Learning Director of Department - Modern Foreign Languages

About the School

Kingsmead is a large, oversubscribed school that, despite serving a postcode in the top 20% most deprived parts of England: 

• Has an ambitious curriculum, with almost an almost exclusively GCSE KS4 and A Level KS5, aiming for a high number of EBacc entries while also having a performing and visual arts specialism. 

• A track record of above average progress scores in spite of the challenge posed by such an ambitious curriculum. 

• Exceptional behaviour, with a consistent approach that combines explicit boundaries with the space to build relationships and support those children who need it. 

• A thoughtfully constructed wider school experience for the children, with an ambitious combination of clubs, trips, careers guidance and wider enrichment. 

The Languages Department

The Languages Department is a well-established and highly valued team, currently formed of eight specialist colleagues, the majority of whom are very experienced practitioners. The team is united by a strong, shared belief in the power of language learning — not only to develop linguistic competence, but also to foster cultural curiosity, empathy, confidence, literacy, cognitive flexibility and global awareness for all pupils, regardless of background.

All students study a language (French or Spanish) at Key Stage 3, and the majority continue with the study of that language at Key Stage 4. We have a healthy intake at KS5 and our students achieve very well in their A-Level examinations.

In addition, we run Turkish lessons and enable pupils to enter GCSE and A‑level examinations in a wide range of community and home languages, reflecting and celebrating the rich linguistic diversity of our school community.

The majority of teachers are allocated their own teaching rooms, allowing for purposeful, language‑rich learning environments that reflect the identity of the department. Colleagues enjoy access to a wide range of digital platforms and resources to support high‑quality modern languages teaching, homework, retrieval practice and independent learning.

The department has been working collaboratively on the development of a new, ambitious curriculum, designed to meet the needs of our diverse cohort and to reflect the latest thinking in language pedagogy. The successful candidate will play a crucial role in leading the team to continue shaping, refining and embedding this curriculum, ensuring consistency, challenge and progression across all key stages.

The Languages team is supportive, friendly and highly collaborative, with a strong culture of shared planning, professional dialogue and mutual support. Staff work closely together to review practice, develop resources and ensure that all pupils regardless of their background are able to succeed in languages.

The role

The Learning Director of Department for Modern Foreign Languages will demonstrate:

• Strategic, credible leadership, with the ability to inspire, motivate and support a team of experienced professionals, consistently promoting and implementing school policies.
• A clear vision for languages education, grounded in inclusion and equity.
• The ability to model and instil a culture of high expectations for all
• Curriculum expertise, with the ability to lead the implementation and embedding of a coherent, ambitious and well‑sequenced curriculum
• A commitment to high‑quality teaching and learning, informed by evidence‑based pedagogy and reflective practice and modelled consistently in the planning and delivery of their lessons.
• The ability to use assessment and data intelligently to secure strong outcomes and close gaps, particularly for disadvantaged pupils
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, fostering a culture of trust, collaboration with all stakeholders and shared accountability
• A commitment to professional development, both for themselves and for colleagues within the department, and to a growth-mindset approach to feedback
• Strong organisational skills, with the capacity to manage resources, priorities and time effectively
• A commitment to the wider life of the school, including safeguarding, pastoral priorities and enrichment opportunities

This is an exciting opportunity for an ambitious leader to build on strong foundations and lead a passionate department at a pivotal stage of its development.