Lead Practitioner of Science

Join us in providing outstanding teaching and learning experiences for our pupils. We are looking for a qualified, experienced teacher to join Harris Academy Orpington as Lead Practitioner of Science.

Our new colleague will be kind and caring Here, at Harris Academy Orpington we have worked hard to create an environment where we look after and care for each other. Whilst being incredibly rewarding, working in schools can sometimes be hard. Colleagues at Harris Academy Orpington know that we work together as a team and we look out for each other; the environment here is one of care, nurture and support along with a bit of challenge

About Us

Harris Academy Orpington opened in September 2016, joining the highly successful Federation of Harris academies in London and the senior leaders here are experienced in creating and running great schools and that is what we are doing in BR5. We are a community school that serves families in and around Orpington and we are well on our way towards providing an outstanding education for the students who come here. We want out students to succeed and have choices in their lives; to take control of their futures and achieve beyond their dreams. We are ambitious, tenacious and enterprising and committed to helping our students succeed. Our work as a Health Science Specialist school, with students being given access to recognised professional qualifications, work experience and careers is unique and is designed to help and support the whole community who are regularly invited into the Academy to hear from guest speakers.

We have the most incredible facilities; with brand new science labs, 3 Main Halls, Dance Studios, 3 Astro Turfs, Drama Studios, dedicated Art and DT blocks, we are incredibly proud of the work that our students do here. We have developed a curriculum that is ambitious and broad. We believe in the need to nurture an appreciation of human creativity and achievement and have designed a curriculum that does just that.

We aim to ensure that every student is inspired and supported to achieve his/her personal best and learning comes first. Our motto is "Together We Can" and if you are interested in joining us, we would be very keen to meet you.

Main Areas of Responsibility

You will play a leading and highly visible role in the improvement of teaching and learning of the Faculty and academic success of all students, ensuring the highest standards of teaching, learning and achievement and leading in the monitoring, evaluation and review of standards and provision in the subject area.

The general expectations of this role are:

To collaborate as a member of the Lead Practitioner Team in order to build and realise the shared vision of excellence and high standards for all students.To account for students' performance in line with Academy procedures.To provide the Governing Body with relevant and accurate information relating to the Faculty's performance and development.To support and participate in the work of the Harris Federation, including strand or subject groups as appropriate.To contribute actively towards the formulation of all Academy policies and procedures, ensuring their consistent implementation.To ensure high quality teaching and learning in the Faculty or across the Academy.To participate in duties at lunch, break, before, during and after school the Academy day.To ensure that the subject knowledge of staff in the Faculty is exemplary.To ensure that behaviour in the Faculty is exemplary.To ensure that Schemes of Learning and Independent Work books are of a high quality.Qualifications & Experience

The successful candidate will:

Hold QTS (or equivalent) and a relevant undergraduate degree, and, ideally, be able to show evidence of ongoing professional developmentDemonstrate outstanding teaching practice and excellent behaviour managementHave experience of lesson observations and giving robust feedbackHave experience of improvement planning and of implementing a range of strategies to raise student achievement, with evidence of successBe able to contribute to improving on the quality of learning and teaching and curriculumHave a proven track record of excellent results at KS3 and 4, and, ideally, experience of teaching to KS5Have experience of high quality pupil tracking and feedback practicesIdeally, have experience of working with governors and of working in more than one schoolNext Steps

If you have any questions about this opportunity, please send us an email, or call to arrange a conversation.

Before applying, please download the Job Pack for full details on the job responsibilities and person specification. This will be helpful for you when completing your application, and throughout the recruitment process.

We encourage you to apply as soon as possible as we may interview and offer to a candidate before the closing date. Please note that we only accept applications submitted before the closing date via our careers website.

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, electric car scheme, 26 days' annual leave (plus bank holidays) for staff who work across the full year, 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.

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