The posting
About Us
Wembley High Technology College is one of the highest performing schools in the country Nationally, the achievement of our pupils is exceptional; in 2024, our Progress 8 score of +1.43 meant that our students on average achieved nearly one and a half grades higher than their peers nationally. This progress from Key Stage 2 to GCSE has a transformative impact on our pupils’ life chances and last year, over half of pupils leaving us went on to Russell Group universities to study a range of academic subjects.
The English Department
‘Achievement for All’ is the ethos that underpins everything we do across the WMAT, and English sits at the heart of the intellectual and cultural life at Wembley High Technology College. The English Department is exceptionally experienced, highly collaborative and intellectually vibrant, united by a shared commitment to academic excellence and the transformative power of language and literature.
The department enables students to become confident, critical and enthusiastic readers of a rich and diverse range of texts. Our curriculum balances the literary canon with voices that reflect the breadth and diversity of writing in the English language, ensuring ambition, challenge and inclusivity for all learners.
English is part of a dynamic learning community that values outstanding teaching, innovative practice and meaningful co-curricular enrichment. The department is based in four newly refurbished, state-of-the-art classrooms and benefits from excellent resourcing, including a new well-stocked Learning Resource Centre. Reading for pleasure is a core departmental priority, and deliberate space is built into the curriculum to nurture both academic rigour and a lifelong love of reading.
The Role
We are seeking an exceptional Lead Practitioner in English to play a pivotal role in further strengthening the quality of teaching and learning across the department. This role is ideal for an exceptional classroom practitioner with a passion for pedagogy, curriculum craftsmanship and professional development.
The successful candidate will lead the development of high-quality resources, ensuring consistency, ambition and coherence across all key stages. Knowledge and experience of the IB would be desirable.
They will work closely with colleagues to refine and embed effective teaching methodologies, drawing on evidence-informed practice to support excellent outcomes for all students.
A key aspect of the role will be to enhance the co-curricular offer in English, helping to extend students’ engagement with literature, writing and oracy beyond the classroom. The Lead Practitioner will also play a central role in mentoring and supporting trainee and early-career English teachers, modelling exemplary practice and contributing to a strong culture of reflective, collaborative improvement.
This is an exciting opportunity for a reflective, inspirational practitioner to influence teaching and learning at scale, working within a highly professional department and a school that values expertise, collaboration and continual improvement.
Professional Development
Through the Training School Hub, leaders at all levels of the Trust benefit from exceptional professional development, including fully-funded, DfE-accredited NPQ programmes. These gold-standard qualifications empower our leaders to grow, drive change and make a meaningful impact within their departments and across the Trust. If you are excited by the prospect of shaping the next generation of digital thinkers and innovators, and you enjoy working within a culture of high aspiration and shared best practice, we would be delighted to hear from you.
Why Join Us
We welcome applications from qualified teachers. All teachers at Wembley High receive a comprehensive, structured training programme, delivered by highly trained mentors and bespoke to the individual’s needs. If you are keen to develop into an outstanding teacher, enjoy sharing best practice with a community of dedicated peers and believe that all pupils can and should succeed, we would love to hear from you.
For further information about the school, please see the new teacher information pack below or visit our website at www.whtc.co.uk If you have any questions or queries, please don’t hesitate to contact us at [email protected].
The deadline for applications is Monday 12th October at 9am - early applications are welcome.
Wembley Multi-Academy Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. The post will be subject to an enhanced DBS disclosure. We are an equal opportunities employer and we welcome all applicants. Early applications are encouraged and the Trust reserves the right to withdraw this post should an appointment be made early.
Job Description
Students' Experience and Outcomes
Foster, by example, a spirit of academic inquiry and curiosity.
Evaluate and implement the most effective teaching strategies in order to maximise subject learning.
Meet throughout the year with your line manager to discuss agreed public examination targets for the department, and strategies being employed to achieve them.
Meet formally with the Headteacher to review public examination results and progress towards agreed departmental targets.
Coordinate assessments across all year groups. Lead in the scrutiny of academic data in order to track and promote student progress across the department.
Be a part of the six-week cycle analysis at each reporting period, and utilise this as a means to impact student attainment within your subject.
