Head of Vocational Studies - Full-time

The Archbishop's School, Canterbury

• Ref:KCC886-5426-442T
• Posted:06/02/2026
• Pay:Main/Upper/TLR
• Start Date:ASAP
• App Close Date:28/02/2026 at 12:00
• Interviews:TBC

Advert

The Archbishop’s School Canterbury is seeking to appoint an ambitious and inspirational Head of Vocational Subjects to lead and develop our applied and vocational curriculum.

Guided by our Christian vision of enabling every young person to flourish academically, socially and spiritually, we are committed to providing high-quality vocational pathways that prepare students for future education, employment and life beyond school.

This is an exciting opportunity for a strong practitioner with proven impact on Level 2 and/or Level 3 applied general qualifications to take on a strategic middle leadership role.

We welcome applications from specialists in Business, IT, Health and Social Care or Travel and Tourism, although candidates with strong vocational expertise in related disciplines are encouraged to apply.

We Offer

• A supportive, values-driven Church of England school community
• Strong professional development and leadership training opportunities
• Well-resourced vocational departments
• A collaborative and inclusive staff culture
• The opportunity to shape curriculum design and whole-school improvement

We Are Looking For Someone Who

• Is an excellent vocational classroom practitioner
• Has demonstrated impact on teaching quality and student achievement
• Has the drive and ambition to lead and inspire a team
• Shares our commitment to inclusive education and high aspirations for all learners

Visits to the school are welcomed and encouraged.

Information about the school

The Archbishop's School is a mixed ability school for students aged 11-19. We are a small, but successful and very popular Church of England Foundation School in the beautiful cathedral city of Canterbury. The Archbishop's School is rated GOOD by Ofsted. To read our most recent Ofsted report dated November 2023, please follow this link: https://www.archbishops-school.co.uk/501/ofsted-report

The school community is smaller than most secondary schools enabling us to provide a personalised approach to education. All students are well known, well cared for and receive the very best support and encouragement in their learning which engenders excellent progress in their academic, personal, social and spiritual development.

Our school ethos is “Enter to Learn, Go Forth to Serve”. This perfectly describes our mission: to provide the very best education for our students, whilst preparing them for school life in the twenty-first century with all the challenges this presents. They are able to make a positive contribution to society and share the love of God. As an innovative and forward-thinking school, we celebrate all of our students’ achievements and are extremely proud of the people they become.

As a school, we are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and applicants are expected to share this commitment.

In line with KCSIE guidance, as part of the shortlisting process, The Archbishop’s School reserves the right to conduct an online search on shortlisted candidates as part of our due diligence and any relevant information found concerning a candidate’s suitability to work with children will be discussed at interview stage.

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early and proceed to interview upon receipt of a number of suitably qualified applications. All candidates are advised to refer to the job description and person specification before making an application. In accordance with our safeguarding practices, we are unable to accept CV’s.

We are committed to safeguarding and protecting the welfare of children and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. A Disclosure and Barring Service Certificate will be required for all posts. This post will be subject to enhanced checks as part of our Prevent Duty.

The Archbishop’s School embraces diversity and promotes equality of opportunity.

The Archbishop's School is fully committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. An enhanced DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) with barred list check is required for all successful applicants

Job Contact Information

• Name:Karen Paterson
• Address:St. Stephen's Hill, Canterbury, Kent, CT2 7AP
• Telephone: 01227 765805
• Email: kpaterson@archbishops.kent.sch.uk

Fax: 01227 768535

Documents

Below are documents that have been added to this vacancy.

• Head of Vocational Studies
• Recruitment Pack
• Staff Rewards and Benefits