Head of Science

JOB DESCRIPTION

Job Title:

Head of Science

Department:

Science

Hours of Work:

Full Time, Term Time

Responsible To:

Assistant Head Curriculum

Responsible For:

Biology Department
Chemistry Department
Physics Department
Key Stage 3 science Co-
ordinator
Senior lab technician/s

Summary of Role:

We are looking for an outstanding Head of Department to lead our team of enthusiastic and experienced science
teachers. The department has a high profile at Woldingham, and students have a genuine love for the sciences
and achieve excellent results.  We are looking for excellent classroom practitioner to continue to develop this
successful department, including support for our potential medicine and Oxbridge candidates,  contributing to
academic societies and publications, and leading our well-established outreach programme with local state
schools

Biology, Chemistry and Physics are popular and successful subjects at Woldingham School. In Years 7 and 8 the
Science students study goes beyond the National Curriculum requirements for Key Stage 3 and so provides the
necessary grounding for later work at Key Stage 4 (IGCSE) level.

In Year 9 Biology, Chemistry and Physics are taught separately as we launch them on their Edexcel IGCSE course.
This leads to awards in three separate IGCSE grades, one for each of the sciences. Alternatively, students can study
for IGCSE (Double Award) Science in Years 10 and 11.

At  Advanced  Level  the  Science  faculty  offers  OCR  courses  in  Biology  and  Chemistry  and  the  Edexcel  course  in
Physics. All three sciences have a high uptake at A Level, and we are proud that each year approximately a third of
our students leave us to study a STEM-related course at university.

Specific Responsibilities:
This job description outlines the following:

(1)
(2)
(3)

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

Objectives
(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 and performance.

(3)  LEADERSHIP  OF  STAFF:  To  support,  guide  and  motivate  all  teachers  within  the  department  including  line
management of the Key Stage 3 Co-ordinator and Lab Technicians.  To work closely with the School Leadership
Team 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.  Our new Science Centre has seen recent refurbishment and is now a
modern and fully functional learning environment which has had a positive impact on staff morale.

(6)  MARKETING AND PUBLIC RELATIONS: To work closely with the School Leadership Team 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, not simply those relating to the

department.

(8)  HEALTH AND SAFETY:  To ensure staff and students work in a safe and healthy environment.  With this in mind,
particular attention will be given by the Head of Science to the Science Department Handbook and CLEAPPS
guidelines.

Specific Responsibilities

Under objective 1

•  To hold regular Head of Department meetings for the three Heads of Subject
•  To clearly communicate the teaching and learning standards and objectives of your department and the

whole school to all members of staff under your leadership.

•  To  promote  and  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 and relaxed 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  the  School  Leadership  Team  are  kept  promptly  and  fully

informed of any serious quality assurance concerns.

•  To ensure that – both within and outside the class room – 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

•  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  (i.e.  they  are  clear  in  their  criticisms  but  supportive  and

aspirational, make realistic yet aspirational predictions for future progress and lay down clear and specific
targets for improvement.)

Under objective 3

•  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 Heads of your departments 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 support.

•  To get to know the particular strengths and interests of your staff and to ensure that these are recognised,

employed and developed.

•  To get to know the particular concerns and professional insecurities of your staff and to ensure that these
are addressed and, as far as possible, remedied in an emotionally sensitive and productive way with the
support of the HR Manager where required.

•  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 working towards.

•  To encourage and develop particular responsibilities among your staff (e.g. key stage coordination, STEM
Society, G&T responsibility, etc.) but also to be sensitive to the risk of overloading the more capable with
responsibilities.

•  To  take  responsibility  for,  and  work  with  the  School  Leadership  Team  and/or  the  HR  Manager  to

successfully intervene in, any tensions that arise among the staff under your leadership.

Under objective 4

•

In  conjunction  with  the  three  Heads  of  Subject,  to  continually  review  the  effectiveness  of  all  of  the
following:
i)
The courses offered by your current exam board in relation to those on offer from other exam boards.
ii)  The qualifications currently pursued by your pupils in relation to any others on offer for the equivalent

age/ability groups.

iii)  Departmental SoWs for each year group.
iv)  Departmental trips, visiting speakers and other such enrichment activities.
v)  Technologies, textbooks and all other non-human resources used by the department.

•  To communicate  any proposed strategic changes to the appropriate  members of the School Leadership
Team 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

•  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 senior management.

Under objective 6

•  To ensure that that the profile of your subject is sufficiently prominent and healthy, both within and beyond
the school, through strategies such as the development of a subject society, special lectures and so forth.

•  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 careful preparation and marking of entrance and
scholarship papers and that you are aware of and can meet the deadlines laid down by the registry calendar
for all such examinations.

•  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.
In conjunction with the three Heads of Subject, to ensure that all your staff are well prepared for parent-
teacher meetings.
In  conjunction  with  the  three  Heads  of  Subject,  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 the School Leadership Team) are  dealt with in a prompt  and thorough manner.  Ensure that holding
replies  are  always  sent  to  parental  communications  within  24  hours,  and  that  these  replies  specify  a
reasonable time-scale for a more detailed response.

Under objective 7

•  To communicate with the School Leadership Team regarding whole school developments or procedures in

a way that is honest but constructive.

•  To  take  an  active  and  positive  role  in  whole-staff  sharing  of  educational  ideas  and  initiatives,  whether
through joining working parties or volunteering to run an INSET for other staff.  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.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

Essential

Desirable

•  Experience as a Head of Department
(Biology, Chemistry or Physics)

Operational Excellence

•  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.

•  Well qualified graduate with a degree in Science or

closely related subject.

•  The  ability  to  teach  one  of  the  sciences  up  to  A

Level.

•  Enthusiasm for your subject area and an ongoing

interest in developments within it.

•  The ability to plan time effectively, organise

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

•  Good ICT skills.

Personal Behaviours

•  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.

•  The ability to communicate effectively with a

range of staff, pupils and parents.
•  The ability to defuse potentially difficult

communication problems.

Ethos and Whole School Values

•  Committed to operating as part of the School

community.

•  Committed to the Sacred Heart Values.
•  Commitment 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.