Lead Practitioner - Science - Full-time

Leigh Academy Tonbridge, Tonbridge

• Ref:KCC886-5455-543L
• Posted:15/05/2026
• Pay:Leadership Scale based on experience
• Start Date:September 2026
• App Close Date:31/05/2026 at 23:45
• Interviews:TBC

Advert

Are you an inspiring and ambitious Science specialist ready to lead, innovate and make a lasting impact? Leigh Academy Tonbridge is seeking a dynamic and forward-thinking Lead Practitioner - Science to join our thriving all-through academy from September 2026.

At Leigh Academy Tonbridge, we are more than just a school; we are a rapidly transforming community where high expectations, creativity and collaboration sit at the heart of everything we do.

This is an exciting opportunity to lead and shape a vibrant Science department at a pivotal stage in our development. As Lead Practitioner, you will drive excellence in teaching and learning, inspire a team of committed practitioners, and ensure our curriculum is ambitious, coherent and grounded in strong subject expertise.

What makes Leigh Academy Tonbridge a special place to work:

• Strategic Leadership: Autonomy to design and deliver a high-quality Science curriculum, inspiring students through practical investigation and a deep exploration of Biology, Chemistry, and Physics.

• Professional Growth: Access to bespoke leadership development within the Leigh Academies Trust, collaborating with expert advisors to set new benchmarks for scientific excellence.

• Team Empowerment: Lead and mentor a talented team of educators and technicians, fostering a culture of collaborative inquiry, mutual respect, and shared ambition.

• World-Class Facilities: Teach in a state-of-the-art environment featuring modern laboratories and dedicated digital suites designed for advanced scientific modeling.

• Student-Centred Mission: Join a team dedicated to empowering the next generation of critical thinkers to understand and influence the world through evidence-based discovery.

If you are ready to join a department with energy, integrity and ambition - and help shape the future of Science education within a flourishing academy - we would love to hear from you.

Information about the school

Core values of integrity, courage and imagination underpin all that we do. We are unrelenting in our mission to teach those that we have the privilege to care for to do the right thing, to make courageous choices and to ignite their curiosity and imagination. Our students will leave the academy with the qualifications and skills to access the very best universities, apprenticeships and careers to which they aspire.

As a local resident and parent, I am personally invested in ensuring Leigh Academy Tonbridge plays an instrumental role in shaping the lives of our young people and the local community. As educators, we are driven by a united purpose: to maximise the future opportunities of every young person that passes through our door. The wellbeing and success of every individual is at the heart of everything we do.

Building on the strengths of our legacy school, Hayesbrook Academy, Leigh Academy Tonbridge will always be an institution that values and nurtures every young person in our care. Our small school model means that every child will be known, cared for and challenged to succeed. As has always been the case at Hayesbrook, we will continue to value the partnerships with our families recognising the critical value of the home-school partnership in ensuring the success of every child.

Leigh Academy Tonbridge is an inspirational community, with high-standards of discipline creating disruption free classrooms and a broad, innovative digital curriculum, underpinned by the principles of the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme. Our curriculum is knowledge rich, promotes diversity of thought and creates a framework within which students explore, understand and appreciate the power and application of knowledge in real global contexts. Through the implementation of our curriculum students mature into reflective and resilient learners who can work both independently and collaboratively to overcome challenges, are confident critical thinkers and master lifelong learning. We provide all of our students with a Chromebook to develop their digital skills and to enrich their learning in their classrooms and to support their independent study.

Our Ofsted report from December 2022 confirms that behaviour and attitudes are exceptional as the school has high expectations for pupils 'behaviour and conduct. Pupils, staff and parents report that behaviour is very well managed and bullying is not tolerated at this school. Any incidents are dealt with robustly and as a result, pupils feel happy and safe which point towards the students enjoying school and this is reflected in their high attendance.

Our students flourish, becoming curious, caring and culturally astute young people as they move on to higher education or employment. They leave with a broad skill set and the versatility to embrace the future challenges of the modern world.

Job Contact Information

• Name:Talent Team, Leigh Academies Trust
• Address:Carnation Road, Strood, Kent, ME2 2SX
• Telephone: 01634 412 258
• Email: Joinus@LATrust.org.uk

Documents

Below are documents that have been added to this vacancy.

• Job Pack