Lead Practitioner – Teaching, Learning and Innovation

About the role

We have an exciting opportunity to appoint an experienced teacher at Townsend Church of England School as a Lead Practitioner responsible for Teaching, Learning and Innovation. The successful applicant will help drive the school's Teaching and Learning strategy, support the development of pedagogy, and make Townsend an outstanding place to learn and teach. Strong emergent leadership experience and skills are necessary, as well as having first class people management, administrative, and public speaking skills.

The core purpose of this post is to support the senior leadership team with Townsend’s Teaching and Learning strategy, drive the development of pedagogy, and ensure our students receive the best possible education in the classroom and beyond. We welcome applicants from all subject areas but they do need to have a vision for the introduction and future growth of integrated digital learning systems, which will support the future development of excellence in teaching and learning.  Townsend recently introduced iPads as our 1:1 device scheme and the successful applicant will be part of a core team driving this forward.

We encourage staff to continue professional development through courses both internal to the school and external, that are in line with the school vision, departmental vision, and personal professional vision in terms of career progression and furthering the quality of teaching and learning in the department. High-quality CPD is something we take pride in and encourage staff to take advantage of as an attractive school opportunity. 

About the School  

Townsend is a relatively small and very friendly school with a great atmosphere, circa 800 on roll, including a Sixth Form. Townsend is rated Good by Ofsted (January 2024) in all areas. In our last SIAMS inspection (May 2024) it was found that we are living up to our foundation as a Church school.

Townsend Church of England School is situated on a large, green site between St Albans and Harpenden, and welcomes applicants from people of all faiths and of no faith. Children who attend Townsend live in St Albans and Harpenden, as well as other towns in Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire, including Welwyn Garden City, Hemel Hempstead and Luton. 

Townsend has evolved at pace in the last 18 months with a clear ambition to be a school which provides the highest quality education that a setting can. Our outcomes have improved with children making good progress in their qualifications as well as maintaining a caring and supportive environment. Opportunities to enrich the curriculum have increased recently with school visits to France, Italy, Poland and America. Townsend has also embraced the best technology available by becoming an Apple school in September 2024, which has seen all students provided with access to an iPad. We are also improving the fabric of the building with integrated learning spaces and plans to develop the sports and technology facilities.

Townsend believes that educating the whole child is key to a successful education. The Bible-based vision of Love Your Neighbour underpins all we do. Students are taught to respect and care for themselves and each other, and Townsend’s supportive environment encourages them to make the most out of their journey through secondary school.

Although this is a Church School you do not have to adhere to the Christian faith to work here, but you must be in sympathy with our work and be able to support the aspects that give us our distinctive character as a Church of England School.

Headteacher, Mr Anthony Flack is excited by the opportunity to make Townsend, ‘The first choice secondary school for all’.

Friendly and welcoming, Townsend impresses with its calm learning environment and caring staff. Please visit our website for more details.  https://townsend.herts.sch.uk/ 

We reserve the right to move to shortlisting and interviews when we have viable applications. 

If you would like additional information or to discuss this vacancy - please email the school (recruitment@townsend.herts.sch.uk) for the attention of Mr Flack (Headteacher), and we can either email a reply or telephone you if you leave a contact number.

To apply for this vacancy, please send a cover letter and an application form to Mr Flack, Headteacher, Townsend CofE School, High Oaks, St Albans, Hertfordshire, AL3 6DR or email to recruitment@townsend.herts.sch.uk

Townsend CofE School is committed to the safeguarding of all students and all staff appointed are subject to the usual teaching vetting and compliance checks that include DBS checks, two satisfactory references, confirmation of identity, qualifications, and barred list checks.

Following the shortlisting stage, and before making a final decision, the school will collect and process information publicly available about you by conducting a brief online search using an internet search engine. We do this to ensure that the school acts in accordance with its obligations set out in Keeping Children Safe in Education.