Habs has been awarded Independent School of the Year 2025, with Haberdashers’ Elstree Schools receiving both the award for Outstanding Educational Partnerships and the overall top accolade of Independent School of the Year 2025. This recognition reflects our long-term commitment to social impact and the deep, sustained collaborations we continue to build with our state sector partners. It is an exciting time to join our community.

An exciting opportunity has arisen for an inspiring and ambitious Drama specialist to lead Academic Drama at Haberdashers’ Girls’ School.

We are seeking a dynamic teacher and leader who is passionate about the power of Drama to develop creativity, confidence and critical thinking. This role offers the chance to shape and grow a vibrant academic curriculum within a school that values both intellectual rigour and outstanding co-curricular provision. At Habs Girls, Drama is a thriving and valued subject. We are looking for someone who can build on this strong foundation, championing Drama as a rigorous academic discipline while nurturing a love of theatre and performance in all pupils.

The role

As Head of Academic Drama, you will provide clear and ambitious leadership across all key stages, ensuring excellent teaching, strong pupil outcomes and a forward-thinking curriculum. You will inspire pupils in the classroom, support colleagues to develop their practice, and play a key role in the continued evolution of Drama within the school.

You will:

• Lead and develop a stimulating, innovative Drama curriculum
• Deliver engaging and challenging lessons that inspire a love of learning
• Promote high standards of academic achievement at GCSE and A Level
• Support and develop colleagues within a collaborative department
• Lead on and contribute to a rich programme of productions, showcases and performance opportunities
• Encourage participation and enthusiasm for Drama across the school

The person

We are looking for someone who combines excellent subject knowledge with creativity, energy and a genuine passion for Drama education. You will bring:

• A strong academic background in Drama (or a related discipline) and QTS (or equivalent)
• Experience of teaching across key stages, including examination classes
• The ability to inspire and challenge pupils of all abilities
• A commitment to high standards and continuous improvement
• A collaborative approach and the confidence to lead and develop others
• An interest in contemporary and innovative theatre practice

Above all, you will be someone who believes in the transformative impact of Drama and is excited by the opportunity to shape a bold and ambitious academic provision.

What we offer:

• We offer a competitive salary, commensurate with the candidate’s experience and the size of the School, along with a comprehensive benefits package designed to support your professional and personal wellbeing:
• Approximately 17 weeks holiday per year.
• Private Pension Scheme through Aegon with four flexible options and generous employer contributions.
• Additional life insurance cover.
• Access to the Employee Assistance Programme (EAP), providing confidential support and advice.
• Financial assistance for further qualifications.
• Extensive professional development and training opportunities.
• Discount on school fees for children attending any of the Elstree Schools (fee remission applied at the time of child joining) - for fixed-term roles, we do not offer fee remission
• Free lunch and refreshments.
• Free onsite parking and access to travel on the school’s extensive coach network.
• Complimentary access to state-of-the-art sports facilities, including gym, swimming pool, and fitness classes.
• Wellbeing initiatives such as yoga, mindfulness sessions, and health checks.
• Access to an online GP service for quick and convenient healthcare advice.
• Access to Vivup, our staff benefits platform offering discounts, financial advice, and wellbeing resources.
• Cycle-to-Work Scheme and green travel incentives, including options for Octopus Electric Vehicles.

Applications will be reviewed as they arrive, and we reserve the right to close this vacancy sooner, please apply as soon as possible.

Haberdashers’ Elstree Schools are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people. The successful candidate will be subject to a Disclosure and Barring Service enhanced check. The post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and the School is therefore permitted to ask job applicants to declare all convictions and cautions (including those which are "spent" unless they are "protected" under the DBS filtering rules) in order to assess their suitability to work with children.