Job Description

The Highcrest Academy

Buckinghamshire
45,431 - 63,563 per year

Salary:

MPS/UPS + TLR 1B, plus 2,000 bursary for direct applications, paid over two years

Job type:

Full Time, Permanent

Start date:

01 January 2026

Apply by:

29 September 2025

Job overview

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Discover What Highcrest Can Offer You

How does working nine days but being paid for ten sound?

From September 2024, all permanent staff at Highcrest benefit from a 9-day working fortnight. The concept is simple: you work nine days and get paid for ten. The tenth day is your dedicated 'reset day' -- time away from school to rest, recharge, and invest in your well-being. This is in addition to your statutory PPA time.

Staff feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. Colleagues return from their reset day feeling more energised, less overwhelmed, and better able to manage the demands of school life. Many also enjoy the extra flexibility, reduced travel time, and cost savings.

Could this be the change you've been looking for?

On top of this, we offer:

Exceptional investment in your professional development The potential for on-site accommodation if you're relocating First-class facilities, including a well-equipped gym, excellent canteen, and a welcoming coffee shop

Does Highcrest sound like the school for you?

If you're driven by the satisfaction of transforming lives and helping young people overcome barriers to success, we'd love to hear from you.

Take your career to the next level

At Highcrest, we do whatever it takes to break down barriers and unlock potential. As the only all-ability academy in Buckinghamshire, we are proud to provide an outstanding education for every student -- from high academic achievers to those with special educational needs.

Our innovative, inclusive curriculum reflects the diversity of our school community and is purposefully designed to challenge, support, and inspire every learner.

If you're ready to grow as an educator and make a real difference, this is your opportunity to take your career to the next level -- and be part of something truly transformational.

Explore the opportunity

We are seeking a visionary and driven Head of Design and Technology to lead our forward-thinking department into its next exciting chapter. This is a unique opportunity for an ambitious educator to shape a vibrant curriculum and inspire the next generation of designers, engineers and creators.

As Head of Department, you will champion excellence in teaching and learning across all areas of Design and Technology. You'll play a pivotal role in evolving a curriculum that is bold, engaging, and future-focused -- offering students rich, hands-on experiences in Engineering, Cookery and Catering, Fashion Design, Hair and Beauty, and Construction.

Our department thrives on creativity, innovation, and ambition. We embrace change, encourage unconventional thinking, and foster a culture where ideas flourish. We are proud to be a progressive school that values adaptability and originality.

We're looking for a leader with a proven track record of driving improvement and nurturing professional growth among staff. You'll bring strategic clarity, collaborative spirit, and the ability to cultivate a supportive and high-performing team. Working closely with senior leaders, you will align departmental development with the wider School Development Plan, ensuring Design and Technology continues to be a cornerstone of academic excellence.

In this role, you will:

Lead performance management

across the department, ensuring staff development and accountability are upheld in accordance with Academy policy.

Manage departmental budgets, equipment, and resources

with efficiency and foresight -- ensuring tools and machinery are maintained, serviced when necessary, and used to their full potential.

Collaborate closely with Senior Leadership

to align the department's strategic goals with the broader School Development Plan, contributing to whole-school improvement.

Design and oversee enrichment opportunities

that extend learning beyond the classroom -- fostering creativity, practical skills, and real-world engagement for all students within the Design and Technology curriculum.

Ensure the quality of cover work

during staff absences, maintaining continuity and high standards of learning across all subject areas.

We believe that our Heads of Department have a pivotal role in inspiring and challenging pupils of every ability in every year to raise their academic standards, in promoting their confidence and self-esteem, and in securing year on year improving GCSE and post-16 results.

About You ...

You will be an inspiring educator with a passion for innovation and a clear vision for the future of Design and Technology. Ready to expand your leadership capacity, you'll guide the department into its next phase of development with confidence and creativity.

As a skilled and experienced classroom practitioner, you will deliver high-quality teaching across the subject area -- including to Sixth Form level -- and model best practice in pedagogy and curriculum delivery. Your commitment to excellence will be evident in your ability to raise standards, implement effective systems, and drive continuous improvement in student outcomes.

Apply Now!

If you're ready to join our team, please complete our online application form via the apply button.

We look forward to hearing from you.

Please note, we will be reviewing applications on an ongoing basis and may close the advert early should we receive an exceptional candidate, so we recommend applying early.

The Highcrest Academy is fully committed to safeguarding children (polices on web). All members of staff are in a "regulated" role under the Vetting & Barring Scheme and have to be DBS cleared prior to employment.

Attached documents
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About the local area
1.29MB

About

The Highcrest Academy

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The Highcrest Academy

Hatters Lane, High Wycombe
Buckinghamshire
HP13 7NQ
United Kingdom

+44 1494 529866

The Highcrest Academy is a vibrant, happy school in which every student is given the opportunity to develop their talents and to flourish as individuals. We are relentless in our pursuit of building a cohesive culture and curriculum that matches the varied needs of our students.



Our motto, 'Aspire and Achieve' is central to our philosophy. We are committed to making sure that every student makes outstanding progress and succeeds both academically and in terms of their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Indeed, we value a strong work ethic and aim to develop, sometimes hidden or unsuspected talent, into fruition.



At Highcrest, we are committed to setting high expectations for the conduct of our pupils and believe it is crucial for there to be an established culture in which all are able to excel. We want all the children who come to the academy to enjoy their learning and to become thoughtful, articulate, confident and responsible members of society.



Our personalised curriculum is enhanced by numerous extra-curricular opportunities, community and business projects, national and international competitions and a thriving House System. This encourages staff and students of all ages to work together.



The Highcrest Academy is the only all-ability academy in Buckinghamshire and is a culturally diverse, over-subscribed school, making it a fantastic place to teach. There are approximately 1000 students on roll, including Sixth Form. We know from pupil surveys that students are proud of our school and, when parents have been surveyed, the level of parent satisfaction has also been exceptionally high.



We are very aware that The Highcrest Academy is part of a community and we work hard to instil a sense of local and global responsibility. This means that students take part in many activities which enhance the local community, and have a real understanding of their role in improving the work community.



Our mission is to create a positive, secure and happy learning environment where all students experience success, friendship, respect and self-worth; where students value and celebrate the diverse talents and cultural heritage of all, and achieve their full potential in becoming responsible citizens, respecting the rights of other and contributing to our society.

To find out more, watch our promotional video by clicking

HERE

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