You will either be an experienced Head of Department keen to transfer your success to a new school or an ambitious and driven teacher keen to play a lead role in driving up standards across an academy. Either way we want you to be a subject specialist passionate about Science who shares our belief in the centrality of subject disciplines to Academy life.
We don’t want to make teachers jump through hoops or submit intricate lesson plans; we just want you to be a subject expert who wants to ensure that every pupil you teach falls in love with your subject and develops an appreciation as to how Science can enable you to make sense of the world around you.
At Ark Acton Academy we are developing a culture where the highest standards are expected of staff and students. We are at the beginning of our improvement journey and are looking for the right candidate to strengthen our team.
As a teacher at Ark Acton, you will be part of Ark, an international charity and one of the UK's most successful multi academy trusts, with a network of 38 schools in 4 locations across the country. Benefits of being part of the Ark network include:
A salary higher than the main scale teacher salaries
Twice as many training days as standard and network-wide events with Ark colleagues, held by the best minds in education
If you would like to discuss the role, please contact Ruth MacMurray. HR Administrator on 02031102400
Ark is committed to safeguarding children; successful candidates will be subject to an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check.
Job Description: Lead Practitioner of Science
Reports to: VP Teaching & Learning
Start date: 1st September 2019
Location: Ark Acton Academy
Contract: Permanent
Salary: Commensurate with the post / dependent on qualifications and experience
The Role
To lead and promote the school ethos, vision and mission that with highly effective teaching every student can succeed. To lead and promote high quality teaching and learning across the whole school and support Heads of Department. To improve and continually develop the teaching and learning of Science. As a Lead Practitioner of Science in Ark Acton Academy, you will be instrumental in our mission to provide every student, regardless of their background, a great education and real choices in life. This role will involve whole-academy work and will be instrumental in ensuring every student at Ark Acton receives the education they deserve.
SPECIFIC TASKS AND RESPONSBILITIES
- To support HODs as appropriate to improve the standards of teaching and learning in their subject areas, ensuring these are consistently high.
- To support HoDs with the design and implementation of a sequenced mastery curriculum that enables all students to develop a deep understanding of each subject area.
- To contribute to staff development. This will involve coaching individual members of staff and contributing to whole school training under the direction of the Vice Principal Teaching & Learning.
- To be part of the school’s coaching programme and as such, make active use of the coaching programme to support good quality teaching and learning through the Ark Great Teacher Rubric.
- To support assigned teachers to improve their pedagogical practice so that they teach consistently effective sequences of lessons.
- Work collaboratively with both school and network colleagues as a committed team member, building successful, high performing teams
- Participate actively throughout the network, by attending relevant meetings, and, as appropriate, delivering network-wide training and initiatives
- Work with colleagues, students and families to develop a strong school community
OUTCOMES AND ACTIVITIES
- LEADERSHIP.
- Work with assigned HoDs to help them establish a clear department development plan and monitor and evaluate its delivery and effectiveness.
- Work with assigned HoDs to help them design and implement a mastery curriculum that aligns itself to the Ark model.
- Work with assigned HoDs to help them monitor the effectiveness of teaching and learning and planning processes within their department.
- Support the professional development of teachers and their training where appropriate.
- Follow the Academy structure for mentoring, coaching and monitoring staff (including supervision of NQT’s and beginner teachers).
- Work with assigned HoDs to help them monitor the progress of all pupils and sub-groups of pupils with staff and plan appropriate support / interventions to remedy slow progress.
- Work with assigned HoDs to help them produce, in line with the Academy self-evaluation cycle, Department Improvement Plans and Data Analyses to the highest possible standard and ensure all members of their department engage with these.
- Liaise with all appropriate personnel regarding support for student progress.
- CURRICULUM AND ASSESSMENT DESIGN
- Work with assigned HoDs to help them to review and develop the curriculum on an on-going basis, taking into account the findings from monitoring and self-evaluation, and ensure all staff have short and medium-term plans to deliver highly effective lessons.
- Work with assigned HoDs to help them set regular, measurable and significant assessments for pupils in line with the academy assessment calendar.
- Ensure all pupil data is understood and interpreted by staff and pupils and used to modify lesson planning.
- Work with assigned HoDs to help them analyse and interpret data on pupils’ achievement in their subject, ensure pupil performance data is used effectively and is in line with departmental targets.
- Review with teachers their assessments of progress for classes and quality-assure such assessments through moderation, sampling and review.
- Work with assigned HoDs to help them ensure procedures for both internal and external exams are carried out according to the Academy’s procedures and the Boards’ regulations as appropriate.
