Head of Design & Technology Product Design Specialism

We are seeking an exceptional Head of Design & Technology (Product Design Specialism) to lead and inspire our Design & Technology department. This is an exciting opportunity for a visionary educator with a strong background in Product Design to shape a forward-thinking curriculum, champion creativity and innovation, and drive outstanding student outcomes. You will combine strategic leadership with hands‑on expertise, fostering a culture of high standards, technical excellence, and imaginative problem‑solving.

You will oversee curriculum development, staff mentoring and resource management, ensuring that teaching reflects industry best practice and equips students with the skills, confidence and ambition to excel in the world of design and technology.

• To support teachers across the Academy in their teaching and learning.
• To deliver CPD including whole staff training and small‑group sessions for teachers at a range of levels/abilities.
• To lead an area of Teaching and Learning across the academy (area agreed through discussion at interview) including the development of clear intent, plan for successful implementation, and monitoring of impact through MER.
• To remain up to date with literature on the theory of learning and models of instructional coaching.
• To chair or co‑chair a staff 'working group' and implement strategies across the academy.
• To lead a 'subject society' for sixth form students.
• To work with the Academy's philosophers (more able learners) by leading and/or supporting a philosophers academy programme for a specified year group.
• To teach consistently outstanding lessons, and to be able to articulate the techniques that make outstanding teaching so that they can be replicated across the academy.
• To conduct lesson observations, learning walks and workbook scrutiny (as part of MER) and provide meaningful feedback.
• To line manage teaching staff within the academy.
• To lead on areas within the subject area (area agreed through discussion at interview).

• Hold QTS (or equivalent) and a relevant undergraduate degree, and ideally, be able to show evidence of ongoing professional development.
• Demonstrate outstanding teaching practice and excellent behaviour management.
• Have experience of lesson observations and giving robust feedback.
• Have experience of improvement planning and of implementing a range of strategies to raise student achievement, with evidence of success.
• Be able to contribute to improving on the quality of learning and teaching and curriculum.
• Have a proven track record of excellent results at KS3 and 4, and ideally, experience of teaching to KS5.
• Have experience of high‑quality pupil tracking and feedback practices.
• Ideally, have experience of working with governors and of working in more than one school.

We are an 'Outstanding' (Ofsted 2023) secondary academy, established in 2018 to provide an excellent education for children in Wimbledon.

Two years after opening, we moved into our brand-new building which is modern, bright and equipped with state‑of‑the‑art facilities in every area of the curriculum. We are oversubscribed and fortunate to have an amazing level of support from the community with waiting lists for entry into every year group of our academy.

Our academy is an exceptional place to learn, providing an ambitious but happy and inclusive environment. We have high expectations of our students of all starting points and abilities. We know that our students will leave us academically successful, but we also want them to be well‑rounded individuals with a highly developed social conscience, ready to lead in their communities and beyond.

Our motto is 'make a difference' and our students and staff give nothing except their very best in pursuit of making a difference to their lives and the lives of others around them. Three words are crucial to how we guide students to be able to 'make a difference': independence, integrity and resilience. Independence means we support students to develop their skills and attributes, so they have everything they need to succeed.

We set challenging targets and raise aspirations so every single one of our students reaches their…