About You

Are you a resilient and compassionate leader who believes that strong pastoral care is the foundation of academic success? We are looking for an experienced professional who is motivated by the ‘challenge and privilege’ of supporting young people to overcome barriers and reach their full potential.

We are looking for a Head of Year who is:

A Champion for Student Agency: You believe in empowering students to lead, much like our Student Council representatives who recently guided discussions at the local Delegates' Assembly on vital community issues.

Relationship-Driven: You understand that ‘exceptional care’ starts with building lasting bonds with students and their families, ensuring every child feels they belong in our community.

A Strategic Mentor: You take pride in leading a team of tutors, fostering a culture of high expectations and consistent routines where both staff and students can thrive.

Community-Minded: You value our local connections, from supporting initiatives like the Oxford Hub Pre-Loved Uniform Shop to celebrating our students’ diverse contributions at events like the Community Iftar.

Growth-Oriented: You are eager to use data purposefully to track progress and are committed to your own professional development through our bespoke CPLD and coaching models.

To meet our current curriculum needs, we are particularly looking for individuals who can also contribute to our English and Drama departments.

The Role

As Head of Year, you will be the driving force behind the academic and personal progress of your year group. You will lead a dedicated team of form tutors to ensure that every student is ‘strong, courageous, and does the work’.

Key Responsibilities:

Holistic Leadership: You will manage student review processes, using data to set ambitious targets and ensure high levels of attendance and engagement.

Building Culture: You will model the Academy’s values of Commitment to Others and Commitment to Learning, creating a safe and inclusive environment where ‘students behave well in lessons’ (Ofsted 2023).

Wider Student Experience: You will encourage your year group to engage in opportunities beyond the classroom, whether that is participating in the Amnesty International Club, national debate championships, or sports fixtures.

Parental Partnership: You will be the key point of contact for families, fostering the strong, warm relationships that define The Oxford Academy and ensuring parents are active partners in their child's education.

Why Join Us

This is a pivotal time to join The Oxford Academy. We offer a supportive environment where staff well-being is a priority and leadership is distributed and celebrated.

When you join us, you gain:

Bespoke Leadership Support: Work closely with our Instructional Coach and Senior Leadership Team to refine your practice and lead your team effectively.

A True Community Ethos: Be part of a school that doesn’t just work in the community but with it, evidenced by our choir performing at local events and our active participation in regional leadership assemblies.

A Culture of Opportunity: Join a Trust that believes we are ‘better faster together’, offering extensive networking and career progression opportunities across the River Learning Trust.

Impactful Work: Experience the professional reward of transforming outcomes for vulnerable learners and seeing your year group grow into confident, aspirational young adults.

Our School

At The Oxford Academy, we offer pride, aspiration, and opportunity to every member of our community, with improved learning outcomes and a clear moral purpose. Many of our students face significant barriers, and we are committed to ensuring that both students and staff achieve highly through sustainable, meaningful improvements that make a real difference.

Do you want to work in a school that:

Is friendly and community-centred, where staff genuinely feel part of a team?
“The school is mindful of staff workload and well-being. It provides high-quality training and support. Staff recognise this and feel valued and respected.” (Ofsted 2023)
Places staff well-being at the heart of everything we do, understanding that thriving staff create the best conditions for our most vulnerable learners to succeed.
Employs a full-time Instructional Coach who works with staff to develop practice through specific teaching goals that maximise student learning.
Has an ‘aspirational and appropriate curriculum for all’ (Ofsted 2023), designed to raise expectations and broaden horizons for every young person.
Has students who behave well in lessons (Ofsted 2023), allowing teachers to teach and students to learn.
Prioritises high-quality bespoke CPLD and collaboration opportunities across a successful and highly respected multi-academy trust, equipping staff with the expertise needed to transform outcomes for disadvantaged learners.