- Ensure the maintenance of accurate and up-to-date information on the management information system.
- Disseminate and make use of analysis and evaluate performance data provided.
- Work with assigned HoDs to help them identify and take appropriate action on issues arising from data, systems and reports; setting deadlines where necessary and reviewing progress on the action taken.
- Work with assigned HoDs to help them produce reports on examination performance, including the use of value-added data.
- Provide the Senior Leadership Team with relevant information relating to the subject areas’ performance and development as requested.
C. NON-SUBJECT RESPONSIBILITIES
- Demonstrate consistently high expectations of all pupils and a commitment to raising their achievement and social and emotional wellbeing. Promote the positive values, attitudes and behaviour expected from all pupils by treating them with respect and consideration.
- Develop strong and positive relationships with pupils.
- Implement all Academy policies, including the Academy’s behaviour policy.
- Contribute to the design and delivery of the Academy’s enrichment curriculum in line with your timetable and the Academy enrichment policy.
- Model the ethos and vision of the Academy at all times.
- Communicate promptly and sensitively with parents, carers and other relevant bodies where necessary.
- Contribute to the Academy’s liaison, marketing and pupil recruitment activities, e.g. the collection of material for press releases.
- Help to develop effective subject links with partners and the community, including attendance where necessary at liaison events in partner Schools and Academies and the effective promotion of your subject at Open Days/Evenings and other events.
- Establish and maintain effective working relationships with colleagues including support staff.
- Be familiar with and comply with the Academy’s Health and Safety policies
- Be responsible for the health & safety of pupils when they are authorised to be on Academy premises and when engaged in authorised activities elsewhere
- Adhere, at all times, to the expectations of teachers at Ark Acton Academy, outlined on the final page of this document.
- Any other duties as required by the Headteacher commensurate with the post.
D. FORM TUTOR RESPONSIBILITIES
- Maintain a holistic overview of the academic and pastoral progress of your tutees, including monitoring their wellbeing, academic attainment and progress.
- Develop strong, trusted, relationships with each tutee to act as his or her mentor.
- Deliver the Tutor Time curriculum to tutees in tutor time.
- Implement Ark Acton’s attendance, rewards, sanctions, behaviour and monitoring policies, including being the primary behavioural point of contact for tutees and maintaining a weekly check of tutees’ planners.
- Identify the need for, and support the design of, interventions to support pupils who are not meeting expectations.
- Monitor the safeguarding and welfare of tutees.
- Engage tutees’ teaching staff to facilitate the sharing of relevant pupil specific strategies, information and best practice.
- Make specialist staff (SENDCO) and senior staff (Heads of Year and SLT) aware of any issues with tutees as required.
- Proactively engage parents of tutees and endeavour to build positive home-Academy relationships. Act as the primary point of contact for parents of your tutees.
- Model the ethos and vision of the Academy.
- Keep the form register and monitor patterns of pupil attendance/ absence.
No job description can be fully comprehensive, and from time to time the successful candidate may have to undertake other professional duties as directed by the Principal.
Note: Exceptional candidates may be considered for additional responsibilities
Person Specification: Lead Practitioner of Science
Qualification Criteria
Qualified to teach and work in the UK
Strong degree in a science.
Evidence of further professional development and training with regard to pedagogy and curriculum design.
Knowledge, skills and Experience
Demonstrable commitment to raising attainment of all pupils in a challenging classroom environment and a proven track record of securing the very highest outcomes for students in Science.
Excellent understanding of both subject and general teaching pedagogy
Mastery of and enthusiasm for science
Effective and systematic behaviour management
Knowledge of the national secondary education system, examinations and curriculum
Be or demonstrate the potential to become an outstanding teacher
Personal Characteristics
Genuine passion for and a belief in the potential of every student
Deep commitment to Ark’s mission of providing an excellent education to every student, regardless of background
Excellent interpersonal, planning and organisational skills
Resilient, motivated and committed to achieving excellence
Reflective and proactive in seeking feedback to constantly improve practice
Commitment to regular and on-going professional development and training to establish outstanding classroom practice
Commitment to and understanding of professionalism in line with the National Teaching Standards
Other
Commitment to equality of opportunity and the safeguarding and welfare of all pupils
Willingness to undertake training
This post is subject to an enhanced DBS check
Ark is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people in our academies. In order to meet this responsibility, we follow a rigorous selection process. This process is outlined here, but can be provided in more detail if requested. All successful candidates will be subject to an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check.