Be active in pursuing students whose attitude, learning or behaviour is giving any subject teacher cause for concern.
Champion and ensure a flourishing presence of co-curricular activities for the subject, including trips and visits, an academic society, and associated clubs.
Champion and ensure opportunities for student enrichment and extension are readily available for students across all year groups.
Liaise with the Learning Resource Centre (LRC) to ensure relevant enrichment materials are available and being utilised by students to further their own exploration of your subject.
Model excellent inclusive teaching within your own practice, offering an 'open door policy’ to all staff within your department.
Ensure all staff are aware of and implement appropriate strategies for students' individual needs, including any SEND, Medical, or Pastoral contexts, those for whom English is an Additional Language (EAL)
Ensure a full programme of university support is available and tailored to individual students who wish to apply for your (or related) higher education courses, including ambitious support for Oxbridge applicants.
To ensure the department engages with the mentoring of students engaged with enrichment or additional curriculum courses, such as Theory of Knowledge or Extended Essay.
Ensure departmental classrooms encourage behaviour for learning from students, and showcase the ambitious curriculum with which students are engaging.
Staff Performance and Development
Assist with probation, appraisal, and professional development for all members of the department, focusing on its impact on student outcomes.
Ensure all relevant processes are followed and completed for any Unqualified Teachers (UQTs), Early Career Teachers (ECTs), or SCITT teachers, under the direction of the Leadership Group.
Conduct regular learning walks of the whole Department identifying best practice to share
Conduct a formal lesson observation of each department teacher
Intervene swiftly where there are concerns around staff performance in line with our teacher competencies, liaising with LG where appropriate.
Conduct regular book reviews and learning scrutiny, focusing on individualised and effective use of formative and summative feedback to students, ensuring best practice is celebrated among the department, and intervene where marking policy is not being followed.
Ensure effective cover for lessons where staff are absent.
Develop a sense of teamwork throughout the department through the effective delegation of tasks and responsibilities.
Ensure the appropriate provision and attendance of staff at both in-house and external professional development.
Ensure, by example, that all staff in the department engage with teaching across year groups in order to further their own subject knowledge and expertise.
Encourage, by example where possible, uptake as external examiners.
Departmental Impact
Strive to better understand your subject and its development, including developments and opportunities in available external examination syllabi.
Assist in managing the departmental budget, ensuring cost effective spending of funds in line with student outcomes and development plan priorities
Ensure each year group's Schemes of Work are fully prepared before each academic year, with an emphasis on adaptive teaching.
Meet with their line manager to discuss departmental progress.
Lead co-planning meetings or delegate this responsibility to the progress leaders in the department
Meet as a Quality of Education committee half-termly
Update and maintain all procedural documentation pertaining to the effective management of the department and in preparation for inspection.
To feed-in to whole school academic strategy decisions through the Quality of Education committee and through the Leadership Group, as required.
Prepare for and lead on marketing events and, as a marketable asset of the school, ensure displays are innovative, student-centred, and captivating
All staff have a responsibility for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people. The postholder will follow current statutory requirements and WMAT procedures relating to health and safety. The postholder will immediately notify the College of any circumstances that may affect their eligibility to maintain the required DBS clearance.
This job description is subject to variation depending on the needs of WHTC. Please note that this is illustrative of the general nature and level of responsibility of the role. It is not a comprehensive list of all tasks that the teacher will carry out. The postholder may be required to do other duties appropriate to the level of the role, as directed by the Headteacher or line manager.
Person Specification
Essential
- A good degree in English, or a strongly related discipline
- Teaching experience through KS3-5
- Willingness to develop expertise in IB teaching and undertake relevant IB professional development
- Experience of delivering outstanding GCSE and A-Level outcomes, including strong value-added results for students
- A track record of improving student achievement by working collaboratively with colleagues and parents
- Experience of departmental line management
- A passion for English, and a willingness to lead on engagement with the subject beyond the classroom
- A strong work ethic and high levels of personal organisation
Desirable
- Further education in English, a related discipline, or in Education
- Previous experience of teaching the IB Diploma Programme
- A teaching qualification
- Experience of motivating and coaching other teachers to improve their practice
- Relevant examiner experience
