never been a more exciting time to join #teamOFG!

Job Title:     Head of English

Salary:       Up to £52,000 per annum dependent on experience

Location:     New Barn School, Newbury, Berkshire

Contract:         Permanent, Term Time Only

Hours:       40 hours per week, Monday to Friday

UK Applicants only. This role does not offer sponsorship

As part of our continued growth, we now have a fantastic opportunity for a Head of English to join our close-knit team at New Barn School located in Newbury, Berkshire.

About the role

To ensure the highest standards of learning, achievement and development for all students in their English studies. This will be achieved through clear and effective leadership of subject staff. 

Specific responsibilities:

1.To lead learning within the department through:

• providing a vision for learning within the department in line with that of the school
• ensuring high standards of teaching, addressing any issues where teaching falls below the required standards;
• ensuring high standards of leaning, addressing any issues evident from Acorn reviews, self review, or OFSTED inspection where learning falls below the required standards
• ensuring that all courses have schemes of work which enable examination objectives and other whole school objectives to be met. Ensuring that those courses are appropriately resourced
• ensuring that learning is personalised through good use of assessment data and good assessment practice including focussed work for all ability levels 
• supporting staff in dealing effectively with student behaviour in order to remove barriers to learning
• ensuring that department staff complete school monitoring, recording and reporting requirements to a high standard.

2.To lead, train, support and manage department staff through:

• ensuring that all new staff receive a comprehensive induction
• supporting the continuing professional development of department staff
• keeping up-to-date with relevant issues
• lesson observations and learning walks
• facilitating the sharing of good practice through meetings and INSET
• annual Performance Management of colleagues under direct line management.

3.To lead the department's review and improvement planning work by:

• analysing the examination results of students working within the subject and agreeing and implementing action points
• contributing to the faculty's annual self-review report
• observing an agreed number of lessons
• ensuring the effective use of self-review tools including those which facilitate student feedback on their learning experiences
• preparing improvement plans for the department.

About us

New Barn School offers a broad, balanced and relevant curriculum to boys and girls, aged 6–19 years who have Social, Emotional and Mental Health complexities.

New Barn School takes full advantage of its beautiful settings and fosters a love for using the outdoor curriculum including forest school, farm experiences and horse riding. The school is within a commutable distance of Swindon, Oxford, Andover, Basingstoke and Reading and other surrounding towns and villages.

Our services offer a stable, secure and supportive environment, in which the pupils and young people we care for can develop the skills and confidence necessary to help them fulfil their potential.

Acorn Education is the UK’s leading independent provider of specialist education and residential care for vulnerable pupils and young people. As part of Outcomes First Group, we are leading our sector in setting and delivering new approaches that provide measurable outcomes for those in our care.

We are really proud to say that in 2024, Outcomes First Group were officially certified as a ‘Great Place to Work’ for the fifth year running.

Why join Acorn Education? 

Benefits

Your health and wellbeing are important to us, so you’ll get an exceptional reward package including:

• Life Assurance
• Pension scheme with options to increase your contributions
• “Your Wellbeing Matters” – access to a wide range of first-class mental health support services and physical health checks

And a market-leading benefit offering through our Flexible Benefits Platform, Vista, enables you to choose the package that’s right for you, including:

• A wide range of health, wellbeing, and insurance benefits
• 100’s of discount options valid in the UK and abroad
• Cycle to Work Schemes
• Electric Car Purchase Scheme
• Critical illness cover
• Family Growth Support - inclusive benefits package covering enhanced maternity and paternity leave, along with paid fertility treatment support. 

And that’s not all, we place the outcomes of the pupils in our services at the heart of everything we do, so you’ll wake every day in the knowledge that your role will have a significant positive impact on the lives of others.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of pupils and young people. All applicants will be subject to social media checks and successful applicants to a fully enhanced DBS.

*You’ll work 80% of your contractual hours for 100% of your pay, giving you more time to do the things that make you happy.

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