Teacher of Psychology

Role Description

To provide professional leadership and management for a subject to secure high quality teaching, effective use of resources and improved standards of learning and achievement for all pupils.

A subject leader provides leadership and direction for the subject and ensures that it is managed and organised to meet the aims and objectives of the school and the subject. While the Principal and trustees carry overall responsibility for school improvement, a subject leader has responsibility for securing high standards of teaching and learning in their subject as well as playing a major role in the development of school policy and practice. Throughout their work a subject leader ensures that practices improve the quality of education provided, meet the needs and aspirations of all pupils, and raise standards of achievement in the school.

Professional knowledge and understanding

• Subject leaders should have knowledge and understanding of:
  • their school’s aims, priorities, targets and action plans;
  • the relationship of the subject to the curriculum as a whole;
  • any statutory curriculum requirements for the subject and the requirements for assessment, recording and reporting of pupils’ attainment and progress;
  • the characteristics of high quality teaching in the subject and the main strategies for improving and sustaining high standards of teaching, learning and achievement for all pupils;
  • how evidence from relevant research and inspection evidence and local, national and international standards of achievement in the subject can be used to inform expectations, targets and teaching approaches;
  • how to use comparative data, together with information about pupils’ prior attainment, to establish benchmarks and set targets for improvement;
  • how to develop pupils’ literacy, numeracy and information technology skills through the subject;
  • how teaching the subject can promote pupils’ spiritual, moral, social, cultural, mental and physical development;
  • management, including employment law, equal opportunities legislation, personnel, external relations, finance and change;
  • how teaching the subject can help to prepare pupils for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of adult life;
  • the current use and future potential of information and communications technology to aid teaching and learning of the subject, and to assist with subject management;
  • the role of school governance and how it can contribute to the work of the subject leader;
  • the implications of information and guidance documents from LA, the DfE and other national bodies and associations.
  • the implications of the Code of Practice for Special Educational Needs for teaching and learning in their subject;
  • health and safety requirements, including where to obtain expert advice.
• Strategic direction and development of a subject
• Within the context of the school’s aims and policies, subject leader’s development and implement subject policies, plans, targets and practices.
• Develop and implement policies and practices for the subject which reflect the school’s commitment to high achievement, effective teaching and learning;
• Create a climate which enables other staff to develop and maintain positive attitudes towards the subject and confidence in teaching it;
• Establish a clear, shared understanding of the importance and role of the subject in contributing to pupils’ spiritual, moral, cultural, mental and physical development, and in preparing pupils for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of adult life;
• Use data effectively to identify pupils who are underachieving in the subject and, where necessary, create and implement effective plans of action to support those pupils;
• Analyse and interpret relevant national, local and school data, plus research and inspection evidence, to inform policies, practices, expectations, target and teaching methods;
• Establish, with the involvement of relevant staff, short, medium and long term plans for the development and resourcing of the subject, which:
• Contribute to whole-school aims, policies and practices, including those in relation to behaviour, discipline, bullying and racial harassment;
• Are based on a range of comparative information and evidence, including in relation to the attainment of pupils;
• Identify realistic and challenging targets for improvement in the subject;
• Are understood by all those involved in putting the plans into practice;
• Are clear about action to be take, timescales and criteria for success;
• Monitor the progress in achieving subject plans and targets, evaluate the effects on teaching and learning, and use this analysis to guide further improvement.

