Head of Geography

Ark St Alban’s Academy 

Head of Geography  

Location: Highgate, Birmingham  

Salary: Ark Main or Upper Pay Scale (£30,570 - £48,390) TLR 2b, £5,350 

Contract: Permanent 

Working hours: Full-time 

Start date: January 2025 (flexible for the right candidate) 

Closing date: Monday 21 October 2024 at 10.00am.  

Ark St Alban’s Academy is seeking to appoint a skilled and enthusiastic teacher to lead its rapidly expanding Geography department. 

About the role: 

A small but strong team of Geography teachers are rapidly improving pupil progress in  

Geography across all key stages. In Key Stage 3, pupils have two Geography lessons each  

week and make rapid progress through a knowledge-rich curriculum. In Key Stage Four,  

there are a growing number of classes studying GCSE Geography and it is hoped that this  

will lead to the continued growth in the number of pupils choosing to pursue Geography at  

A-Level in our sixth form.  

Providing all pupils with an academic and rigorous languages education is central to our university preparatory curriculum.   

Our Geography department provides pupils with a thorough and considered insight into the  

wonders and complexities of our planet. Throughout our 7-year learning journey, a passion  

for enquiry is developed. Pupils are led through the exploration of a wide and diverse range  

of places and environments and fieldwork plays a key role in both leading pupils to  

understand the complex relationships within the world around them, and in allowing them  

frequent opportunities to practice thinking and acting like skilled Geographers. 

In this role, the successful candidate will receive direct support from the senior leadership team through line-management. In this role, the successful candidate will also join a thriving a curriculum leadership team within the school that work together to drive whole school improvement. As part of Ark Schools, all colleagues also have access to exceptional professional development and training opportunities, including NPQs through the Ark Learning Institute.   

About our school: 

Our school consistently secures excellent outcomes for our pupils.     

Our school is committed to addressing educational disadvantage. We consistently guide pupils to GCSE and A-Level outcomes which place our cohorts in the top 10% of schools nationally on many measures, including those for the progress of disadvantaged pupils. Our school serves pupils from central Birmingham. The percentage of our cohort eligible for the Pupil Premium is the eighth highest in the country. There are very few communities in the UK who need great teachers more than ours. Teachers and leaders at Ark St Alban’s Academy are determined to prove that the background of a young person can be no impediment to their success. Our school prepares pupils to succeed at elite universities, with our alumni proudly representing our community at prestigious destinations including Cambridge University, Durham University and the London School of Economics.   

Find out more about Ark St Albans Academy here. 

We offer: 

• Salaries 2.5% higher than main pay scale. 
• Generous pension scheme. 
• Access to Ark rewards – a scheme offering savings from over 3,000 major retailers 
• Interest-free loans – up to £5,000 available for season ticket or to buy a bicycle.  
• Gym discounts – offering up to 40%. 
• Access to Employee Assistance Programme – providing free, confidential counselling, legal advice and a range of different support. 

Click here to find out more about the benefits we offer.  

How to apply: 

Please visit our website and submit your application. Please note we will be reviewing applications on an on-going basis and this advert may close earlier than advertised depending on the level of response. Early application is strongly encouraged.  

For further information about the role or to arrange a visit to our school, please contact Katie Roberts on 0121 446 1300 or katie.roberts@arkstalbans.org .  

For any technical issues, please contact our system support team by clicking the chat function on the bottom right of the advert screen. 

Ark is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people in its academies. In order to meet this responsibility, its academies follow a rigorous selection process to discourage and screen out unsuitable applicants.  

Ark requires all employees to undertake an enhanced DBS check. You are required, before appointment, to disclose any unspent conviction, cautions, reprimands or warnings under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975. Non-disclosure may lead to termination of employment. However, disclosure of a criminal background will not necessarily debar you from employment - this will depend upon the nature of the offence(s) and when they occurred. To read more about Ark’s safer recruitment process, please click this link. 

We aim to build a diverse and inclusive organisation where everyone – staff and students – can do their best work and achieve their full potential. We want to reflect and represent diverse perspectives across our organisation because we know that doing so will make us stronger and more effective. To know more about Ark’s diversity and inclusion commitments, please click on this link.