Head of Art & Photography

Head of Art & Photography Job

(possibility of 2nd in charge of Art and DT Faculty for suitably experienced candidate)

Salary: Inner London Pay Scale MPS/UPS (£36,745 to £56,959) + TLR 2A (£3,017) / possibility of TLR 2B (£5,341)

Required: September 2024 

Contract/Duration: Permanent, Full-Time 

Location: SE3 0XX, Blackheath, London Borough of Lewisham

-Are you a talented, creative and ambitious teacher?

-Do you have a real passion and desire to enthuse pupils with your own love of your subject?

-Are you interested in fostering independent and collaborative pupil-led learning?

If yes, then we would like to offer you the opportunity to work with us here at St Matthew Academy, a high performing Catholic school where pupils flourish both academically and socially. 

We are looking for an Art & Photography specialist teacher as Head of Subject, both experienced and aspiring middle leaders are encouraged to apply. This is a great opportunity as a first leadership position, or for a suitably experienced candidate the post of 2ic of the Art and DT Faculty is available.

The successful candidate will lead strategically on the continuing development of the curriculum at KS3 in particular and is an inspirational and collaborative leader with a ‘can-do’ attitude. The right candidate will be an excellent teacher with strong subject knowledge, experienced with curriculum initiatives and excited about learning beyond the curriculum. As an all-through school there will be opportunities to work with the primary team to deliver creative and engaging lessons to our younger pupils whilst also working collaboratively with colleagues as a member of the thriving Art & DT Team.

In October 2019, Ofsted confirmed SMA as a good school where all pupils, through their hard work and commitment, are able to ‘let their light shine’. In Feb 2023, our CSI inspection stated ‘The behaviour of pupils is exemplary in lessons and around the school, and strong and positive relationships are evident throughout the school.’ We are proud that our pupils are able to learn in an engaging and purposeful environment resulting in strong progress for all. We are now pursuing our mission to embed ourselves as a truly great school at the heart of the community we serve.

The successful candidate will be:

• Passionate about enabling every child to exceed expectations

• An enthusiastic and successful classroom practitioner

• Committed to ensuring high expectations for pupils, staff and themselves

• Well organised, an excellent communicator and keen to take an active role in academy life

• An active promoter of our Catholic ethos

• Able to fully support and drive the Academy’s aim to ensure equality and diversity permeates throughout the Academy

St Matthew Academy is a diverse, vibrant Catholic all-through academy for girls and boys aged 4 to 16, where there are high expectations for everyone in our community. At St Matthew Academy our school motto is ‘let your light shine’ and we ensure that we live this vision every day at the academy by encouraging, promoting and celebrating success with all of our pupils in everything that they do. Our academy is situated between Blackheath and Lewisham in South East London, benefiting from excellent public transport and road links to all parts of London and Kent. Our magnificent buildings offer state of the art resources and the latest technology. Our primary and secondary phases are situated on one site allowing a truly unique all through setting with opportunities for transition, collegiate working and subject development.

We offer:

• Fantastic pupils with enormous potential

• Staff who are supportive to each other and enjoy working collaboratively

• Personalised programme of professional development and coaching for all staff including a highly rated IMPACT programme for Early Careers Teachers and a July 1st start date for ECTs

• A modern building, in a delightful setting and excellent resources

• Excellent public transport and road links across London and Kent

• Fully equipped gym and fitness suite, Season Ticket Loan, Cycle-to-work scheme, Tech Scheme, Employee Assistance Programme

• A strong commitment to staff well-being

We value the importance of diversity in our community and the significance of having staff that are representative of the children we teach. We particularly welcome applications from black and minority ethnic candidates as these groups are currently under represented within the Academy.

Our school motto is ‘let your light shine’ and we ensure that we live this vision every day.

How to Apply

To apply, you are required to complete our school application form. Please request an application pack from Ellie or Francisca for more information. Alternatively, please use the Quick Apply now to register your interest and we will send you the forms.

Your application is a direct permanent application to our school (not through agency), Hays is our recruitment partner for all permanent appointments.

We warmly welcome applicants who wish to visit us in advance of making an application and will be delighted to show you around our fabulous school.

• Closing: Immediate, no later than Wednesday 1st May 2024 at 12 noon 

• Interview: Week Commencing: Tuesday 7th May 2024

Please note: Early applicants will be considered for interview as soon as application is received.