Head of Humanities – Secondary School – York

A respected 1118 secondary school in York is seeking an experienced and forward-thinking Head of Humanities to lead its successful department. The school serves a wide catchment across the city and surrounding villages and has built a strong reputation for academic standards calm classrooms and a well-balanced approach to curriculum design.

Humanities is a cornerstone of the schools academic offer. History and Geography both enjoy strong GCSE uptake while A-Level provision across History Geography and Politics continues to grow. Results have remained consistently strong with clear evidence of sustained progress across the department. The school is now looking for a leader who can consolidate this success while driving further academic ambition.

The Role

As Head of Humanities you will lead a team of History Geography and RE teachers across Key Stages 35. You will oversee curriculum development assessment strategy and departmental performance while maintaining a visible and supportive presence within the team.

Your responsibilities will include:

Strategic leadership of the Humanities faculty
Line management and professional development of department staff
Oversight of curriculum sequencing from Year 7 through Sixth Form
Monitoring progress data and implementing targeted interventions
Coordinating GCSE and A-Level examination preparation
Contributing to whole-school leadership discussions

The school values leaders who combine clarity and organisation with enthusiasm and strong subject expertise.

The Department

The Humanities faculty occupies a central corridor within the main teaching block with dedicated classrooms for each subject area. The department works collaboratively sharing assessment materials and planning frameworks while encouraging individual teaching style and creativity.

Strengths of the faculty include:

Well-established schemes of work aligned to exam board requirements
Strong fieldwork and local heritage links across York
Structured revision and intervention programmes
Healthy GCSE and A-Level uptake across subjects

Students regularly engage with local historical and geographical resources making use of Yorks rich heritage and urban landscape.

The School

This York secondary school is known for its respectful student body structured behaviour systems and supportive senior leadership. Staff benefit from a professional working culture where expectations are high but workload is carefully managed.

Facilities include refurbished classrooms a modernised Sixth Form centre and improved IT infrastructure. Professional development is purposeful with clear pathways for leadership progression.

The school places strong emphasis on:

Academic rigour
Community engagement
Staff development
Balanced curriculum design

Who Were Looking For

The successful candidate will:

Hold QTS (or equivalent) with a strong academic background in a Humanities subject
Have proven experience teaching GCSE and ideally A-Level
Demonstrate successful middle leadership experience
Be confident analysing data and implementing improvement strategies
Inspire both colleagues and students through strong subject leadership

This role would suit an ambitious and organised leader ready to take responsibility for a large and influential faculty.

Whats On Offer

Competitive leadership salary
Supportive and experienced senior leadership team
Strong GCSE and A-Level Humanities uptake
Clear behaviour systems and structured pastoral support
A well-regarded York secondary school community

This is an outstanding opportunity for a Humanities specialist ready to shape the strategic direction of a successful department within a respected and high-performing secondary school.