Job Description
Are you ready for the next step in your teaching career and seeking a new opportunity that offers career progression? Are you ready to join a highly successful comprehensive school committed to providing an outstanding education of excellence for all? Would you thrive when working with other committed and innovative members of staff? If so, Leigh Halley Academy is now recruiting for a Director of Learning - Visual & Performing Arts, to lead a well-established, collaborative and successful department.
This is a truly fantastic opportunity for a passionate creative arts leader to become part of one of the top performing comprehensive schools in the country. All of the creative arts team are subject-specialists, and benefit from state-of-the-art facilities. All students in Key Stage 3 study Art, Music and Drama as part of the IB Middle Years Programme. Art, Music and Drama are very popular and successful at Key Stage 4. We have a wide range of extra-curricular activities and trips delivered by the department as part of our personal development curriculum.
This is a permanent opportunity that offers a competitive salary on the leadership scale, commensurate with experience. The successful candidate will need to teach the performing arts, including drama and music.
Suitable and interested candidates are encouraged to make contact with Ben Russell, Principal, by contacting him at ben.russell@halley.latrust.org.uk.
We deem this to be a great position on the basis that;
- We offer a vibrant and committed Creative Arts Department, passionate and dedicated to supporting students throughout their learning experience and securing the best possible outcomes for them.
- We offer pupils the very best in Creative Arts learning opportunities by delivering high-quality teaching via our bespoke curriculum, alongside inspiring extracurricular opportunities.
- We believe in developing staff into outstanding practitioners through our excellent CPD programmes.
- This is further supported through our membership of the Leigh Academies Trust which provides regular teach-meets and co-operative training sessions within the trust to facilitate staff and student growth.
Working with us at Leigh Academy Halley
Welcome to Leigh Academy Halley, an aspirational and inclusive International Baccalaureate World School where we maximise student achievement through a dynamic curriculum and exceptional pastoral care. Guided by our core values of respect, achievement, collaboration, integrity, and resilience, we believe in the transformative power of education.
Academic Excellence
As an IB World School since 2019, we offer a "human-scale" education across all phases:
- Years 7 - 9: Middle Years Programme (MYP).
- Years 10 - 11: GCSE and vocational qualifications.
- Sixth Form: IB Careers Programme (IBCP) and T Levels.
Our results are record-breaking; in 2025, our students outperformed national averages in every performance measure. Leigh Academy Halley has also received an incredible Ofsted report that recognises “exceptional” practice across five key areas of academy life. This judgement recognises the academy as a national centre of excellence.
Innovation & Environment
Located on a 16-acre site, our academy blends historic charm with state-of-the-art facilities, including a new Visual and Performing Arts Centre and an Engineering and Design Centre. Every student uses a personal Chromebook, supported by Google Educator-certified staff to enhance digital learning.
A Caring Community
Students thrive within our Small School model (Easley, Franklin, Turing, and Hawking), ensuring personalised support.
We are a local school of choice, committed to a gold-standard education that prepares students for fulfilling lives.
Applying for this Opportunity
Thank you for your interest in joining us. If you’d like to find out more about this role or arrange a visit to the academy, please don’t hesitate to contact Charlotte Herberts (Recruitment Advisor): charlotte.herberts@latrust.org.uk / 01634 412 245.
To support your application, we recommend viewing the Job Pack by clicking here, which outlines the full role responsibilities and person specification. This will guide you in preparing a strong application and understanding what we’re looking for.
Early applications are encouraged, as we reserve the right to interview before the closing date. All applications must be submitted through our online application form prior to the deadline.
Our Commitment to Safeguarding, Equality & Diversity
Leigh Academies Trust and all of our academies are committed to ensuring the highest levels of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of our pupils, and we expect all our staff and volunteers to share this commitment. We adopt a fair, robust and consistent recruitment process across all academies and business units which is inline with Keeping Children Safe in Education guidance. This includes online checks for shortlisted candidates - you can read more about it on our Careers site. All offers of employment are subject to an Enhanced DBS check, references, and where applicable, a prohibition from teaching check.
As a Trust, we are passionate about diversity and recognise that as individuals, we all bring something unique to the role regardless of any protected characteristics which is why we treat all of our people equally, without compromise. We are committed to providing equality and fairness throughout our recruitment and employment practices and not discriminating on any grounds.