Upper School Head of Art & Design

Job Title: Upper School Head of Art & Design
Line Manager: Head of Faculty

Purpose of Job
• Lead the Art Department in all matters relating to the curriculum across the upper school
• Focus on, and support, staff in developing the highest standards of teaching and learning in the department
• Be responsible for fostering positive self-esteem and supportive relationships for all students, founded upon respect and mutual trust.
• Be responsible for maximising the academic progress of the students they teach by delivering the very highest standards of teaching and learning.
• Promote a positive, purposeful and professional working atmosphere that encourages cooperation and challenge whilst valuing the contribution that individuals make to the success of the school.
• Promote equality of opportunity for all regardless of race, religion or gender and encourage excellence, resourcefulness and perseverance.

Duties and Responsibilities
Overall Responsibilities
• Promote high standards in all aspects of school life, particularly in student progress.
• Actively support the vision, ethos, culture and policies of the school.
• Inspire and motivate students, teachers and other school employees.
• Comply with the professional duties of the staff Code of Conduct.
• Contribute to a school culture which is positive, purposeful and professional.
• Engage positively in the school Appraisal process and performance management arrangements.
• Be committed to safeguarding and to promoting the welfare of children and young people.

Leadership
• Be an outstanding role model, setting high personal expectations of subject teaching, professionalism, professional development and administration.
• Provide the department with clear goals and targets that are consistent with and reflect the ‘Educational Excellence for Life and Leadership’ mission statement, school wide development targets, the annual Learning & Teaching Priorities and British National Curriculum and Examination Board curriculum requirements.
• Identify priorities for improvement and implement plans to achieve this.
• Promote a positive culture within the department ensuring that all students are stretched and challenged, enjoy and value the subject.
• Attend Head of Department meetings and regular meetings with the Director of Studies and SLT to review curriculum matters specific to the department and school.
• Lead appropriate projects and initiatives, within and outside the curriculum, that promote and develop the subject and the faculty
• Keep SMT in LS and US and SLT up to date with any feedback that needs to be acted upon and which will inform future programme development.

Teaching and Learning
• Strive for outstanding learning and teaching for all students in all lessons offered by the department.
• Monitor progress of all classes to check courses and coursework are interesting, relevant, challenging and completed on time.
• Manage departmental resources online including all schemes of work, resources, curriculum documents and administration. Ensure teachers have the resources to allow them to support students learning successfully.
• In consultation with the DoS, HoUS and Head Master, select the external examination syllabus that is deemed to be most appropriate.
• Maintain annual Programmes of Study and detailed Schemes of Work for all courses following the school outline. Update and review these in the light of practice (all schemes should be updated on a yearly basis).
• Provide students with the information they need at the start of the course, including an outline of the whole year so they can effectively read ahead / catch up lessons they miss.
• Promote student independence, leadership and voice within the department.
• Stay up to date with pedagogical and curricular developments and offer recommendations and professional development to the department as appropriate.
• Write curriculum information for parents, course outlines for reports and any other whole school or marketing documents that are required.
• Seek opportunities to develop cross-curricular approaches with other departments.
• Seek to maximize opportunities to create continuity between curriculum delivery inside and outside the school e.g. fieldtrips, visiting speakers.
• Establish and monitor clear homework expectations within the department ensuring compliance with the homework policy.
• Be an excellent teaching practitioner in planning, preparing and delivering well-structured, clearly presented lessons appropriate to the abilities of all students and maximising their learning progress.

Accountability
• Be respectful of the needs of colleagues and the school with regards to cooperation, collegiality, deadlines and team cohesion.
• Participate positively in meetings, follow policies and generally contribute to the effective and efficient running of the school.
• Promote professional dialogue, share ideas about teaching and learning and support other teachers in developing good practice and new approaches and initiatives.
• Engage positively in, and contribute to, INSET activities offered by the school.
• Enthusiastically contribute to cross-curricular links and initiatives, and extracurricular activities.
• Be involved in new initiatives within the school as part of ongoing professional development.
• Take an active interest in maintaining subject knowledge, learning networks and current educational research.
• Constructively contribute towards school developments and to implement agreed whole school policies and initiatives.
• Contribute and respond positively to the outcomes of the school’s self-evaluation reviews and inspection.
• Behave in a manner befitting a role model for the students of the school and in a manner that brings only respect to colleagues and the reputation
• Be proactive in maintaining and developing your IT capability in line with the Digital Learning Strategy.

Other Responsibilities
• Undertake other reasonable duties as requested by members of the Senior Leadership Team and any duties that the Head Master deems necessary for the effective operation of the school.

Personal Specification
Education, Training and Qualifications
• Appropriate degree, with UK PGCE, or other teaching qualification giving QTS.
• Working knowledge of the National Curriculum of England including KS3, IGCSE/GCSE and A Levels as appropriate.
• Evidence of relevant and challenging continuing professional development.

Knowledge and Experience
• Minimum four years experience teaching Art at Secondary level
• Experience of leading a department is desirable.
• Be aware and up to date in all relevant safeguarding polices and practice.
• Knowledge and experience of how to use of ICT effectively in promoting student learning.
• Recent and consistent involvement in extracurricular activities.
• Previous experience or knowledge of working with students for whom English is not their first language.

Personal Qualities
• Respect for all members of a school community, irrespective of position, gender, age and ethnic background.
• Passionate about teaching and a strong commitment to holistic education.
• The ability to inspire students through a genuine passion for learning and a desire to lead them towards outstanding academic outcomes.
• A positive and solution-focused attitude to working life.
• Highly motivated, ambitious and collaborative.
• Demonstrate empathy, humility and genuinely care about children, taking the time to listen and motivate them.

Other
• A clean enhanced Disclosure and Barring Services check or police check (for applicants who have never worked in UK) and no question regarding suitability to work with children.