Head Of Life Sciences

We are looking for an exceptional individual to join Harris Westminster Sixth Form as Head of Life Sciences at Harris Westminster Sixth Form.

The Life Sciences Faculty (Biology and Chemistry) is well-established and consists of excellent teachers, but has room to grow further and flourish under a new Head of Faculty who is passionate about teaching and learning.

This post is an excellent opportunity if you wish to develop your teaching and learning skills, and those of others, teach beyond the curriculum, make a difference to the lives of young people across London, and to embrace CPD that will help them prepare for their next steps.

About Us

Our school is one of the top sixth forms in the country, with the aim to deliver high quality education and outstanding outcomes to students who come from disadvantaged backgrounds. HWSF is selective on both ability and disadvantage and places first go to academically able students from disadvantaged backgrounds. It is a wonderful school with an ethos of “learning is amazing”, where staff truly care about the progress their students make over their two years with us.

We are based in the heart of Westminster, and work in collaboration with the Harris Federation and Westminster School. Our location gives us many benefits; we hold our assemblies in St Margaret's Church and Westminster Abbey, and we offer students weekly lectures from visiting speakers.

We want the best people to join our community and we are committed to a diverse and inclusive student and staff body. If you are passionate about making a difference and feel you have the right experience and expertise, I encourage you to apply to join us. We look forward to receiving an application from you. We hope that you find the enclosed information helpful and are excited by the opportunities that HWSF would provide.

Main Areas of Responsibility

As one of the school's four Heads of Faculty, you will lead, manage, and develop the subject areas of Biology and Chemistry.

At Harris Westminster Sixth Form (HWSF), we believe “learning is amazing” and this is the heart of our school ethos. You will lead, manage, and develop the teaching and other academic aspects of the work of a team of teachers, including implementing and delivering an appropriately broad, balanced, relevant, differentiated, challenging and inspiring curriculum for students and to ensuring that the subject areas within the faculty are vibrant, interesting, and enriching for all students.

You will monitor and support the overall progress and development of all students studying in the faculty. You will provide a motivating and structured learning experience, which will offer students with the opportunity to achieve their individual potential. You will monitor, manage, and support the performance of teaching staff in the faculty. You will contribute significantly to raising standards of student attainment as a teacher and form tutor. You will support the process of application to university as a Head of Faculty, teacher and form tutor and contribute significantly to the Cultural Perspectives programme. You will contribute to the wider life of the school, including extra-curricular and enrichment activities. You will make and implement plans to improve and develop the work of the Faculty.

You will report to the Assistant Principal or Vice Principal and liaise with the Head of School, Senior Leadership Team, Heads of Faculty, Heads of House, relevant non-teaching support staff, parents and Governors and other stakeholders.

Qualifications & Experience

We would like to hear from you if you have:

• QTS (or equivalent)
• Good degree or equivalent in a relevant Biology or Chemistry subject
• Successful experience teaching Biology or Chemistry at sixth form level with excellent outcomes at A Level
• Understanding of theory and practice of effective teaching and learning, including practicals
• Experience of observing teaching and giving feedback
• Understanding of how the most-able students learn
• Understanding of the importance of having high expectations for all students, both of behaviour and academic achievement
• Understanding of inclusive provision and practices which offer equality of access to the curriculum for all students, including special educational needs and English as an additional language
• Knowledge and experience of writing schemes of work, lesson plans, developing resources and assessing students' work. Understanding the importance of being a Tutor

Next Steps

If you have any questions about this opportunity, please contact us via e-mail, or call to arrange a conversation.

Before applying, please download the Job Pack for full details on the job responsibilities and person specification. You will need this when completing your application.

Please note: we may hold interviews as and when applications are received and we reserve the right to offer to a candidate prior to the closing date. We only accept applications submitted online via our careers website and which are completed before the closing deadline. With this in mind, we encourage you to apply as soon as possible and advise you check the job information as per the listing on our careers site.

Rewards & 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 including access to a virtual GP, electric car scheme, 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.