Head of Religion and Philosophy

Ark Soane Academy

Head of Religion and Philosophy

Location: Acton, West London - a five-minute walk from Acton Town tube station

Salary: MPS / UPS (plus TLR 2B)

Contract: Permanent

Working hours: Full-time

Start date: September 2024

Closing date: Applications will be considered on a rolling basis and early applications are advised.

Interview date: TBC

About the role:

We are recruiting an exceptional team of staff to support the growth of a genuinely transformational school. The successful candidate will join a very strong religion and philosophy department and will ensure that religion and philosophy remain at the heart of the curriculum.

The successful candidate will embed the school vision and support the development of an outstanding school that empowers our students to take responsibility and drive their own destiny's.

The successful candidate will have the opportunity to grow with the school. They will be supported in their development and preparation for future roles. We develop every staff member that joins our team, providing one-to-one support, coaching and mentoring and access to extensive network training.

Our ideal candidate will have:

• Have an unwavering determination to deliver excellence for students from all starting points

• Share the Ark Soane beliefs, vision and mission and be aligned with the Ark six pillars underpinning it

• Be committed to Ark's ethos of high expectations for every student in both academic achievement and personal development

• Be committed to continually improving classroom practice and raising attainment

• Manage behaviour effectively to create a positive, calm and purposeful climate for learning

• Have the drive, skills and resilient character required to help develop a new school

• Combine subject matter expertise with a passion for teaching your subject

• Be reflective about the Academy and committed to securing its continued development

• Value and support practices driving continued progress across the network of Ark schools

Full job details Head of

About our school:

We are a brand new, non-selective, non-denominational secondary school which opened in Ealing in September 2021.

We are committed to delivering a highly challenging curriculum in a calm and purposeful environment with great teaching, outstanding behaviour, kindness and respect for all our students. Ark Soane Academy is part of Ark, one of the UK's most successful school groups, with a network of 39 schools in 4 locations across the country.

Our school opened to 180 students in September 2021 and currently have 540 Year 7, Year 8 and Year 9 students and will grow by 180 students each year before reaching full capacity in 2028.

This year, we moved into our brand new school building. Therefore, joining Soane now is a unique opportunity to become part of a thriving, collaborative and growing team who all hold the highest expectations of student behaviour and effort and are all deeply committed to the success of our students and of the school.

Find out more by visiting -

We offer:

· Salaries 2.5% higher than main pay scale.

· Generous pension scheme.

· Access to Ark rewards – a scheme offering savings from over 3,000 major retailers

· Interest-free loans – up to £5,000 available for season ticket or to buy a bicycle.

· Gym discounts – offering up to 40%.

· Access to Employee Assistance Programme – providing free, confidential counselling, legal advice and a range of different support.

How to apply: Please visit and submit your application. Please note we will be reviewing applications on an on-going basis and this advert may close earlier than advertised depending on the level of response. To arrange an informal chat or for any technical queries, please contact Zahra Hamdaoui by email ) or phone

For any technical issues, please contact our system support team by clicking the chat function on the bottom right of the advert screen.

Ark is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people in its academies. In order to meet this responsibility, its academies follow a rigorous selection process to discourage and screen out unsuitable applicants.

Ark requires all employees to undertake an enhanced DBS check. You are required, before appointment, to disclose any unspent conviction, cautions, reprimands or warnings under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975. Non-disclosure may lead to termination of employment. However, disclosure of a criminal background will not necessarily debar you from employment - this will depend upon the nature of the offence(s) and when they occurred.

We aim to build a diverse and inclusive organisation where everyone – staff and students – can do their best work and achieve their full potential. We want to reflect and represent diverse perspectives across our organisation because we know that doing so will make us stronger and more effective.