Lead Practitioner - Science

The Halley Academy is now recruiting a Lead Practitioner in Science, to join us from September 2024.

This is a truly fantastic opportunity for a passionate educator to become part of a well-established, highly collaborative and successful science department that works hard to ensure that students enjoy a challenging, dynamic and rewarding curriculum. All of the Science team are subject specialists, three of whom are on the Academy Leadership Team. We have a Director of Learning for Science, a Key Stage 3, Key Stage 4 and Key Stage 5 Coordinator respectively, and 2 Lead Practitioners. All students study Science in Key Stage 3 through the IB Middle Years Programme. Triple Science is offered to all students in Key Stage 4, alongside Combined Science. Students enjoy continuing their Science studies into Key Stage 5, where we offer Chemistry, Physics and Biology as part of the International Baccalaureate Careers Related Programme, alongside BTEC Applied Science and T-Level Healthcare Sciences. We have recently invested in upgrading our Science laboratories, and we are proud to have two highly skilled and experienced technicians, who ensure that practicals are routinely and successfully delivered as part of the curriculum. In addition to this, we have an active and popular STEM extra-curricular programme that is well attended by students after school. 

This permanent opportunity offers a competitive MPS + Inner London salary, commensurate with experience. We welcome applications from prospective colleagues who would wish to work part-time, as well as full-time. 

Suitable and interested candidates are encouraged to make contact with the Principal, Ben Russell, by contacting him at ben.russell@thehalleyacademy.org.uk

We deem this to be a great position on the basis that;

• We offer a vibrant and committed Science Department, passionate about Science and dedicated to supporting students throughout their learning experience and securing the best possible outcomes for them. 
• We offer pupils the very best in Scientific learning opportunities by delivering high-quality teaching via our bespoke curriculum, alongside inspiring extracurricular opportunities. 
• We believe in developing staff into outstanding practitioners through our excellent CPD programmes. 
• This is further supported through our membership of the Leigh Academies Trust which provides regular teach-meets and co-operative training sessions within the trust to facilitate staff and student growth.

If this sounds like an environment within which you would like to work, apply to join our team from September 2024. The successful applicant will be enthusiastic, flexible, well organised and able to work as part of a team as well as having the ability to work alone when required. 

Key responsibilities, as outlined in the job description, include;

• Set high expectations which inspire, motivate and challenge students.
• Promote good progress and outcomes by students. 
• Demonstrate good subject and curriculum knowledge.
• Plan and teach well-structured lessons.
• Adapt teaching to respond to the strengths and needs of all students. 
• Make accurate and productive use of assessment. 
• Manage behaviour effectively to ensure a good and safe learning environment.

 Working at The Halley Academy : I am delighted to welcome you to The Halley Academy. We are an aspirational, disciplined and inclusive academy where human-scale education, a dynamic curriculum, and excellent teaching and pastoral care, maximise student achievement. 

Our core values - respect, achievement, collaboration, integrity and resilience - permeate everything we do. We believe in the potential of every student. We champion the highest outcomes for all young people. Our staff are driven by the belief that education can transform our students’ lives. We take our role as educators seriously and sincerely - we know that the culture of our academy affects the character of our students, which in turn shapes the culture of our society. 

The Halley Academy has a diverse and dynamic staffing body of committed, creative and hardworking educators who enjoy coming to work as they benefit from: 

• A calm, organised and professional learning environment; 
• An academy culture that is committed to the holistic development of children; 
• Evidenced-based teaching and learning policies rooted in the strongest possible evidence about how children learn best; 
• A clear and consistent behaviour policy which ensures that disruption to learning is minimal; 
• A visible and approachable leadership team; 
• A comprehensive weekly CPD programme that supports all staff in their academic and pastoral roles; 
• Opportunities to collaborate with, and learn from, colleagues across the Leigh Academies Trust.

Being part of Leigh Academies Trust: As of 1st April 2024, our Trust comprises 32 geographically organised academies (16 secondaries, 14 primaries and 2 special) educating more than 20,000 students and employing 3,000 talented staff. Nearly 40% of our academies are judged outstanding overall by Ofsted, versus 15% nationally. The Trust is establishing four ‘clusters’ of academies: North Kent; Central Kent; South East London; Medway. In addition, the Trust is responsible for one of the region’s biggest initial teaching training organisations, a large teaching school hub and is an accredited apprenticeship provider

As part of Leigh Academies Trust, you will have ample opportunity to collaborate with your peers both within the academy and across the whole Trust. This is an important part of our vision as we know through experience that we perform better when we work together. You are supported to undertake regular self-development to continue your professional development and hopefully progress further within the organisation.

Click here to view the benefits available to all LAT employees from day one.

Our commitment to safeguarding: Leigh Academies Trust and all of our academies are committed to ensuring the highest levels of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of our pupils, and we expect all our staff and volunteers to share this commitment. We adopt a fair, robust and consistent recruitment process across all academies and business units which is inline with Keeping Children Safe in Education guidance. This includes online checks for shortlisted candidates - you can read more about this in our Recruitment Guidance. All offers of employment are subject to an Enhanced DBS check, references, and where applicable, a prohibition from teaching check.

Our commitment to equality and diversity: As a Trust, we are passionate about diversity and recognise that as individuals, we all bring something unique to the role regardless of any protected characteristics which is why we treat all of our people equally, without compromise. We are committed to providing equality and fairness throughout our recruitment and employment practices and not discriminating on any grounds.