Head of Business and Economics

We are currently looking to appoint a qualified, experienced teacher to join our academy as Head of Business and Economics to ensure high standards of teaching and learning across the subject area through continuously developing and enhancing the quality of teaching and learning.

As a member of our team at Harris Rainham Sixth Form and Harris Academy Rainham, you will be in the position to lead your subject across an 11-16 Academy and into a brand new sixth form which will first open its doors in September 2023. These are two separate schools but they will have a close relationship and share a similar ethos and staff.

To learn more about the role and the school, you are encouraged to contact the school for an informal visit or to arrange a phone call with Gareth Stananought, Principal.

Research shows that some applicants are put off if they don't meet all criteria, particularly women and people from a BAME background. We encourage and welcome any applicant who meets the majority of our criteria to apply.

About Us

Harris Rainham Sixth Form is a new sixth form serving the community of Rainham and Wennington. We are a dedicated group of staff who are deeply committed to serving our community and ensuring our students are on the path to the best universities and careers. We have built a school on our core values of Curiosity, Compassion, Commitment. These values are at the heart of our school and all that we do.

What makes us different:

• Our values are at the centre of our school and aren't simply a slogan on a website.
• We deliver a knowledge rich curriculum that is developed by our staff to meet the needs of our students. We teach beyond our subjects specifications through our electives, guilds and co-curricular programs.
• Our leaders are role models, they lead by example, admit mistakes, welcome opinions and love honest conversations.
• We are a standalone sixth form but work closely with Harris Academy Rainham an 11 – 16 Academy. This gives us the strengths of an 11-18 school and the benefits of a sixth form only environment.
• We are a staff united against educational disadvantage with a fierce determination to show our students the world beyond Havering.

What we can do for you:

• Great career progression both within our Academy and the Federation.
• Excellent professional development opportunities. We focus our training on the latest educational thinking and research and we believe our people are our greatest asset.
• Meaningful measures to manage workload – no graded observations, early finish on a Friday, no onerous marking requirements but sensible feedback policies.
• Bespoke support and line management from excellent leaders across the school.
• Opportunities for fantastic professional growth due to our close working relationship with Harris Academy Rainham and other academies across the Federation.

Main Areas of Responsibility

The purpose of your role will be:

• 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.

Your main areas of responsibility will 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

Qualifications & Experience

The successful candidate will:

• 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
• Be able to build and sustain professional standards and relationships with students
• Be able to contribute towards creating a safe and protective environment

Next Steps

If you have any questions about this opportunity, please send us an email, or call to arrange a conversation.

We encourage you to apply as soon as possible as we may interview and offer to a candidate before the closing date. Please note that we only accept applications submitted before the closing date via our careers website.

Professional Development & Benefits

Our people are at the heart of our success. We have developed a strong culture of collaboration and best practice, with professional development and career planning at its centre. We invest in our staff with support, coaching, mentoring, and a wide range of top-quality training programmes delivered at every level.

In addition to the opportunities for career development and progression, we also offer a competitive rewards and benefits package which includes our Harris Allowance for teachers on MPS/UPS, a Performance and Loyalty Bonus, Pension Scheme with generous employer contributions, a Wellbeing Cash Plan, electric car scheme, and many other benefits. Learn more about our benefits on our website.

Safeguarding Notice

The Harris Federation and all our academies are committed to ensuring the highest levels of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people, and we expect all our staff and volunteers to share this commitment. All offers of employment are subject to an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check, references, an online search, and where applicable, a prohibition from teaching check will be completed.