Associate Director of Sport

What skills and experience we're looking for

Are you a passionate leader, trained Teacher of PE ready for your next step?

We are seeking an experienced and ambitious Teacher to lead Physical Education at Harris City Academy Crystal Palace – a high-performing, Ofsted Outstanding Academy with a strong sporting culture and a large, thriving Sixth Form.

In this pivotal role, you will:

• Lead and develop a high-performing PE department
• Inspire students to achieve their best, in and beyond the classroom
• Shape curriculum, culture, and enrichment across sport and wellbeing
• Be part of a supportive Academy and the wider Harris Federation network

Harris City Academy Crystal Place is a school steeped in tradition. The Academy has proudly represented its community and the wider Harris Federation as its founding and flagship Academy for 35 years; the core vision upon which the school was founded 35 years ago remains the same today: “All Can Achieve”. This achievement encompasses academic excellence but extends far more than this meaning "the highest priority is placed on pupils' personal development" (Ofsted, April 2025).

This track record of exceptional outcomes is echoed in our sports provision, where we are currently ranked 114th in the national school sport rankings. This puts us in the top 2% of ALL schools nationally. We are looking for someone to continue to provide these opportunities and more for our students.

You will join an Academy with four consecutive Outstanding Ofsted judgements, where “All Can Achieve” is more than a motto – it's a lived reality. With exceptional CPD, clear progression pathways, and Federation-wide support, this is a chance to grow as a leader while transforming young lives.

• Qualified Teacher Status and a good, relevant Honours degree
• A clear and good understanding of current educational issues, theory and practice
• Sound subject knowledge as represented by a relevant degree, CPD or experience
• Strong command of subject area
• Understanding of relevant programming language theory and application
• The ability to use assessment data to inform planning, set targets and implement intervention
• The ability to use relevant research and inspection evidence to improve learning and teaching in subject

For a full job description and person specification, please download the Job Pack.

Harris City Academy Crystal Palace is a mixed Academy for 1,300 students aged 11-18, with a large sixth form of nearly 400 students. The Academy has three consecutive Outstanding judgments by Ofsted, with the most recent inspection in 2014 finding the Academy to be Outstanding in every aspect. We are a consistently high performing school. Our motto, ‘All Can Achieve' encapsulates our vision that all members of the Academy community are supported and encouraged to achieve their absolute potential.

We believe that a well-supported and valued staff body is the key to our success.

We are the ‘Teaching School Hub' for Croydon and Sutton and we are able to offer all teachers an extensive programme of first class professional development. Harris City Academy Crystal Palace is part of the Harris Federation and this enables us to offer you a comprehensive induction programme and training and development opportunities to support your career development including Masters and other qualifications.

At Harris, we have curated professional development pathways that will guide you towards achieving your career ambitions. We have developed a strong culture of collaboration and best practice, with professional development and career planning at its centre. With a strong network of passionate educators, expert development initiatives and a multitude of opportunities for career progression, your journey with Harris could be the most rewarding one yet.

We offer a wide range of high quality teacher professional development programmes via the Harris Institute of Teaching and Leadership.

In addition to the opportunities for career development and progression, we also offer a competitive rewards and benefits package which includes our Harris Allowance…