Head of Geography

We opened in September 2012 as a new Free School - a four-form entry, state-funded, mixed, non-denominational, 11-18 comprehensive school for the children of Greenwich. We are now full at 11-16. The School is extremely popular and is 6 times oversubscribed and staff are hard-working and committed to the school's vision. We have some very clear 'givens' and below is set out what we think are the most important features of our model. The school's ethos runs in line with our core values of Ambition, Growth, Fellowship & Scholarship. Underpinning this is a clear focus on Behaviour and we have exceptionally high expectations of our students. We invest heavily in the curriculum and believe that the design and implementation of the curriculum is at the heart of school life. It creates an atmosphere for learning and sets the tone and philosophy for teachers. Alongside being a school that values the importance of subject disciplines we also invest in high-quality weekly training and have access to world-class development opportunities through our partnerships with a wide range of schools, universities and sector-leading organisations. We are an accredited CPD provider through the Teacher Development Trust, many of our departments have won external awards in History and Computer Science, and we work closely with well-regarded curriculum providers. This means that we can help all staff at the school grow and develop. We run a compulsory enrichment programme every Wednesday afternoon to ensure all our pupils receive a more holistic education. All of the AGFS staff commit to delivering elements of this. We also run a series of 12 'Drop Down Days' throughout the year where the timetable is collapsed, enabling all pupils to undertake day-long programmes and activities - for example, university visits and trips to museums and theatres - as well as providing space for more intensive subject-led learning and extended academic projects. AGFS has been described by The Economist as providing "plenty of hope for British education" and was selected by the Evening Standard as one of five "new model schools" in London. Additionally we have received the following comments: "Fantastic and extraordinary…Quiet lessons, happy students, nuclear focus, masses of support for students" Tom Bennett, founder of Research Ed and behaviour adviser to the Department for Education

Ark Greenwich is a new, ambitious school model based on what we know excellent schools do. We have created a highly respectful and disciplined environment where our staff and scholars can fulfil their potential. We are one of the highest performing schools in the UK. Progress 8: +1.2, Attainment 8: 6.3, EM5 +: 81%, EBacc entry rate: 90%. Ark Greenwich exists to empower young people, regardless of socio-economic background, to grow and be successful. Expectations for all members of our community are unashamedly sky high. We work hard to impact the lives of the young people we serve. We also place a primacy on our industry leading extra-curricular and character education programmes. How is Ark Greenwich different?

• We are part of the Ark family of schools and benefit accordingly from outstanding networking and career opportunities and first-class CPD.
• Staff wellbeing is one of our main priorities. We provide breakfast for staff each morning, lunch for early careers staff and have a 6pm/weekend work-related communication cut off. We do not do knee jerk reactions, fads or last-minute deadlines. Our systems and processes for communication, marking and feedback and assessment are streamlined and the approaches we take are research led and based on our local context. We offer a WFH day to HoDs for curriculum design and also offer external marking of scripts to support workload. Our full approach to staff wellbeing/workload can be found here.
• This is a small school model (600 scholars aged 11-16) because we believe that our close-knit family community provides the optimum conditions for success.
• Scholar behaviour is exceptional with clearly defined and embedded routines. This means our teachers can focus their time on the things that matter - planning and delivering brilliant lessons for our scholars.
• This is a strict no excuses, no mobile phone school. Phones are not permitted onsite at all. Scholars wear business dress to prepare them for a professional career.
• Our curriculum is traditional and academic, and we do not take shortcuts to seek to boost our position in school league tables - we do not, for example, offer equivalencies such as Btecs or Vcerts. >90% Ebacc entry rate.
• We put high-quality teaching at the heart of what we do. We are committed to providing staff with weekly high-quality training. We run coaching for staff who want to see rapid progress in their discipline. Live coaching and current best practice in the field of education is central to our approach.
• We don't grade individual lessons or ask for lesson plans but we do place a primacy on curriculum design, independent learning and formative assessment.
• Our scholars enjoy a compulsory co-curricular program on a Wednesday afternoon which includes a strong focus on community volunteering and we facilitate 12 drop-down days per academic year ensuring scholars benefit from a range of life-enriching experiences.
If you are ready to add further value to our high performing Geography department and to work alongside a brilliant school leadership team, then you will find this job extremely rewarding. Alignment with the school's vision, values and approach to education is essential. The Role and the Department Our Geography provision is robust, with all scholars studying geography as a discrete subject for two hours weekly at Key Stage 3. Strong outcomes over the last five years have contributed to an Ebacc bucket score of +1.5 in 2022. We embrace a mastery approach to teaching and learning, with the core focus on identifying and repeatedly practising the fundamentals of success in each discipline. The geography department places a primary emphasis on developing deep knowledge of place at the centre of its approach. What makes us stand out? Our department offers full-resourced lessons spanning from Year 7 to Year 11. We proudly hold a prestigious Top 5 ranking in the network, boasting the highest number of grade 9 achievements. Looking ahead to 2024, our projection is a promising +1 progress score for Year 11. Moreover, there's abundant space for personal and professional growth within the department or pastoral team. The role offers an excellent opportunity to train as a HoD under an experienced leader in a supportive environment to develop skills around data, leadership and pedagogy. We seek a successful candidate who can further enhance a traditionally strong subject at our school. Essential qualities include a passion for your subject and a commitment to extracurricular activities. About Ark Schools Ark is a network of high-achieving, non-selective schools and one of the country's top-performing academy groups. We run 38 academies in London, Birmingham, Hastings and Portsmouth educating more than 26,000 scholars. 83% of Ark schools are now rated as good or outstanding by Ofsted. Our aim is to create outstanding schools that give every scholar, regardless of their background, the opportunity to go to university or pursue the career of their choice., "It was a real pleasure to visit AGFS. You are absolutely focusing on the right things and should be extremely proud of your school" Rebecca Boomer-Clark (Former Regional Schools Commissioner) 'Every child deserves the best possible start in life - and nothing is more important to them than a good education. The teachers and staff at Greenwich Free School are passionate about the importance of education, and they combine their passion with great professionalism and skill. They will do their very best for your child.' Lord Adonis, former Schools Minister 'GFS is one of the country's most impressive and forward-thinking Free Schools, attracting considerable national attention and setting an exceptionally high quality bar for future Free Schools. I'm confident that its superb team will provide an outstanding education for the children of Greenwich.' Rachel Wolf, Director, New Schools' Network We warmly invite you to come and visit GFS and see for yourself all that we are doing to provide outstanding teaching and pastoral care to all our pupils. Life in the Greenwich Free School is hard work, but it is also truly engaging, exciting and fun. It is a school of which our pupils are proud - and we are proud of each and every one of them.