Salary:
MPS/UPS plus TLR 2b
Job type:
Full Time, Permanent
Start date:
September 2025
Apply by:
24 February 2025
Job overview
We are seeking an outstanding and dynamic Head of Religious Studies to commence in September 2025 who will play a key role in the leadership of this successful school.
The successful candidate will be an outstanding teacher with energy, commitment, experience and the vision to maintain and develop the prominence of RS within the school.
This role carries a TLR 2b currently £5,829 per annum.
The successful applicant will:
1. be able to teach Religious Studies across the age range.
2. be an energetic teacher, who is passionate about Religious Studies and who seeks out opportunities within and beyond the classroom to inspire their pupils and colleagues.
3. lead by example and encourage excellence and the highest possible standards of pedagogy within the department.
4. be an experienced teacher with high regard for delivering and sharing best practice that maximises pupil progress and engagement with the subject.
5. ensure that all Schemes of Work are well-sequenced and meet the needs of all pupils, including through the use of differentiation.
6. routinely monitor and develop Schemes of Work so that they are clear, easy to follow and well-resourced with appropriate pupil assessments interleaved that test precise knowledge and skills.
7. understand the importance of meaningful feedback and pupil tracking and ensure the effective implementation of these.
8. lead the coordination and administration of internal Religious Studies examinations.
9. ensure that pupils are prepared appropriately for internal and external examinations, and support Sixth Form students with preparation for Religious Studies related applications and interviews.
As a Head of Department you will:
1. lead and report back on regular departmental meetings that focus on T&L priorities and that lead to a well-organised and well-resourced curriculum and extra-curricular activity.
2. liaise with the SENDCO to ensure the department supports the school's graduated approach to SEND provision.
3. monitor the effectiveness of provision and support for SEND pupils within the department.
4. attend and contribute to half-termly Curriculum Forum meetings during which curriculum-related matters will be planned, discussed and evaluated.
5. report to the Governors Curriculum Committee as required.
6. appraise each departmental colleague annually and work with the Deputy Head (Curriculum) to ensure that all colleagues are benchmarked to an agreed standard via at least one annual lesson observation.
7. follow Quality Assurance procedures as directed by the Deputy Head (Curriculum), including the organisation of and feedback on lesson observations, book scrutiny and pupil voice panels.
8. maintain a departmental handbook, including the updating and implementation of policies.
9. ensure that all departmental colleagues are setting appropriate homework tasks and giving high-quality feedback in line with the department’s marking policy.
10. use ALPS, ISAMS and exam board analysis platforms to analyse assessment data and liaise regularly and proactively with SLT to report back on grades and exam analysis as well as follow up with appropriate intervention strategies and communication with parents.
11. complete the annual Quality Improvement Plan to ensure that the department is setting and meeting targets that tie in with the school’s priorities, and ensure that the needs of SEND pupils are considered within the Quality Improvement Plan.
12. find, promote and lead opportunities to extend the curriculum beyond the classroom through visits, clubs, societies, competitions and other similar events, including those linked to future careers.
13. monitor the training and CPD needs of the department and ensure that appropriate training requests are made to the Deputy Head (Curriculum).
14. manage the departmental budget and sourcing of resources, ensuring careful planning and accurate record-keeping.
15. contribute to the marketing of the department through updating written materials (such as option booklets and website content) and through leading in-person events such as Open Day, Sixth Form Open Evening and Sixth Form Taster Day.
16. be responsible for the presentation standards and classroom displays within and around the departmental spaces.
17. lead the induction of new members of departmental staff and, where appropriate, mentor ECTs.
Applications should be submitted by Noon on Monday 24th February 2025 and Interviews will take place on Thursday 27th February 2025.
For any queries please email Kate Roberts, HR Manager at
kroberts@lrgs.org.uk
You must be eligible to work in the UK to apply for this vacancy; Lancaster Royal Grammar School is not able to offer visa sponsorship.
We are committed to the safeguarding of children. All employees must have the ability to understand and adhere to Child Protection and Safeguarding legislation. The role holders safeguarding responsibilities are set out in the job description. References may be taken prior to interview and DBS and other vetting checks will be conducted on the successful applicant.
This role is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and the amendments to the Exceptions Order 1975, 2013 and 2020. The amendments to the ROA 1974 (Exceptions Order 1975, (2013 and 2020)) provide that when applying for certain jobs and activities, certain spent convictions and cautions are ‘protected’, so they do not need to be disclosed to employers, and if they are disclosed, employers cannot take them into account. The MOJ’s guidance on the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and the Exceptions Order 1975, provides information about which convictions must be declared during job applications and related exceptions and further information about filtering offences can be found in the DBS filtering guide.
Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006 Section 7(1)(a) states that it is an offence to apply for the role if you are barred from engaging in regulated activity relevant to children.
About Lancaster Royal Grammar School
* Lancaster Royal Grammar School
* East Road, Lancaster
* Lancashire
* LA1 3EF
* United Kingdom
+44 1524 580600
Lancaster Royal Grammar School is one of the oldest state schools in the country. It was founded in the thirteenth century and endowed by John Gardyner in 1472. Originally situated close to Lancaster Castle, the school moved to its present site in 1851.
Most pupils join in Year 7 having passed the 11+, and a substantial number of students also join the Sixth Form after taking GCSEs elsewhere. Smaller numbers join other year groups as boarders from the UK and overseas. From the outset the Free School of Lancaster educated boarding as well as day pupils, and of our current 1260 pupils about 140 are boarders. For these students, their education remains free, and parents only pay for the boarding element.
It is an exciting time for our growing school. We welcomed our first Sixth Form girls in 2019, and more than 200 girls have now joined the school as day students or boarders.
Our students are energetic and ambitious, and it is definitely “cool to succeed” at LRGS! Their academic record is excellent. LRGS consistently features as one of the top state schools in the country in terms of examination success. Those results include 48* A*/A grades at A-level in 2022, and 40% 9/8 grades at GCSE in 2023 (Progress 8 score +0.67). Over 90% of students go on to further education – typically 30-40 students will apply to Oxford and Cambridge each year. An average of 12 students per year gain Oxbridge places (10 in 2023), and most students proceed to Russell Group universities. Others go on to a range of competitive opportunities which have in recent years included a growing number of degree apprenticeships plus RADA, the Dyson Institute, Glasgow School of Art and US sports scholarships amongst others.
Our most recent Boarding Ofsted inspection (2023) found us Outstanding in all areas. Inspectors commented: “The boarding experience at this school has a profound positive impact on the lives of children. Boarders make exceptional progress because of the commitment of the staff team and their experiences of staying at the school.
We value and promote diversity amongst both pupils and staff. We are a caring school which offers strong and effective pastoral support to individuals. We are forward-looking and leaders in the area of student support and well-being.
A profusion of extra-curricular activities provides an exceptional range of social, cultural and sporting opportunities, including a full programme of Saturday games fixtures and thriving CCF and DofE provision. A dynamic programme of overseas trips has recently included rugby and cricket tours to South Africa and the UAE, music tours to Italy and Spain, and a range of other expeditions from Iceland to Costa Rica.
We have made substantial investment into our estate and teaching facilities in recent years. This includes a Priority Schools Building project which has provided two new science laboratories and transformed Victorian boarding accommodation in Old School House into new classrooms and Sixth Form study and social spaces. We are now preparing for exciting new site investment over the next four years as part of the School Rebuilding Programme.
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