Chief Executive

St James Academy are seeking an enthusiastic and dedicated Teacher of English to join our vibrant Secondary Academy. This is an exciting opportunity for a passionate educator to inspire students across Key Stages 3 and 4, delivering engaging lessons that foster confidence, creativity, and strong literacy skills. You will join a supportive, forward-thinking department committed to high standards and continuous improvement. The ideal candidate will bring excellent subject knowledge, strong classroom management, and a genuine commitment to helping every learner succeed. If you are motivated, positive, and ready to make an impact, we would love to hear from you.

"St James is an inclusive and welcoming school. Pupils are courteous and polite." - Ofsted 2024 St James Academy is a good school (Ofsted 2024) with high expectations for everyone. We are determined to become a centre of excellence for young people who live in central Dudley, improving life chances for all. An increasing number of departments have achieved 100% GCSE pass rates, and our ambition is that this should extend to every area as quickly as possible. Our philosophy is simple: we will ensure the success of our learners through outstanding teaching, positive behaviour and embracing the talents of each individual. There is also a strong caring ethos here, which ensures high levels of support for learners and creates an atmosphere of mutual respect throughout the school. Our learners are challenged to extend their interests through a wide programme of extra-curricular activities, sports teams and enrichment activities. The Trust recognises that our staff are our most value asset and investing in our people is a key strategic priority. An extensive program of staff development is operated within school and across the Trust, and this is extended to senior and middle leaders, aspiring leaders, and teaching and associate staff. You will be joining St James at an exciting time as we continue our journey to provide first class education for the young people of Dudley Closing date is Wednesday 6th May 2026. We reserve the right to close this vacancy earlier than the date advertised. All successful applicants will need to undertake an enhanced disclosure and barring service check and children and adults barred list checks, where the applicant will be employed in a regulated activity. Dudley Academies Trust is an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applicants from all backgrounds, including disabled, and black and ethnic minority applicants., Dudley Academies Trust was formed in September 2017, uniting four secondary schools under the sponsorship of Dudley College of Technology, which is one of the UK's leading FE colleges and rated 'Excellent' by Ofsted. The schools are: Beacon Hill Academy, Pegasus Academy, St James Academy and The Link Academy. The Trust, when combined with the sponsor, annually supports 8,500 young people aged 11 to 19 years old and employs almost 1,300 staff. The Trust has a strong emphasis on providing the very best educational experience for pupils so they can experience both academic and personal success. It has a strong central team that works across the schools to ensure that our aspirations for them are put into practice. We believe that our investment in people, technology and our estate makes the Trust an attractive employer for anyone who wishes to work in a progressive, environment where achievement is valued. Our Chief Executive, Jo Higgins, joined us after a career in school leadership in South Yorkshire, where she led Penistone Grammar School for ten years. She also contributed to the borough wide school improvement system in Barnsley and she led the application process for a cross phase MAT of eleven schools. As a school leader, Jo is motivated by the conviction that all young people should be able to access outstanding provision, irrespective of their starting point in life. As part of her previous work she has driven rapid school improvement, and brings this experience to help strengthen each school's performance. The vision for Dudley Academies Trust is that our family of schools will be the first choice for young people and parents in north and central Dudley. We will achieve this through:

• innovative teaching and learning supported by a team of expert practitioners who work across our schools
• access to the latest available learning technologies
• a relentless focus on aspiration
• a rich, broad and varied curriculum, meeting the needs of learners of all abilities
• providing clear pathways to educational advancement and employment
• instilling positive values in our learners through a system of Values Driven Expectations that rewards achievement and good behaviour
• developing a culture in which our staff can contribute, develop and thrive.