Teaching and Learning

• Subject leaders secure and sustain effective teaching of the subject, evaluate the quality of teaching and standards of pupils’ achievements and set targets for improvement.
• Ensure curriculum coverage, continuity and progression in the subject for all pupils, including those of high ability and those with special educational or linguistic needs;
• Ensure that teachers are clear about the teaching objectives in lessons, understand the sequence of teaching and learning in the subject, and communicate such information to pupils;
• Provide guidance on the choice of appropriate teaching and learning methods to meet the needs of the subject and of different pupils;
• Ensure effective development of pupils’ literacy, numeracy and information technology skills through the subject;
• Establish and implement clear policies and practices for assessing, recording and reporting on pupil achievement, and for using this information to recognise achievement and to assist pupils in setting targets for further improvement;
• Ensure that information about pupils’ achievements in previous classes and schools is used effectively to secure good progress in the subject.
• Set expectations and targets for staff and pupils in relation to standards of pupil achievement and the quality of teaching; establish clear targets for pupil achievement, and evaluate progress and achievement in the subject by all pupils, including those with special educational and linguistic needs;
• Evaluate the teaching of the subject in the school, use this analysis to identify effective practice and areas for improvement, and take action to improve further the quality of teaching;
• Ensure effective development of pupils’ individual and collaborative study skills necessary for them to become increasingly independent in their work and to complete tasks independently when out of school;
• Ensure that teachers of the subject are aware of its contribution to pupils’ understanding of the duties, opportunities, responsibilities and rights of citizens;
• Ensure that teachers of the subject know how to recognise and deal with racial stereotyping;
• Establish a partnership with parents to involve them in their child’s learning of the subject, as well as providing information about curriculum, attainment, progress and targets;
• Develop effective links with the local community, including business and industry, in order to extend the subject curriculum, enhance teaching and to develop pupils’ wider understanding.

Leading and managing staff

• Efficient and effective development of staff and resources
• Subject leaders provide to all those with involvement in the teaching or support of the subject, the support, challenge, information and development necessary to sustain motivation and secure improvement in teaching.
• Ensure curriculum coverage, continuity and progression in the subject for all pupils, including those of high ability and those with special educational or linguistic needs;
• Ensure that teachers are clear about the teaching objectives in lessons, understand the sequence of teaching and learning in the subject, and communicate such information to pupils;
• Provide guidance on the choice of appropriate teaching and learning methods to meet the needs of the subject and of different pupils;
• Effective development of pupils; literacy, numeracy & information technology skills through the subject;
• Establish and implement clear policies and practices for assessing, recording and reporting on pupil achievement and for using this information to recognise achievement and to assist pupils ins setting targets for further improvement;
• Ensure that information about pupils’ achievements in previous classes and schools is used effectively to secure good progress in the subject;
• Set expectations and targets for staff and pupils in relation to standards of pupil achievement and the quality of teaching; establish clear targets for pupil achievement, and evaluate progress and achievement in the subject by all pupils, including those with special educational and linguistic needs;
• Evaluate the teaching of the subject in the school, use this analysis to identify effective practice and areas for improvement, and take action to improve further the quality of teaching;
• Ensure effective development of pupils’ individual and collaborative study skills necessary for them to become increasingly independent in their work and to complete tasks independently when out of school;
  • ensure that teachers of the subject are aware of its contribution to pupils’ understanding of the duties, opportunities, responsibilities and right of citizens;
  • ensure that teachers of the subject know how to recognise and deal with racial stereotyping;
  • establish and partnership with parents to involve them in their child’s learning of the subject, as well as providing information about curriculum, attainment, progress and targets;
  • develop effective links with the local community, including business and industry, in order to extend the subject curriculum, enhance teaching and to develop pupils’ wider understanding.

Other duties and responsibilities:

• Undertake any other reasonable professional task as directed by the Co-Headteachers
• The above mentioned duties are neither exclusive nor exhaustive, duties and responsibilities of the post may change as requirements and circumstances change.
• The post holder may be required to carry out such other duties as requested by management that are broadly within the level of the post.

Paul Feldman is the National Skills Agency Data Protection Officer. Your data will be stored until notice is given by you for it to be removed. Our Data Protection Policy will be forwarded to you on request. As we get a high number of applications we may be unable to give feedback to unsuccessful candidates. We will retain your details to  keep you informed of other opportunities. National Skills Agency Ltd is acting as an Employment Agency in relation to this vacancy and is an Equal Opportunities employer we welcome applicants from all backgrounds.