Welcome from the Headteacher
I'm delighted that you have an interest in working at Nova Hreod Academy. Nova is the school of choice for many families in Swindon because they value achievement and standards in a school with strong values and a traditional ethos.
As part of United Learning, we look to bring out the best in everyone.
We are looking to appoint committed, enthusiastic and talented teachers who relish the opportunity to be involved in a fast-paced and innovative environment, making a significant difference to the lives of young people. We are a strong and hardworking team who take the education and safeguarding of our young people very seriously.
Rated as ‘good’ by Ofsted in November 2022, inspectors described Nova as a "friendly and welcoming school." They praised our calm and purposeful learning environment, SuperNova enrichment programme and the fact that "children are able to enjoy a rich and ambitious curriculum."
I am always delighted when people come to visit our school and see for themselves how our teachers and students interact, how our focus on learning is brought to life and how our excellent building and facilities contribute to making this possible.
If you are excited about the prospect of a fresh challenge within an environment where effort and innovation are rewarded, come and join the revolution with a group of staff and students committed to deep and rigorous learning.
Sonja Unwin
Interim Principal
The Nova Vision
We bring out the best in every one of our students, empowering them to achieve academically and personally.
Our students become happier, healthier and more responsible, with a strong sense of belonging in our school, committed to the development of our community and the wider world.
We will achieve this through:
A curriculum which is ambitious, sequenced carefully, principled, inclusive, research informed and enriching with excellent teaching for all students to bring out the best in everyone.
A warm-strict culture, with a thorough commitment to pastoral care and the personal development of every child.
An inclusive environment, where we have respectful, productive and fun-filled interactions with each other; diversity is celebrated; and we stand together as a community.
I must say I couldn’t think of anywhere better to work. The support from staff within the departments and right across the school is second-to-none, every member of staff is more than happy to have a chat, and as with all teacher conversations pedagogy is always a hot topic.
Working here at Nova instils a real drive to make yourself the best that you can be, it would be hard not to get swept into the fantastic ethos of educational research and striving to provide our fantastic students with the best education possible. If you come to visit us here at Nova you will see how fantastic our pupils are, and how they really enjoy our disruption free environments as well as the healthy struggle provided by us.
Kathryn, science teacher
I was looking for a new challenge and Nova Hreod was offering an opportunity which fitted with what I was looking for and would enable me to use my skills and experience. I found that I settled into my new role very quickly and this was helped with the excellent induction I received and the staff being so friendly, I felt that I fitted in immediately. I am enjoying being part of implementing new systems and facing the everyday challenges working within a school. The best part of working at Nova Hreod for me has to be to the clear strategy we have for school and that we all have a role to play, whether that be support office role or teaching – we all contribute to the pupils’ success and positive experience that they have at Nova.
Amanda, Finance Officer
I have met with so many opportunities since joining Nova 3 years ago, allowing me to not only train to teach but also grow in my roles over time. The support within department is fundamental to our working ethos, making it a truly enjoyable workplace.
I have had so much support in my teaching development leading me through my teacher training and into middle leadership roles such as Head of House and Deputy SENCo. I would not have been able to achieve these goals without the support and guidance of those around me and I will always be grateful for this.
The best part of working at Nova for me is the high standards placed on not only the scholars but on the staff as well, driving us all to be the best we can so we can achieve and flourish in our school community.
Eleanor, Science Teacher
Benefits
Working at Nova Hreod Academy
An academy making rapid and sustained improvement;
Excellent facilities and resources;
Access to an outstanding professional development programme including instructional coaching;
A chance to join one of the most established groups of academies in the country which operates a number of other schools locally;
Caring, dedicated and friendly students who want to learn and fulfil their potential;
Colleagues who are supportive, friendly and who are committed to each other’s professional development;
United Learning benefits
The United Learning group participates in the United Rewards benefit scheme for colleagues. The scheme is designed to save colleagues money in terms of tax and national insurance by allowing payment for a number of benefits such as school fees and childcare vouchers through deductions form your gross salary. In addition, United Rewards includes a large number of retail discounts. The group also enjoy a partnership with CiC Employee Assistance Program offering an independent, free and confidential advice service with either work or personal issues from professional counsellors.
Nova Hreod Academy is part of United Learning, a large, and growing, group of schools aiming to offer a life changing education to children and young people across England.
Our schools work as a team and achieve more by sharing than any single school could. Our subject specialists, our Group-wide intranet, our own curriculum and our online learning portal all help us share knowledge and resource, helping to simplify work processes and manage workloads for an improved work-life balance.
As a Group, we can reward our staff better: with good career opportunities, better pay, benefits, and ultimately, the satisfaction of helping children to succeed. We invest in our staff wellbeing. Our academies each have at least eight INSET days per year (with three of those solely dedicated to planning), and an ongoing group-wide wellbeing programme. It's an ethos we call ‘the best in everyone’.
United Learning values diversity and inclusion and is committed to creating and sustaining a more diverse workforce. We welcome applications from professionals of minority ethnic origin and from majority ethnic professionals who share our commitment to inclusion and diversity.