Head of Economics

JOB DESCRIPTION

Job Title:

Head of Economics

Department:

Economics

Hours of Work:

Full time with the expectation that the successful candidate teaches a second subject to
GCSE. Approximately half of the timetable will be teaching A Level Economics.

Responsible To:

Member of the Academic
Leadership Team

Responsible For:

Economics

A Summary of the Role:

We are looking for an outstanding Head of Department with a passion for education. The post will suit a well-
qualified individual, committed to delivering an exceptional learning experience for every pupil and leading a
high- profile department in the school. Economics is a successful subject at Woldingham and is a popular choice at
A Level. The department consists of a team of 2 highly committed teachers who work with a focus on equipping
students with a strong knowledge base and the ability to evaluate as wide a range of perspectives as possible. We
continually encourage independent thought and learning. There is also very strong culture across the department
of sharing resources and ideas. We are looking for a colleague who will be proactive in raising the profile of the
department, including the development of its academic societies and Oxbridge mentoring particularly
applications for Economics, PPE, Business Management or Land Economy.

The department offers the following course:

A Level Economics – Edexcel A

and in the past has also delivered the Level Three Financial Studies Certificate

This job description includes:

(1) The five personal skills expected of any Head of Department at Woldingham.
(2) The seven objectives that a Head of Department uses to inform their working life.
(3) The specific responsibilities that fall under each of these seven objectives.

This job description provides a guide to and general description of the duties and responsibilities of the Head of
Department.  It is not intended to be wholly definitive, as the detailed demands of particular departments, and the
duties of the Head of Department can change over time.

Specific Responsibilities:

(1) QUALITY ASSURANCE: To secure and maintain high standards of teaching and learning in the subject. To
ensure that the quality of the educational experience provided within the department for all pupils, regardless of
ability, serves as a positive advertisement for Woldingham School.

(2) PUPIL ASSESSMENT AND MONITORING: To establish maintain and review practices for the close monitoring of
every individual pupil’s progress.

Last updated: March 2026

(3) LEADERSHIP OF STAFF: To support, guide and motivate all teachers within the department. To work closely
with the School Leadership Team (SLT) to identify, anticipate and resolve any problems affecting the morale of
the staff in the department and their ability to perform their jobs to a high standard. To take an ongoing interest
in the professional development of all staff in the department.

(4) EFFECTIVE STRATEGIC THINKING: To continually evaluate the effectiveness of teaching and learning practices,
schemes of work, qualifications and courses on offer in order to ensure that pupils are always being provided with
the best learning opportunities available. To identify and anticipate needs in the subject and consider these in
relation to the overall needs of the school.

(5) RESOURCE MANAGEMENT: To ensure that human and other resources within the department are always
employed to maximum positive effect.

(6) MARKETING AND PUBLIC RELATIONS: To work closely with SLT and the Marketing Department to advertise the
strengths and achievements of the department and the school.

(7) CONTRIBUTING TO WHOLE SCHOOL LIFE: To share in all aspects of school life. All staff are expected to
contribute to the extra-curricular programme at Woldingham.

Under Objective 1
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To hold regular fortnightly department meetings which include routine sharing of good practice and
resources.
To clearly communicate the teaching and learning standards and objectives of your department and the
whole school to members of staff under your leadership.
To promote an foster academic excellence and a love of the subject beyond the curriculum through
academic societies.
To develop an atmosphere of intellectual enthusiasm and the open sharing of ideas and good practice within
your department.
To carry out a regular annual calendar of quality assurance activities within the framework laid down by the
school.
To respond to concerns regarding any aspect of the teaching of a member of department with swift,
effective and fair quality assurance activities.
To review academic targets set within the department and monitor staff and pupil performance.
To ensure that the appropriate members of SLT are kept promptly and fully informed of any serious quality
assurance concerns.
To ensure that appropriate differentiation is occurring in all classes within your subject.
To ensure that – both within and outside the classroom – those pupils that show a particular aptitude for or
interest in your subject are provided with appropriate opportunities for academic extension and enrichment.
To have a clear and practical set of strategies in place for dealing with underachieving pupils in your subject.

Under objective 2
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To ensure, through standard quality assurance activities, that assessment is being carried out according to
the criteria laid down in the academic section of the staff handbook.
To work with the Assistant Head Curriculum to use baseline data such as CEM test scores and predictions
to inform teaching and learning, grade predictions for pupils, setting/banding of pupils and intervention to
support underachieving pupils, to ensure that all pupils achieve their potential.
To ensure that all reports produced by members of the department meet the criteria laid down in the
academic section of the staff handbook.

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Under objective 3

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To ensure that all the staff under your leadership – particularly those who are new to the school – know
what is expected of them.
To ensure that any new members of your department know where to access all the information they need,
and are closely monitored and supported during their initial months.
To support staff who are facing a challenge in a particular area of their teaching with a professional blend of
firm direction and emotional support.
To get to know the particular strengths and interests of your staff and to ensure that these are recognised,
employed and developed.
To ensure that staff CPD is a part of your annual cycle of quality assurance. To have a clear record of which
INSETS and CPD opportunities your staff are attending.
To take responsibility for, and work with SLT to successfully intervene in, any tensions that arise among the
staff under your leadership.

