Head of English
- Organisation: The Oratory School
- Location: Oxfordshire
- Tenure: Full-time / Term Time
- Closing Date: Monday 16 March 2026
Inspire intellectual curiosity, and foster a genuine love of literature, language and critical thinking. Join a school community where every pupil is known, valued and supported to be themselves and become more.
THE DEPARTMENT
The English Department is staffed by a committed team of specialist teachers and is housed across four dedicated classrooms, with an office for the Head of Department.
For GCSE, the Department follows the Edexcel IGCSE specifications in English and English Literature, and, at A Level, both Edexcel English Literature and English Language A Levels are offered. The department is in a modern set of classrooms which offer an inspirational setting for study. The team all have a genuine enthusiasm for literature and language and are committed to fostering high academic standards across a broad ability range, stretching our most able pupils while providing thoughtful support to those who need it. We teach across the full age range, from Year 7 through to GCSE and A Level.
HEAD OF DEPARTMENT RESPONSIBILITIES
Heads of Department (HoDs) are key academic leaders within the School. They are responsible for the quality of teaching and learning within their subject area, the academic progress of pupils, and the leadership and development of departmental staff.
Teaching is a dynamic and evolving profession requiring continual reflection and improvement. HoDs play a central role in fostering a culture of high expectations, professional growth and academic ambition. In all aspects of their work, HoDs are expected to act in the best interests of pupils and to uphold and promote the ethos and values of the School.
HoDs are accountable for ensuring that departmental practice aligns with whole school priorities, regulatory requirements and inspection frameworks.
ACCOUNTABLE TO
Assistant Head (Director of Studies) or nominated member of the Senior Leadership Team.
THE ROLE
We are looking to appoint a talented and ambitious Head of English to lead and develop our English provision. In this role, you will nurture a culture of intellectual curiosity, inspiring pupils to develop a genuine love of literature, language and critical thinking within a diverse learning environment.
The ability to teach Creative Media BTEC would be an advantage. The School is introducing this qualification as part of its expanding creative curriculum offer. The successful candidate will ideally have the confidence and experience to deliver and assess the Creative Media BTEC in line with the Edexcel BTEC in Creative Digital Media Production specification, ensuring high standards of coursework moderation, internal verification, and pupil outcomes. Experience of leading coursework-based qualifications and quality assurance processes would be particularly beneficial.
The Head of English has responsibility for the successful planning, development, delivery and administration of the academic English curriculum and evaluating pupil performance. In addition, the Head of English will have strong leadership skills and take responsibility for supervising a team of English Teachers. The ability to develop a strong rapport with pupils that promotes high academic standards and intellectual curiosity is paramount, together with the enthusiasm to encourage pupils to pursue the subject further at Sixth Form and beyond. You will also be expected to contribute actively to and represent the department at key school events, including Parents’ Evenings, Open Mornings, Year Assessment Days, Careers Evenings, and the Sixth Form Choices Evening, thereby supporting pupil recruitment and progression.
In this role, you will have the opportunity to create a supportive and engaging learning environment for pupils of all abilities. You will also be expected to participate in school-wide initiatives and help promote the importance of English education to parents and the wider community.
Microsoft Teams is used to support teaching and learning, including the sharing of resources, revision materials and the setting of homework. The Department also enriches the curriculum through regular theatre visits, author events and other cocurricular opportunities that bring the subject to life.
In any school, and particularly in a boarding school, the emphasis is on total education, and we provide a wealth of opportunities for our pupils. The School is therefore keen to appoint teachers who would wish to play an active role in the cocurricular programme. An interest in supporting activities such as sport, the arts, academic enrichment or the Combined Cadet Force would be an advantage.
HOW TO APPLY
Applicants should complete the school’s application form and send together with a covering letter in PDF format to recruitment@oratory.co.uk
The closing date for applications is 16 March 2026 with Interviews taking place soon thereafter.
Early applications are encouraged. We reserve the right to close this advertisement early if we receive a high volume of suitable applications or if we find a suitable candidate from early applications.
The interview process will include:
- Interview with the Head, Bursar and HR.
- Tour of the school.
- A practical exercise designed to assess key skills such as organisation, communication, and attention to detail.
Please send postal applications together with a covering letter to: Director of People, The Oratory School, Woodcote, Oxfordshire, RG8 0PJ For any queries, please email recruitment@oratory.co.uk.
