Head or Lead Practitioner of Art


Company:	Teaching Vacancies
Salary:	Not specified
Hours:	Full-time
Location:	London, SE19 2JH
Job type:	Permanent
Posting date:	7 Sept 2026
Closing date:	17 Sept 2026

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Summary

What skills and experience we're looking for

We are seeking an outstanding Head of Art or Lead Practitioner of Art to work within our high performing Academy.

Head of Art

• Good degree (or equivalent)

• QTS (or equivalent)

• Successful teaching of GCSE at good or better level

• Initiation and effective management of change

• Evidence of raising achievement in present post and showing good value added for groups.

Lead Practitioner of Art

• Teaching Qualification

• Degree or equivalent

• Outstanding teaching practice

• Excellent behaviour management

• Experience of lesson observations and giving robust feedback

• Experience of improvement planning

• Experience of implementing a range of strategies to raise student achievement, with evidence of success

• Contribution to impact on the quality of learning and teaching and curriculum

• Proven track record of excellent results at KS3/4

• Experience of high quality pupil tracking and feedback practices.

What the school offers its staff

Harris City Academy Crystal Palace is a mixed Academy for 1,300 students aged 11-18, with a large sixth form of nearly 400 students. The Academy has three consecutive Outstanding judgments by Ofsted, with the most recent inspection in 2014 finding the Academy to be Outstanding in every aspect. We are a consistently high performing school. Our motto, ‘All Can Achieve' encapsulates our vision that all members of the Academy community are supported and encouraged to achieve their absolute potential. We believe that a well-supported and valued staff body is the key to our success.

We are the ‘Teaching School Hub' for Croydon and Sutton and we are able to offer all teachers an extensive programme of first class professional development. Harris City Academy Crystal Palace is part of the Harris Federation and this enables us to offer you a comprehensive induction programme and training and development opportunities to support your career development including Masters and other qualifications.

Senior Leader Development

With Harris, you will join a large network of likeminded senior leaders and have opportunities to learn from colleagues who are some of the best senior leaders in the country. Our senior leaders can benefit from tailored professional development programmes via the Harris Institute of Teaching and Leadership which will enable you to develop your pedagogy, leadership skills and drive school improvement.

Supported by experienced mentors, you can access national professional qualifications and draw on expert knowledge from dedicated subject consultants who offer invaluable subject and curriculum insight.

Benefits

In addition to the opportunities for career development and progression, we also offer a competitive rewards and benefits package which includes our Harris Allowance (usually £2,000 for Inner London and £1,500 for Outer London), an Annual Loyalty Bonus, Teachers Pension Scheme, a Wellbeing Cash Plan, Employee Assistance Programme, and many other benefits. Learn more about our benefits on our website.

Further details about the role

Head of Art

• To be accountable for leading, managing and developing the subject area.

• To raise standards of student attainment and achievement within the whole subject/curriculum area and to monitor and support student progress.

• To ensure the provision of an appropriately broad, balanced, relevant and differentiated curriculum for students studying in the department, in accordance with the aims of the academy and the curricular policies determined by the Governing Body and Principal.

• To teach the relevant subject across the age and ability range.

• To facilitate and encourage a learning experience which provides students with the opportunity to achieve their individual potential.

• To effectively manage and deploy staff, financial and physical resources within the department.

• To share and support the school’s responsibility to provide and monitor opportunities for personal and academic growth.

Lead Practitioner of Art

• To provide outstanding teaching for learning which meets the needs of all students.

• To support Assistant Principal raising standards of teaching and learning across the department and in monitoring progress towards agreed aims.

• To provide specialist subject expertise to assist departmental staff, as appropriate

• To take the strategic lead of an agreed whole school responsibility.

• To support and hold to account other staff in the academy through teaching and learning programmes.

• To support the Assistant Principal in the implementation of agreed whole school policies and initiatives.

Commitment to safeguarding

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.

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