Under objective 4
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To continually review the effectiveness of all of the following:
o The courses offered by your current exam board in relation to those on offer from other exam boards.
o Departmental SoWs for each year group.
o Departmental trips, visiting speakers and other such enrichment activities.
o Technologies, textbooks and all other non-human resources used by the department.
o Teaching practices employed within the department.
To communicate any proposed strategic changes to the appropriate members of SLT in a clear and concise
fashion that sets out the advantages, costs and risks of any proposed change.
To be open to new technologies and teaching practices that are proposed by others, whether from within or
outside your department.
To make use of student-voice when undertaking strategic reviews.

Under objective 5
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To nurture the staff under your leadership as laid down under objective 3.
To review physical resources as laid down under objective 4.
To ensure that, as far as possible within whole-school timetabling constraints, the departmental timetable is
employing all staff where their particular strengths and enthusiasms will have the most positive impact.
To anticipate future resource needs (whether staffing or non-human) as accurately and early as possible, so
as to aid whole-school recruitment and budgetary processes and help ensure that your needs can be
effectively met by SLT.
To liaise closely with the Library Manager, and to keep abreast of paper and electronic resources in your
field, to ensure that students have access to – and training in – research opportunities beyond the use of
standard textbooks etc.

Under objective 6
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To ensure that the profile of your subject is sufficiently prominent, both within and beyond the school.
To use academic enrichment events and/or subject-related societies to combine academic benefit for the
pupils with effective marketing for your department and the whole school.
To ensure that your department contributes fully to the positive image of the school on occasions such as
Open Days - through careful preparation of the staff under your leadership, of physical displays and
resources and of any activities on offer to visitors.
To ensure that the department is well organised for the preparation and marking of entrance and scholarship
papers.
To ensure that all requests for the updating of course booklets and other materials for existing and
prospective parents are responded to with due care and attention and carried out to-deadline.
To ensure that all your staff are well prepared for parent-teacher meetings.

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To ensure that any staff absences from parent-teacher meetings are, as far as possible, flagged up in
advance, and that any absences are compensated for by swift and useful communication to parents both
before and after the event.
To ensure that any communications from parents (whether direct to you or passed on from Heads of Year or
SLT) are dealt with in a prompt and thorough manner.

Under objective 7
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To communicate with SLT regarding whole school developments or procedures in a way that is honest but
constructive.
To be sensitive to whole-school perspectives when engaged in dialogue concerning allocation of time or
physical resources for your department.
To take an active and positive role in whole-staff sharing of educational ideas and initiatives. To encourage
the staff under your leadership to do the same.
To undertake any additional duties, as laid down by school policies (e.g. study supervision) or as reasonably
requested by the Head.

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PERSON SPECIFICATION

Essential

Desirable

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Experience of implementing fresh ideas in an
academic department

Operational Excellence

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Experienced teacher with a proven track record of
success,  with the  ability and  vision to  lead  a busy
and forward-looking Department
A well-qualified and experienced graduate with a
Economics degree
Ability to teach a second subject to at least GCSE
Excellent subject knowledge and a commitment to
communicate enthusiasm for the subject through
dynamic teaching
To contribute to the co-curricular programme.
Excellent time management skills
Fluent and accurate written and spoken English
Excellent ICT Skills

Personal Behaviours

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An enthusiasm and vision for your subject area and
an ongoing interest in developments within it.  An
excellent track record as a teacher of your subject.
A clear vision of how you want your department to
develop  over  the  next  few  years.    An  ability  to
communicate  this  enthusiasm  and  vision  to  the
staff and pupils under your leadership
A good communicator who is able to inspire an
interest in the subject
The ability to communicate effectively with a
range of staff, pupils and parents.  The ability to
defuse potentially difficult communication
problems
An ability to engage warmly and professionally
with students
The ability to solve problems and make decisions.
The  ability  to  anticipate  problems.    The  ability  to
place  your  decision-making  within  the  wider
context of whole-school needs
A calm and confident presence in the classroom
Excellent organisational skills
The ability to work as part of a team in a busy
department
A willingness to be generous with time committed
to school, recognising that ours is a school that
never closes during term time and the work
continues after the final bell of the day has rung

•  The ability to plan time effectively, organise

oneself well and balance strategic development
with response to day-to-day events

Ethos and Whole School Values

•  Committed to operating as part of the School

community

•  Committed to the Sacred Heart Values
•  Committed to Woldingham as a school with high
academic standing providing a holistic education
and outstanding pastoral care

Safeguarding and Pastoral

•  Committed to safeguarding and promoting the

welfare of children and young people.

•  A satisfactory Enhanced Disclosure from the DBS.

Leadership and Management

•  An ability to communicate enthusiasm and vision to

the staff and pupils under your leadership.
•  The ability to lead and manage people to work

towards a common goal.

•  The ability to blend firmness, patience and empathy

when dealing with difficult situations.

•  The ability to show an interest in the welfare,

happiness and professional development of those
under your leadership.

•  Previous experience of leadership
•  Experience of leading change management