Head of Chemistry

St Mary’s Catholic School

Newcastle upon Tyne

Headteacher: E Patterson. NOR c.1440

Head of Chemistry

 Full-Time

Permanent

Main or Upper Pay Range + TLR 2a (£7,847)

Required from September 2024

The Governors wish to appoint an excellent Head of Chemistry to work in our very happy, successful and supportive school.  This role should appeal both to candidates seeking their first leadership post, as well as to more experienced candidates already in a leadership role, looking to develop in an outstanding school, which is totally committed to Chemistry and Science.   This is a full-time post but a 0.8 Head of Chemistry would be considered.

The successful candidate will be an outstanding teacher and will build on the existing strengths of our Chemistry department, to ensure that achievement, teaching, the curriculum and leadership and management, all remain first-class, at each Key Stage.  In addition, we would like the successful candidate to continue to develop the extra-curricular opportunities for all students to develop their gifts and talents.  We are a school that highly values Chemistry and the successful candidate will have unstinting support to further develop our exceptional provision, both within the classroom and more widely.

The successful candidate will require the necessary skills and experience to develop the practice of staff within the department by providing leadership, motivation and training.  This is a wonderful opportunity for someone wishing to join an outstanding department and a highly successful, supportive and forward thinking school.   St Mary’s is a great place to work and provides excellent job satisfaction, as it is a very supportive environment.  We are a school that prides itself on ensuring excellent support and development for leaders at all levels.  There will also be many professional development opportunities both within school, within our Trust and more widely.  St Mary’s is a beacon within the BBCET, and therefore, professional development and career progression opportunities are plentiful.

St Mary’s is a very popular school, rated Outstanding by the Diocese and Ofsted.  We enjoy outstanding facilities in a building, which opened in 2011.  We joined the Bishop Bewick Catholic Education Trust in June 2020. We are also very popular with parents and are one of the most over-subscribed schools in the North-east.  The roll has grown from around 1100 five years ago to almost 1440 by September 2023, with 5 main school year groups of around 235 and a Sixth Form of approximately 270 students.  We expect the Sixth Form to continue to grow in the next couple of years, as strongly academic year groups continue to move into the Sixth Form.

Leadership, teaching and the climate for learning in the Chemistry department are outstanding, as they are across the whole school.  St Mary’s has a vibrant extra-curricular offer, providing many exciting opportunities for the successful candidate to partake in and lead.  We would also be delighted to broaden this offer still further, maximising the skills and talents of the successful candidate and further embedding Chemistry as a pivotal department in the school.

Above all, the Governors wish to appoint a leader with:-

• A clear commitment to nurturing and promoting the school’s distinctive ethos
• A passion for providing the best possible holistic education for all students
• A commitment to maximising achievement through excellence in teaching and learning
• An excellent track record as a classroom teacher
• The ability to promote a love of learning Chemistry in our students

Application packs are available to download from our school website, or by e-mailing the Director of Finance and Support Services, louise.douds@st-marys.newcastle.sch.uk.  If you would like to discuss this post further or if you would like to visit our school, please do not hesitate to get in touch with Danielle Largue, Deputy Headteacher on 0191 215 3260.

Closing date: 9.00am on Wednesday 28^th February 2024. Interviews are likely to be held in the following week.

The school is fully committed to safeguarding and the welfare of children and young people.  This post is subject to an enhanced DBS check and an online search for shortlisted candidates, as part of our due diligence.