Head of English Department - Term Time - Special Needs Position

West Heath School, Sevenoaks

• Ref:KCC886-6079-270T
• Posted:21/07/2025
• Pay:Teachers Pay Scale Fringe plus TLR 2c £8307
• Start Date:January 2026
• App Close Date:07/09/2025 at 23:45
• Interviews:TBC

Advert

Salary: Teachers Pay Scale Fringe plus TLR 2c £8307

Working Hours:  Full Time – Term Time Only

Closing Date: 7 September 2025

Starting Date: January 2026

Can you make the difference to the lives of our students?  Do you like to be challenged?   Do you love developing your team’s approach to teaching and learning and enjoy creating lessons that engage and inspire your students?

Do you want to be part of our SEMH school?

This could be the job for you.

West Heath School is a challenging place to work, but our dedicated staff rebuild lives through education. Teaching respect, encouraging responsibility, building relationships, and developing resilience in our students is an integral part of the role. Our committed, dynamic, and resourceful staff find working at West Heath School rewarding.

The Head of Department will inspire and lead a department of teachers and Specialist Learning Support Assistants to teach students in line with the School’s mission statement, ‘Rebuilding Lives through Education’. They will encourage teachers to both improve students’ academic outcomes and to promote students’ wellbeing by understanding and improving their social, emotional and mental health needs. All Heads of Department are responsible for creating a varied, engaging curriculum that can adapt to the individual needs of the students and promote the values of the 4Rs- Respect, Relationships, Resilience and Responsibility.

A Head of Department at West Heath School will be committed to a positive, fair and transparent leadership style; they will be imaginative and adaptable and strive for all students to enjoy their lessons and develop skills that they can use both in and outside of the classroom. They will conduct lesson observations, learning walks and book scrutinies, as well as participate in and organise whole school events and drop-down days. To enable staff the time to focus on the students and develop the department as a while Heads of Department will teach 16 lessons (45 minutes) out of 35.

Every member of staff plays a significant part in the students’ ability to achieve their full potential and positive outcomes whilst at West Heath School. To do this we need to work collaboratively and always as a team, which is essential to the students’ success and achievement.

We are a therapeutic community we are on an exciting journey to be registered as a therapeutic community and welcome staff who follow this ethos.

If you would like to be part of the journey helping our students gain their best outcomes, we can support you by offering:

• Term Time only working
• Free lunches
• Generous Company Pension scheme
• Employee Assistant Programme
• Charity Discount Scheme
• Summer and Christmas Social events
• Free onsite parking
• Swimming pool 
• Excellent training opportunities both internal and external

If you want to know more about us or would like to visit before applying, please call or e-mail the whs.HR-team@ westheathschool.com

Working at West Heath School involves close and unsupervised contact with vulnerable groups including children and as such is a regulated activity. The school is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people. Applicants must be willing to undergo safeguarding screening appropriate to the post (including an Enhanced DBS check. Management positions will require a 128 Check.)

Information about the school

WEST HEATH SCHOOL

Ashgrove Road, Sevenoaks, Kent TN13 1SR

“Rebuilding lives through education”

OFSTED Good April 2025

West Heath School is an Independent SEN school with charity status. We provide a therapeutically informed learning environment for children aged 10-19 who have suffered some form of trauma and are unable to access main stream education. We believe in “rebuilding lives through education”, developing life skills and encouraging students to enjoy social activities .

“A fun place to work where social development is valued as much as education”

“The support you receive from the moment you arrive at West Heath School is excellent…”

“Two days are never the same at West Heath School and this certainly keeps you on your toes!”

Job Contact Information

• Name:Nicola Kelly or Chloe Checkley
• Address:West Heath , Ashgrove Road, Sevenoaks, Kent, TN13 1SR
• Telephone: 01732 460 553
• Email: whs.hr-team@westheathschool.com

Documents

Below are documents that have been added to this vacancy.

• Job Description and Personal Specification