Subject Leader: Religious Studies

We are looking for a hardworking, ambitious and dynamic Subject Leader of Religious Studies to join Harris Academy Wimbledon at this exciting time. You will have excellent opportunities to engage in wider Harris Federation academy improvement and professional development activities.

The Subject Leader of Religious Studies will be a well-qualified specialist, holding QTS (or equivalent) and a relevant undergraduate degree, you will have the ability to teach from KS3 to KS5. We are looking for a strong communicator with proven skills in engaging with, inspiring and motivating, not just the school community but the wider community.

About Us

We are an ‘Outstanding' (Ofsted 2023) secondary academy, established in 2018 to provide an excellent education for children in Wimbledon.

Two years after opening, we moved into our brand-new building which is modern, bright and equipped with state-of-the-art facilities in every area of the curriculum. We are oversubscribed and fortunate to have an amazing level of support from the community with waiting lists for entry into every year group of our academy.

Harris Academy Wimbledon promotes high levels of academic achievement across the curriculum, encourages participation in extra-curricular opportunities and empowers students to make decisions wisely. The curriculum is rich, diverse and personalised ensuring every student achieves his or her true potential. Academic success goes hand-in hand with a rich variety of enrichment and extra-curricular activities; these help foster a spirit of aspiration, resilience and joy in learning.

Professional learning is at the heart of the academy, supporting all staff in their development. The academy has a growth mindset approach where industry and commitment are seen as cultural virtues. Development of resilience, self esteem, managing risks/consequences and the ability to work effectively together all form a key part of the pastoral provision.

We are looking for a hardworking, ambitious and dynamic Subject Leader of Religious Studies to join Harris Academy Wimbledon at this exciting time. You will have excellent opportunities to engage in wider Harris Federation academy improvement and professional development activities.

The Subject Leader of Religious Studies will be a well-qualified specialist, holding QTS (or equivalent) and a relevant undergraduate degree, you will have the ability to teach from KS3 to KS5. We are looking for a strong communicator with proven skills in engaging with, inspiring and motivating, not just the school community but the wider community.

There is a great deal of collaborative working and sharing of good ideas about what works within secondary academies at Harris. The successful candidate will be joining a friendly and outward looking group where professional development and progression opportunities are second to none.

Main Areas of Responsibility

The main responsibilities of your role will be:

• To establish outstanding provision within the subject area. This to include all programmes, systems and structures taking account of the academy's vision and values leading to outstanding teaching and learning.
• To be accountable for student progress and development in the subject area across KS3, KS4 and Sixth form, including meeting student achievement targets for subject areas which are agreed by the Principal and the Governing Body.
• To ensure high standards of teaching and learning across the subject area through continuously, developing and enhancing the quality of teaching and learning.
• To ensure the provision of an appropriately engaging, relevant and differentiated curriculum for students in the subject area, in accordance with the academy aims and policies, as determined by the Principal and Governing Body.
• To ensure that all school policies and procedures are implemented and applied consistently by all colleagues in the subject area.
• To effectively and efficiently manage and deploy teaching/support staff, financial and physical resources across the subject area, with the support and working alongside the MLG/ALG.
• To lead development for literacy, within subject areas, to raise standards of Literacy across the Academy.

Qualifications & Experience

The successful candidate will:

• Hold QTS (or equivalent) and a relevant undergraduate degree, and, ideally, further qualifications and evidence of continuous self-development and updated knowledge in relevant areas
• Have a minimum of three years' teaching experience, ideally including KS5 and in multi-ethnic urban schools
• Understand the theory and practice of effective teaching and learning
• Have knowledge of National Curriculum requirements at KS3, KS4, and KS5
• Have experience of delivering high quality INSET to teaching staff within subject area, and of using coaching as a model for ensuring ongoing professional development
• Ideally, be able to show evidence of leading, supporting and managing others, both individuals and teams, ensuring high quality performance
• Be able to prove their success in raising achievement as a subject leader or classroom practitioner
• Have successful experience of processes of monitoring, evaluation and review that provide performance data that can be used to improve the quality of teaching and learning
• Have a good level of ICT skills and experience of how new technologies can be used to raise achievement
• Have recent experience of involvement in innovative curriculum development
• Have ideas of how Language, Literacy and Numeracy can be used across the curriculum to raise standards
• Have experience of embedding innovative strategies for improving teaching and learning and of managing and implementing change successfully

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 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.

Equal Opportunities

The Harris Federation is an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applications from all suitably qualified candidates.

We value the diversity of our staff and students, and everyone at the Harris Federation is equally valued and respected. We aim to be an inclusive employer that reflects the communities we serve. We are committed to providing a fair, equitable and mutually supportive learning and working environment.