Teacher of Drama

Dear prospective applicant,

Thank you for expressing an interest in this key vacancy at our college.

Over the last six years we have been on a journey to try and make this school not only one of the best schools for children  to attend but also one of the best schools to work in as a member of staff. that is extremely rare and we urge you to come  and see us in action, speak to the staff and speak to the students. Every decision that we take is done with a lot of thought  and consideration and we put well-being at the centre, so that teachers can teach and students can learn.

There is always a tension between well-being and accountability but I do believe that we are getting closer to finding the  sweet spot between the two. Although it is not the end of our journey, we have been recognised for the work we do in this  area; we have won the TES well-being school of the year and we won the silver award for the prestigious Pearsons Award for  secondary school of the year 2023.

These are indeed exciting times to join us and make a difference to the lives of others.

We have a very different approach and we are trying to create a very different culture at CHCC, a culture whereby those in  leadership do not hold authority and deserve to be followed; leaders at CHCC have to earn the right to lead and we  welcome and appreciate challenge if we do not live up to the standards that are expected of us.

The THIRST values permeate all that we do and are a framework that staff can hold leaders to account for the way that they  lead. We have high expectations but we will provide the support, training and resources for you to deliver the best possible  education for our students.

We are very clear that the gender, background, colour, poverty, wealth or social status of a child should have no bearing on  how well they perform and staff here work extremely hard in trying to close that gap between the different groups of  pupils.

We have removed lesson observations from the appraisal process and linked it to professional development. Currently staff  are entitled to ‘visits’ and entitled to a professional dialogue to improve their practice. That is a risk we have taken but it is  aimed at creating a learning community where teachers can teach and learners can learn, without fear.

As a result, we have improved our headline figures year on year and initial analysis places us in the top 12% of schools  nationally for progress, although we know that we can still do better.

Our behaviour policy is clear and simple, “First Time Every Time,” no quibbles, no arguments just do as we expect. Teachers  no longer have to do detentions, chase up absence, attendance or punctuality. These are all done centrally with a highly  skilled team that has taken the workload away from teachers.

If you walk the building during lessons, it is as if the school is empty; you will only hear the sound of delivery from teachers  through an open door.

Curriculum is obviously now at the forefront of what we do and is the progression model. We have spent a significant  amount of time ensuring that the curriculum is sequenced appropriately so that students are knowing, remembering and  therefore able to do more.

We are a knowledge-first school, where teachers are considered to be the subject specialists and impart their knowledge to  students, we are not a school that focuses on discovery. Please read a little more about this approach on our website.

The Art and Design faculty is made up of 17 teaching staff, four of which make up the leadership team of the faculty. We are  friendly, supportive, inclusive and always happy to share our love for our subject with other like-minded individuals. Drama  sits within this faculty. At Key Stage 3 students experience Drama on rotation alongside Art, Dance and Music. Students at  Key Stage 3 have 3 lessons a week within Expressive Arts on rotation. The Drama curriculum is designed to develop knowledge, skill and confidence in performing skills, such as still image, role play and physical theatre. At Key Stage 4 we offer the  BTEC Tech Award. The successful candidate will primarily teach Drama, however, the flexibility to contribute to another  Expressive Arts discipline- particularly music or dance would be welcomed.

I would also urge you to read our well-being charter that provides you with an understanding of things that we do to just  make your job that little bit easier, not tokenistic but just genuine little things that help.

As part of our recruitment process, it is compulsory that you attend our information evening at 5pm on Thursday 3rd  September 2026. In order to be shortlisted you must attend either in person or online. Please email Rachael in order to  confirm your attendance (email in attached pack).

Please read the attached job description and person specification. If you are interested in applying, please fill in the  application form available on our eteach portal, please include e-mail addresses of all referees, together with a letter of application (no more  than 2 sides of A4, font 12) outlining your skills, qualifications and experience relevant to this post by 9am on Monday 7th  September 2026. Please include your cover letter in the supporting statement section.

KEY DATES

Information Evening: Thursday 3rd September @5pm

Deadline: Monday 7th September @9am

I look forward to receiving your application,

Yours sincerely,

Mr F Adam

(Principal)