Head of Performing Arts Specialism Music

Role: Head of Performing Arts - Specialism Music

Academy: Outwood Academy Riverside

Start Date: 01 September 2026

Salary (Actual Salary): 51773 - 57137

Working Pattern: 32.5 Hours Per Week Day to Day Term Time only

Are you a visionary educator ready to lead a subject department providing clear cohesive direction and inspiring high achievement Join us as a Head of Department where you will communicate a clear purpose and vision motivate colleagues and implement whole-Academy initiatives to ensure your department meets ambitious academic targets. This role is designed for someone who models the Academys values promotes innovative teaching strategies and is dedicated to securing continuous improvement and quality outcomes for all students.

Welcome from the Principal:

We are a free school in the centre of Middlesbrough and we do things differently! Do you

As Principal I am proud to introduce you to Outwood Academy Riverside an innovative free school within a nationally renowned Trust that nurtures talent and provides high-quality professional development.

Opened in 2020 Riverside is a special place to work with genuine care for every family member. Our community is built on core values including kindness compassion respect and integrity. We maintain academic rigour and high expectations resulting in very good behaviour and attendance that is above the national average. Students face no glass ceiling and benefit from exceptional personal development opportunities (including Cadets MiSST and LAMDA).

This is a unique opportunity to join an inspirational team making history. We are currently on Russell Street (with a satellite site in Eston) and are planning a move to a new state-of-the-art facility by 2027.

If you genuinely love working with children and will go above and beyond for our young people we would love to hear from you. Would you like to be part of this journey

About the Department:

At Outwood Academy Riverside we are already four years into a transformative journey as a MiSST school where the Andrew Lloyd Webber Programme ensures that every student across Key Stage 3 is gifted their own instrument. This commitment has laid a formidable foundation culminating in the exciting growth of our very own school orchestra. We are now seeking a visionary Head of Department for Performing Arts with a Music specialism to seize this momentum and take our musical legacy to the next level. With the academys upcoming move to state-of-the-art brand-new facilities you will have the elite resources and acoustic spaces necessary to build upon our established curriculum and radically expand our extra-curricular program. Our shared vision is for MiSST and music to act as the beating heart of the school driving a vibrant cultural atmosphere where performance is woven into the daily life of every student. This is a rare opportunity to lead a department where the instruments are already in hands the talent is flourishing and the future stage is world-class.

The Head of Department is responsible for communicating a clear purpose and vision while providing cohesive leadership and direction to the Department/Faculty. This leader models the Academys values promotes high standards through effective teaching and is accountable for implementing the Department Development Plan/Self-Evaluation Form (SEF) to secure continuous improvement.

Essential qualifications required are a Degree in the relevant subject and Qualified Teacher Status (QTS). Candidates must demonstrate a good understanding of their subjects secondary curriculum (Key Stage 3 to Key Stage 5) knowledge of current departmental issues and understanding of school improvement and Ofsted inspection programmes. Essential experience includes leading or supporting the leadership of a department successful teaching across all key stages and evidence of managing/leading a new initiative.

Required skills encompass being an outstanding classroom practitioner with a clear vision possessing outstanding relationships with students and staff and the ability to analyze data to develop rapid improvement intervention strategies.

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