About the role: The role of the Learning Resource Centre (LRC) Co-ordinator is an important one - Strood Academy has a fantastic opportunity to appoint a motivated and inspiring individual to this position. The LRC, or ‘school library’ in the more antiquated definition, is a unique and specialist part of an academy as it fundamentally supports students’ learning and their development to be effective, independent learners and readers. The role of the LRC Co-ordinator at Strood Academy will complement to hard work of our dedicated staff - both in teaching roles and support roles. The position is ideal for an English Graduate as it will draw on your genuine passion for literature, or perhaps an experienced Learning Mentor who has experience working with secondary aged pupils as you will have a solid understanding of the impact that written resources can have on students' learning.

For us, the LRC Co-ordinator will be:

a partner with teaching staff in the education process
a partner in supporting individual learning styles
an ‘expert’ in resource and information collation
a leader and partner with teaching staff in the collaborative design and implementation of information literacy programmes throughout the school
a leader in creating and developing a climate to promote and support reading for pleasure across the school
an acknowledged partner with all departments to effectively support and resource each key stage
a partner in out-of-hours learning

Skills, knowledge and qualifications:

Ideally, our successful candidate will be a graduate with an English-based degree
Meticulous and precise in their work of ordering, recording and caring for resources
Friendly and customer-oriented for the outward-facing parts of their job
Passionate about reading and well-read and up-to-date both in digital and print publishing
Adaptable and aware of current and emerging technologies

This is a permanent position starting in September 2020, offering 37 hours per week, on a Term Time + 1 week basis. Please click here for a full list of the responsibilities associated with this role.

Working for Strood Academy: Since opening in 2009, our academy has transformed the educational opportunities and outcomes for girls and boys in Strood. The improvement in academic performance has been driven by a talented and committed workforce, the hard work of our students, and support from parents and our community. Our new buildings in Carnation Road were designed in partnership with Nicholas Hare and built by BAM as our main contractor at a cost of £26m. They opened in September 2012 and have outstanding learning environments and outside play areas as well as fantastic sports facilities. The buildings reflect our education vision of creating a mature and purposeful educational environment where children of all abilities can learn and thrive.

Our core value is “Building ambition; inspiring pride” and our purpose at Strood Academy is to:

nurture students’ aspirations and build resilience within an environment of tolerance, respect and empathy;
shape leaders within a global community;
develop and celebrate knowledgeable and inquiring minds to promote lifelong learning and;
help young people develop into well educated, considerate and caring citizens.

We have a growing roll call of 1,400 children, including 200 in Sixth Form. Working in our academy takes a lot of dedication and hard work, but for the right individuals, it can be an incredibly rewarding experience and contribute significantly to personal and professional development.

Being part of Leigh Academies Trust: As of September 2019, our Trust is comprised of 25 geographically organised academies (11 secondaries, 13 primaries and 1 special) educating over 15,000 students, and employing over 2,500 talented staff. We also have three further academies in development phase, due to open between September 2020-2021. The Trust is establishing four ‘clusters’ of academies: North West Kent; Central Kent; South East London; Medway. In addition, the Trust is responsible for one of the region’s biggest initial teaching training providers and a large teaching school.

As part of Leigh Academies Trust, you will have ample opportunity to collaborate with your peers both within the academy and across the whole Trust. This is an important part of our vision as we know through experience that we perform better when we work together. You are supported to undertake regular self-development to continue your professional development and hopefully progress further within the organisation.

We strive to offer a range of benefits that all employees can take advantage of which we regularly review and add to - click here to view what you’d receive as a member of staff with Leigh Academies Trust.

Diversity at our core: As a Trust, we are passionate about diversity and recognise that as individuals we all bring something unique to the role regardless of age, gender, race, beliefs or disabilities which is why we treat all of our people equally, without compromise.

The academy is committed to safeguarding children, and successful candidates will be subject to an Enhanced DBS check. Our commitment to safeguarding is underpinned by robust processes and checks which are in place across the Trust.

Recruitment and hiring during COVID-19: Despite the challenges we face, recruitment and hiring will continue for all Leigh Academies Trust vacancies with as little disruption as possible over the coming weeks and months. This is for all senior, teaching and support staff appointments. Applications will still be reviewed and interviews conducted in a timely manner, although interview activities may vary. We will still conduct face to face interviews where possible, and will abide by social distancing protocols such as no hand-shaking, using large meeting rooms, etc. Candidates will be given the option to interview via online video if you cannot attend in person - this can be discussed if your application is shortlisted. If you have any queries or concerns, please get in touch with the LAT Talent Team - talent@latrust.org.uk.