The Sir Robert Woodard Academy, an Ofsted ‘good’ rated academy and part of the Woodard family of schools, is a dynamic and popular 11–18 academy located between Worthing and Brighton, serving the students of Lancing, Sompting and Shoreham.

We are seeking a talented and enthusiastic Drama Teacher with thorough subject knowledge to join the Performing Arts department from September 2024. This is an incredible opportunity to join an excellent team of practitioners who are very excited about the future outcomes of their students. We welcome applications from colleagues (with QTS) at all stages of their career, including ECTs, who are committed to raising achievement in Drama. This is a permanent and full time position.

SRWA has a history of being a centre of excellence for the Performing Arts. Drama is therefore a highly regarded, vital part of our student’s curriculum. Our results at both Level 2 and 3 are consistently above the National Average and we seek to give our students a wide and varied range of opportunities. We therefore run bespoke GCSE and A-level Production Arts classes and would welcome someone with Production Art experience, although this is not essential.

Our school is well resourced with a raked theatre performance space and two purpose built studios used for performances, practical exams and clubs. We have an extensive collection of props and costumes and facilities for students to be able to explore all production arts routes such as set, costume, props, sound and lighting.

Our department prides itself on outstanding extra-curricular provision where students have the opportunity to partake in an extensive range of shows and clubs. We hold two school productions each year and run Drama and Production Arts clubs for students after school. We annually take part in the National Theatre Connections festival and run a Summer Performing Arts Festival ‘WoodardStock’ which is a weekend celebration of the Arts. 

We are passionate about giving the students as many opportunities and exposure to different forms of Drama as possible. We annually take students to Glyndebourne Opera House and run various theatre trips both locally and in the West End. We are part of the twinning association and as such, we annually run a performing arts tour to different European countries, giving the opportunity for students to perform their work abroad.

At SRWA, our people are at the heart of our success. We have developed a strong culture of collaboration and best practice, with professional development and career planning at its centre. We invest in our staff with wellbeing support, coaching, mentoring and a wide range of top-quality training and CPD programmes delivered at every level up to senior leadership.

SRWA teaching staff benefit from the following:-

• a collaborative approach and strong collegial relationships;
• the opportunity to join and/or benefit from Action Research Groups;
• proven student progress and excellent student behaviour;
• an established STEM group including work with RICARDO Engineering, a world leading company supporting SRWA
• an extensive CPD programme tailored to skills and experience;
• strong links with Brighton and Sussex Universities;
• free employee assistance programme, dedicated staff wellbeing space and 1-1 mental health booster sessions available;
• free use of the Academy’s fitness suite;
• free on site car parking and easy access to local public transport;
• cycle to work scheme;
• free flu jabs.

A Staff Well-being survey commissioned externally in June 2023 revealed these were some of the areas considered ‘outstanding’ by our staff cohort:-

• Staff morale, workload and job satisfaction
• Appreciation of staff achievement/contribution
• Opportunities for staff to develop.

The successful candidate will:-

• demonstrate the skills of a good teacher
• be able to interest, encourage and engage students
• provide appropriate levels of challenge so that all students make good progress
• use methods and resources that enable all students to learn effectively
• use assessment information effectively to plan the next steps in students learning
• make effective use of their time
• secure consistently high standards of behaviour from students
• be able to demonstrate a proven track record of recent and successful class teaching in mixed ability classes of aged 11-18 students (or of successful completion of initial teacher training if applying as an ECT).

Safeguarding Recruitment Statement and Commitment to Equality of Opportunity

Shortlisted candidates will be asked to complete a criminal record self-declaration form and to consent to an online search carried out against their name. All offers of appointment are conditional upon satisfactory pre-employment checks, including an Enhanced Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) Check. There is a six month probation period for all new post-holders. The Academy is fully committed to equality of opportunity. We positively welcome applications from all sections of the community.