Working with us

A message from the Principal, Francesca Perry

(Please see the bottom of this page for our wellness strategy)

Harris Academy Chobham is always on the lookout for inspirational and influential staff. Most of all, we are on the lookout for potential colleagues who like our students and want to help them succeed. We understand that if staff are to give their best to our students over a sustained period of time, then the school needs to provide them with the best deal possible. We want our staff team to be well motivated and well looked after. If your time at Chobham is to be happy, then it needs to be rewarding and professionally fulfilling.

In order to help our staff have the best possible experience and achieve a proper work- life balance, we have put into place a range of measures to benefit both our teaching and students services colleagues. These include:

• An extra week of holiday for all Chobham staff. This takes the form of a two-week half term in October. We work fewer days than most other schools.
• Outstanding professional development both at Chobham and through the wider Harris Federation, including continuous dialogue on teaching and learning in the classroom.
• Excellent promotion opportunities
• A constant dialogue about workload and how to manage it most effectively. We have regular workload audits, an active wellness programme and frequent campaigns to tackle unnecessary work and identify quick wins
• Rapid and effective support with any student behavioural issues arising
• A high-quality staff induction programme
• Marking protocols devised by departments themselves
• Manageable and flexile lesson planning explanations
• Clear communications and manageable deadlines. We only ask staff to do what is necessary and avoid complication and confusion. Chobham is an exceptionally well-run school.
• Flexible and part time working encouraged whenever possible
• Additional time for leadership responsibilities
• Focus on effective outcomes rather than time spent
• High levels of admin support for all teachers
• On-going celebration of staff excellence

Other benefits of working at Chobham:

• World class facilities for learning, leisure and sport. A school which is genuinely at the heart of its local community
• The advantages of working or the country’s most successful major Academy group. These include amazing consultant support and a range of high-quality central services.
• Generous Harris rewards and benefits package, including an extra £2000 annually for all teachers working in our academy.

Wellness

‘Valuing the whole person’

At Chobham, we regard staff wellness as being central to the school’s purpose and to its success.  Our desire to offer an outstanding wellness strategy is part of our deep desire to help all colleagues feel happy and valued within our community.

We understand that while it is incredibly rewarding, teaching is also a physically and emotionally wearing job.  We want our teachers to be as fit and fresh as possible and to know that the school as a community really values the whole person.  We have tried to put these principles into practice with a number of initiatives which we think give Chobham teachers one of the best wellness packages to be found anywhere. As well as the benefits listed above we also include the following in our wellness programme: 

Wellness Strategy 

Mindful Approach to learning  

• Access to the Calm mindfulness app
• Staff fitness suite and multiple team sports opportunities
• Staff social events
• Staff discounts at shops and restaurants in the local area
• Access to the Harris Federation’s staff counselling service
• Dedicated Wellness Hub
• Healix Healthcare package
• Cycle to work scheme
• Childcare vouchers
• Nursery on site

Our staff are regularly consulted on impact of our wellness programme and we always respond to staff suggestions.  In this way, staff feel empowered and get more of the services they really want.  

We are very proud of our wellness programme at Chobham and hope you will agree that it shows our commitment to making the school an exemplary working environment

Staff Induction

Here at Harris Academy Chobham we are very conscious of the need to give new staff the best possible introduction to the school.  We understand that starting a new job can be a big life change and that the number of colleagues to get to know and routines to learn can appear a little intimidating at first.  We want new colleagues to relish their job, not to be stressed by it.

For new teachers in particular, it is important that colleagues are able to adjust to their new environment quickly so that they can teach effectively and feel secure with their new classes.

All new staff at Chobham have a detailed induction programme overseen by one of our Vice Principals.  Regular meetings ensure that new team members get to know one another as well as finding out useful things about the school.  Our induction package includes an introduction to the following aspects:

• Getting to know who key people in the Academy are so new colleagues can feel confident in approaching them
• Introduction to the Academy’s IT systems : this is an area which new colleagues often feel nervous about and which can take up a lot of time if people do not understand them
• Why we do things the way we do them? ; an introduction to and discussion of systems and routines.

We recognise that new colleagues often see things in their fist few days and weeks (good and bad) which can come to be taken for granted by staff who have been in the school for longer.  Our induction meetings will give colleagues the opportunity to raise and discuss these issues to help make life at Chobham better for everyone.

Above all, we value the expertise and welcoming nature of our whole staff team.  New colleagues can ask anyone on the team for help and advice and should never be reluctant to do this.  Everyone will be happy to help.

Chobham is a friendly school with a great team ethos.  We will do all we can to make sure that new colleagues feel supported and able to succeed in their roles.

What kind of people are we looking for?

• First and foremost, you must like working with children and be good at it
• You must be highly skilled in the role you are applying for or else willing and able to learn in post
• You must show a passion for education and improving the life chances of London children
• You should be willing to contribute to the wider life of the Academy (running clubs, attending events)
• You should be highly motivated, like working as part of a team and possess excellent communication skills
• You must hold appropriate qualifications for the roe you are applying for.

Please take a look at our website to find out more about the school. If you would like to someone about the role before applying, please contact our Human Resources department in the first instance, hr@chobhamacademy.org.uk .

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Training to be a teacher at Chobham Academy

At Chobham, we regard training new teachers as central to our purpose as a school.

Many of our current teachers trained here at Chobham.  Other colleagues have trained as teachers here and then moved on in due course to other schools.

We train new teachers via the School Direct programme, run in partnership with the Harris Federation.

If you are a graduate who is interested in training to be a teacher then you may be eligible for a place on School Direct.  It does not matter whether you have just graduated or whether you have been working in another career for a period.  All expressions of interest are welcomed.  School Direct is an excellent school based training programme which gives participants experience of being in the classroom whilst they train, together with regular days out of school to look in depth at the theories underpinning successful classroom practice.  The out of school element of the programme is administered by the Harris Federation which has an outstanding reputation for initial teacher training. 

If you would like to find out more about School Direct please contact us at hr@chobhamacademy.org.uk

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