Community and Connection

The Oxford Academy is an important part of our local community and we are deeply committed to serving and reflecting the families we work with every day. Many of our students face significant challenges, and we know that strong relationships, trust, and local understanding make a real difference. That’s why we actively encourage people from our community (including parents, local residents, and those with strong ties to the area) to join our team.

For us, being part of the community goes far beyond geography. It is about building meaningful connections, understanding students’ lived experiences, and providing the support that helps them thrive. By welcoming local talent and colleagues who share our belief in removing barriers for disadvantaged young people, we ensure our values stay aligned with the aspirations of those we serve.

When you join The Oxford Academy, you are not just becoming part of our school, you are joining a team that cares deeply about its community and works tirelessly to improve life chances for all students, especially those who need us most.

We want every member of our community to feel safe, valued, and respected, not just as an expectation, but as a lived reality. We are committed to creating an inclusive environment where everyone belongs, and we warmly welcome applicants from diverse backgrounds who share this commitment to equity and inclusion.

Employee Benefits

Health & Wellbeing

Free annual flu vaccines
Free onsite gym available for staff use
Access to an Employee Assistance Programme
24-hour access to a free counselling helpline (including family and debt advice)
Flexible working solutions
Reduced teaching time

Financial

Teachers’ Pension Scheme
Eligible for a Blue Light Card - Hundreds of offers/discounts on local and national stores
Cycle to Work Scheme
The Oxford Academy sits outside the ring road and is less affected than other schools by the new Oxford Congestion Charge. We also offer ample onsite parking
Staff house offering low cost housing for overseas teachers in their first year of employment

Career Progression

Opportunities for CPLD both within The Oxford Academy and within the wider River Learning Trust
Developmental performance management conversations
Networking and development opportunities across the River Learning Trust
Apprenticeship opportunities
Investment in your career, internal and external talent solutions

The River Learning Trust

At RLT, we believe we achieve more together than alone. Our schools are united by shared principles, collaboration, and a belief in the power of education to change lives.

Our Vision: for our schools and SCITT to improve rapidly, continuously, and sustainably — to be better faster together.

Our ‘Why’: children and young people only get one go at school — we aim to ensure it’s the best possible one.

Our ‘How’: through the highest support and challenge for each other, underpinned by shared principles.

Employees benefit from extensive continuing professional learning, strong wellbeing and staff networks, and access to Defined Benefit Pension Schemes (TPS and LGPS). For more information, see our “Working in RLT” guide.

Safeguarding and Recruitment

The River Learning Trust and The Oxford Academy are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all children and preventing extremism. The Trust is required to conduct a variety of checks and online searches about you as part of their recruitment process in accordance with Keeping Children Safe in Education guidance. It is an offence to apply for certain roles within schools if you are barred from engaging in regulated activity relevant to children.

For all RLT Safer Recruitment Documentation candidates should click on the following link RLT Safer Recruitment Documents for Candidates. Please see our website for up to date policies including our Child Protection and Behaviour Policies.

This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and the amendments to the Exceptions Order 1975, 2013 and 2020. For further guidance for applicants click on this link List of offences that are not filtered

Next Steps

We warmly encourage teachers considering an application to visit the school and see our community in action. A visit will give you the opportunity to meet staff, experience our learning environment, and gain a clear sense of the impact you can have here.

To arrange a visit, please contact our Reception team at enquiries@theoxfordacademy.org

You can also find further information about The Oxford Academy on our website.

Final Note

At The Oxford Academy, we believe in ‘courage, compassion, and curiosity’. We have a strong track record of offering exceptional care to our families and students, providing a supportive environment where both staff and students are encouraged to make a difference beyond the classroom. Whether through our Amnesty International Club, debate championships, or various sports fixtures, this is a unique opportunity to join a team passionate about supporting our most vulnerable learners and building strong, lasting relationships with them.

Due to specific curriculum needs at this time, applications from teachers specialising in English, Drama, and Business Studies are likely to be prioritised.

The school reserves the right to consider and interview candidates before the closing date and may make an early offer to an exceptional applicant.

The Oxford Academy

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