Head of Performing Arts

Job title: Head of Performing Arts (Ark Blake Academy)

Location:                East Croydon – Ten-minute walk from East Croydon station

Contract:                Full-time hours, permanent contract.      

Start date:              September 2023

Salary:                     Ark MPS / UPS plus TLR1a

Closing date:          28 May 2023

Please note that we will be reviewing applications on an ongoing basis and this advert may close earlier than advertised depending on the level of response.

Opportunity for an exceptional candidate to be a Head of Performing Arts. An Associate Assistant Principal role may be available for a suitably experienced candidate.

Ark Blake Academy welcomed its first year 7 cohort in September 2020 and currently provides children in East Croydon with a first-class academic education, based on our strongly held values.

We aspire to become one of the best schools in the country, providing all our pupils with an excellent education that empowers them to seize greatness. With KS3 complete, we are now growing into KS4 with our first Year 10 cohort starting in September 2023.

At Ark Blake, we seek to transform lives through education. We believe that each of our pupils is born with unique potential for greatness and can take responsibility to achieve this. We believe that by aiming high, working hard and living according to Ark Blake’s Values, our pupils can seize greatness, lead lives that bring fulfilment and strengthen their communities.

The successful candidate will share our relentless drive to provide excellent learning experiences for every pupil, both in and out of the classroom. They will share our vision for a school where pupils take responsibility to ‘seize greatness’, achieve academic excellence and flourish as knowledgeable, confident, articulate responsible citizens, who live according to Ark Blake Values. 

The role

We are seeking an exceptional candidate as Head of Performing Arts, to work in close partnership with the Principal and the Senior Leadership Team to embed the school’s vision and develop an outstanding school that empowers our pupils to take responsibility and seize greatness.

As Head of Performing Arts you will lead, develop and manage the effective delivery of an outstanding curriculum, which enables the highest level of student progress and attainment. You will lead the professional community of subject teachers in Drama and Music and promote outstanding teaching and learning and a strong school culture of performing arts, within a nurturing and rigorous environment. The postholder will lead on the development of the music programme and whole school production. 

The successful candidate will have the opportunity to grow with the school. We will provide one-to-one support, coaching and access to extensive network training to support career development and further leadership opportunities. 

In addition to professional support all employees are eligible for Ark Rewards, a scheme that offers discounts at many retailers and other benefits such as Cycle to Work and the Employee Assistance Programme.

You will:

·      Have an unwavering determination to deliver excellence for pupils from all starting points

·      Share the Ark Blake beliefs, vision and mission and be aligned with the Ark six pillars underpinning it

·      Be committed to Ark’s ethos of high expectations for every pupil in both academic achievement and personal development

·      Be committed to continually improving classroom practice and raising attainment

·      Manage behaviour effectively to create a positive, calm and purposeful climate for learning

·      Have the drive, skills and resilient character required to help build a new school

·      Combine subject matter expertise with a passion for teaching your subject

·      Be reflective about the Academy and committed to securing its continued development

·      Value and support practices driving continued progress across the network of Ark schools

For further information refer to the full job description and person specification.

Ark Blake Academy is part of Ark, one of the UK’s most successful school groups, with a network of 39 schools in 4 locations across the country.

As a proud member of the network, we offer:

·      Twice as many training days as standard

·      Weekly staff training designed to meet the needs of the school

·      Coaching for every teacher

·      Protected co-planning and department meeting time

·      Access to the high-quality, regular professional development

·      Opportunities to collaborate with colleagues across the network

How to apply:

Please go to: https://arkblake.org/jobs/vacancies

For more information about our school, please visit: www.arkblake.org.

To arrange a confidential conversation with the Principal about this role, please contact: hr@arkblake.org.

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.