The Oratory Schools Association Registered Charity No 309112 is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, and applicants must be willing to undergo checks with past employers, online and the Disclosure and Barring Service. This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and the amendments to the Exception Order 1975, 213, 2020
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Inspire intellectual curiosity, and foster a genuine love of literature, language and critical thinking. Join a school community where every pupil is known, valued and supported to be themselves and become more.
Description
THE DEPARTMENT
The English Department is staffed by a committed team of specialist teachers and is housed across four dedicated classrooms, with an office for the Head of Department.
For GCSE, the Department follows the Edexcel IGCSE specifications in English and English Literature, and, at A Level, both Edexcel English Literature and English Language A Levels are offered. The department is in a modern set of classrooms which offer an inspirational setting for study. The team all have a genuine enthusiasm for literature and language and are committed to fostering high academic standards across a broad ability range, stretching our most able pupils while providing thoughtful support to those who need it. We teach across the full age range, from Year 7 through to GCSE and A Level.
HEAD OF DEPARTMENT RESPONSIBILITIES
Heads of Department (HoDs) are key academic leaders within the School. They are responsible for the quality of teaching and learning within their subject area, the academic progress of pupils, and the leadership and development of departmental staff.
Teaching is a dynamic and evolving profession requiring continual reflection and improvement. HoDs play a central role in fostering a culture of high expectations, professional growth and academic ambition. In all aspects of their work, HoDs are expected to act in the best interests of pupils and to uphold and promote the ethos and values of the School.
HoDs are accountable for ensuring that departmental practice aligns with whole school priorities, regulatory requirements and inspection frameworks.
ACCOUNTABLE TO
Assistant Head (Director of Studies) or nominated member of the Senior Leadership Team.
THE ROLE
We are looking to appoint a talented and ambitious Head of English to lead and develop our English provision. In this role, you will nurture a culture of intellectual curiosity, inspiring pupils to develop a genuine love of literature, language and critical thinking within a diverse learning environment.
The ability to teach Creative Media BTEC would be an advantage. The School is introducing this qualification as part of its expanding creative curriculum offer. The successful candidate will ideally have the confidence and experience to deliver and assess the Creative Media BTEC in line with the Edexcel BTEC in Creative Digital Media Production specification, ensuring high standards of coursework moderation, internal verification, and pupil outcomes. Experience of leading coursework-based qualifications and quality assurance processes would be particularly beneficial.
The Head of English has responsibility for the successful planning, development, delivery and administration of the academic English curriculum and evaluating pupil performance. In addition, the Head of English will have strong leadership skills and take responsibility for supervising a team of English Teachers. The ability to develop a strong rapport with pupils that promotes high academic standards and intellectual curiosity is paramount, together with the enthusiasm to encourage pupils to pursue the subject further at Sixth Form and beyond. You will also be expected to contribute actively to and represent the department at key school events, including Parents’ Evenings, Open Mornings, Year Assessment Days, Careers Evenings, and the Sixth Form Choices Evening, thereby supporting pupil recruitment and progression.
In this role, you will have the opportunity to create a supportive and engaging learning environment for pupils of all abilities. You will also be expected to participate in school-wide initiatives and help promote the importance of English education to parents and the wider community.
Microsoft Teams is used to support teaching and learning, including the sharing of resources, revision materials and the setting of homework. The Department also enriches the curriculum through regular theatre visits, author events and other cocurricular opportunities that bring the subject to life.
In any school, and particularly in a boarding school, the emphasis is on total education, and we provide a wealth of opportunities for our pupils. The School is therefore keen to appoint teachers who would wish to play an active role in the cocurricular programme. An interest in supporting activities such as sport, the arts, academic enrichment or the Combined Cadet Force would be an advantage.
HOW TO APPLY
Applicants should complete the school’s application form and send together with a covering letter in PDF format to recruitment@oratory.co.uk
The closing date for applications is 16 March 2026 with Interviews taking place soon thereafter.
Early applications are encouraged. We reserve the right to close this advertisement early if we receive a high volume of suitable applications or if we find a suitable candidate from early applications.
The interview process will include:
- Interview with the Head, Bursar and HR.
- Tour of the school.
- A practical exercise designed to assess key skills such as organisation, communication, and attention to detail.
Please send postal applications together with a covering letter to: Director of People, The Oratory School, Woodcote, Oxfordshire, RG8 0PJ For any queries, please email recruitment@oratory.co.uk.
The Oratory Schools Association Registered Charity No 309112 is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, and applicants must be willing to undergo checks with past employers, online and the Disclosure and Barring Service. This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and the amendments to the Exception Order 1975, 213, 2020
