Head of Chemistry

The Opportunity

Hampton School is seeking to appoint a well-qualified, enthusiastic and driven Head of Chemistry with strong leadership and motivational skills. You will be responsible for the vision and strategic direction of the Chemistry department and curriculum, to promote outstanding learning and teaching. Chemistry is a core subject up to IGCSE and around 120 Sixth Form pupils study OCR Chemistry A level. 

All staff in the Department are subject specialists and there is great scope to make your mark on the development of the department. The successful applicant will be committed to delivering genuinely imaginative, varied and challenging courses at all levels in the school including stretching the most able up to Oxbridge level.

The Chemistry Department currently consists of 11 full-time teachers and 4 technical staff. The subject is taught in ten well-equipped laboratories, each with the facility for data projection. There is also a large department office and all members of staff are provided with laptops.

The successful candidate will be expected to teach up to 26 (40 minute) lessons per week, which may include a games afternoon and a form tutor period. Chemistry is taught as a separate science subject from the outset. In the First and Second Year, pupils are taught in Form groups for one double period per week. 

From the Third to Fifth Year, pupils follow the AQA Chemistry GCSE course and are taught for three periods per week. All pupils are entered for GCSEs in the three separate sciences.  Results are excellent, with a phenomenal 74% of pupils achieving grade 9 in GCSE Chemistry in 2026. 

In the Sixth Form, sets of around 12 pupils are taught by two teachers who work in parallel.  Pupils are taught for seven periods per week in the Lower Sixth and eight periods per week in the Upper Sixth.  Extension classes are offered to those applying to Oxbridge and to Chemistry-related courses and the School has tremendous success in the Chemistry Olympiad and Cambridge Chemistry Challenge (two Roentgenium award winners in 2026). The department also runs two Sixth Form elective courses: Further Chemistry, where pupils cover first year undergraduate chemistry (solid state chemistry, molecular orbital theory and functional group levels in organic chemistry) and undertake an independent project; and Biochemistry, where pupils investigate the chemistry of a wide variety of biological molecules. Results in the Sixth Form are outstanding; in 2026, 40% of pupils achieved an A*, 80% A*/A and all pupils achieved at least a B grade.

Specifications:

GCSE   AQA   Chemistry

A level  OCR  Chemistry A

A contribution to the wider life of the School is also expected from staff at Hampton and Teachers may be responsible to other colleagues in their work, (e.g. a Form Tutor will have the Head of Year as their immediate line manager for pastoral work).

We encourage applications as soon as possible as the School reserves the right to commence or complete the interview process at any time prior to the closing date.