Lead Practitioner of Science (£3K Golden Hello)

Cornwallis Academy is a ‘Good’ school on the outskirts of Loose, Maidstone with over 1300 students on roll aged 11 to 18. Cornwallis’ aim is to provide all students with the best educational provision.

It is a fully inclusive school, enabling all students to be the best they can be by having ‘ambitions for all’. Believing all students should be given every opportunity to achieve not only academically but also personally.

In line with the Cornwallis ‘SMILE’ ethos, the aim is to motivate, inspire, excite and engage all students so that they can be successful in their learning. Placing students’ wellbeing at the heart of everything. A strong community ethos permeates, throughout the school, focusing on learning and progress as well as the whole child.

Diversity, equity, and inclusion are at the heart of who we are and what we do. At Future Schools Trust we are committed to fostering an inclusive and diverse workplace where every individual's unique talents and perspectives are valued and can thrive. We encourage applications from all backgrounds, communities and industries and we are happy to discuss any reasonable adjustments that you require.

What's In It For You?

• A vibrant and exciting place to work
• A friendly and supportive environment
• An excellent CPD programme, with opportunities for action research and nationally accredited qualifications
• The support of a Trust that currently encompasses two Secondary Schools and one Primary School. Alongside Tiger Cubs, our term time only Day Nursery, for children aged 3 months to 4 years, with great benefits to education staff.
• A well-resourced department with schemes of work and resources available.
• An opportunity to join various schemes such as the Benenden corporate healthcare scheme

Click here to view all our employee benefits. 

Job Description

We are seeking to appoint a Lead Practitioner in Science and welcome applications from experienced teachers who are passionate about science and are dedicated to enabling students to make excellent progress. The successful candidate will work with the Director of Science to develop outstanding Teaching, Learning and Assessment in Science. The Lead Practitioner will also form part of a wider Teaching, Learning and Assessment team and Lead Practitioners across our Trust to support the development of Teaching and Learning across the academy and the Future Schools Trust.

We are offering a £3,000 Golden Hello for this role, which will be paid as a one-off lump sum to the successful candidate upon employment commencing with Future Schools Trust. 

Our Science Department consists of a team of skilled and motivated teachers. You will be joining a modern, well-resourced and popular department with a relentless focus on raising achievement. At present the Department teaches a full suite of Science subjects. At Key Stage 4, AQA Triple Science is taught alongside AQA Trilogy combined science. At Key Stage 3 we offer a bespoke curriculum based on the AQA KS3 Science syllabus. At key stage 5 we offer A-levels in Biology, Chemistry and Physics alongside a Level 3 BTEC Extended Certificate in Applied Science.

The successful candidate will have a proven track record of outstanding teaching and will be able to evidence they currently are, or are working towards meeting the responsibilities of the Lead Practitioner listed below. A recognised Lead Practitioner accreditation would be desirable. 

Lead Practitioner Responsibilities:

1. Quality Assure teaching, learning, assessment and school improvement in Science and across the school. Meet regularly with line manager to provide regular feedback on QA work and help determine departmental and whole school priorities.

2. Contribute to the CPD for Science and the whole school. Support the member of staff responsible for the induction of NQTs and trainee teachers, non-specialists and those new to the department.

3. To help develop and contribute towards high-quality materials for teaching in Science which offer exemplar material to other teachers within the department.

4. Use tracking data to support the HOD when determining the deployment of resources for targeted intervention and strategies

5. Liaise with partner primary schools and initiate, lead and evaluate subject-specific improvement work to ensure effective transition from Y6 to Y7.

6. Co-ordinate our highly successful outreach programmes and open-events

7. To take a lead role within the school teaching and learning team and work closely with the Director of Teaching and Learning to help shape school strategy for improvement in teaching.

8. Lead on a whole school improvement priority by researching best practice, putting in place a development plan and reporting regularly on the impact of the initiatives.

Applications will be considered as they are received and therefore this post may be fulfilled before the closing date. Early applications are encouraged.

How to Apply:

We welcome applications from all qualified candidates, including neurodivergent individuals. If you are excited about this opportunity and believe you are a great fit for our team, please complete our School Application Form, we are unable to accept CVs. If you would like to take a look around our fantastic facilities and meet the staff that you could be working alongside, please email recruitment@futureschoolstrust.com to arrange a visit.

Future Schools Trust is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. Future Schools Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. All successful candidates will have to meet the person specification and will be subject to an Enhanced DBS check.

We regret that we are unable to respond to every application individually. If you do not hear from us, please understand that your application has not been successful on this occasion