Working at NOA

Welcome to North Oxfordshire Academy and thank you for taking an interest in developing your career with us.

For those who want to combine quick access to London and Oxford with country living, North Oxfordshire Academy is the ideal location. We are situated in Banbury, a vibrant market town steeped in history which enjoys affordable rental and house prices.

The academy sits on a 48-acre site and offers great facilities including extensive playing fields, a national standard athletics track and a 50-place nursery to which teachers benefit from heavily subsidised places.

The Academy offers a great training programme for students, NQTs and Schools Direct trainees who all benefit from high-quality, supportive CPD. Our staff are optimistic, hardworking and great team players and new staff very quickly become part of the NOA family.

We pride ourselves on excellent staff retention; our staff are happy and determined to encourage the very best in our students. I would be delighted to welcome any prospective applicants to see for themselves how we work at North Oxfordshire Academy.

Alison Merrills, Principal

North Oxfordshire Academy is a well-established, successful school with an experienced and ambitious Senior Leadership Team and a growing regional and national reputation.

Serving a diverse community in one of the most beautiful parts of the country, the academy has an above average proportion of students eligible for Pupil Premium and has been praised for its use of this spend and the strong progress made by these students.

As a well-established United Learning secondary academy, North Oxfordshire Academy is well on its way of becoming Outstanding and provides the opportunity for staff at all levels to develop their personal expertise and be part of a school-wide commitment to CPD and support.

Since opening in 2007 replacing a failing school, the academy has used its freedoms to innovate and develop a series of successful initiatives specifically in the areas of literacy, numeracy and enrichment opportunities.

With a very strong and effective senior leadership team, North Oxfordshire Academy is ambitious for its students, staff and local community.   Rated Good by Ofsted, the academy prides itself on a ‘no gimmicks’ approach to education, setting the bar high for all students with each expected to excel in some area of school life.  In 2014, this was brought together in a series of 10 Case Studies published by United Learning.

Located in spacious grounds, the academy site also hosts NOA’s Ark, a pre-school nursery for local families. In 2013, the academy established the inaugural Banbury Literary Live which is quickly establishing itself as a popular annual family festival of reading and culture.

Working at North Oxfordshire Academy provides an opportunity to contribute to something rare within a semi-rural environment; an innovative, forward-thinking school with the appetite to experiment to build aspiration in a community facing challenges more akin to inner-cities.

"As a new member of the team at NOA I can honestly say that I couldn't be happier. ​This move has enabled me to progress in my career, and also become part of a community who deeply values the Arts at a time when other institutions are closing their doors on Art departments. ​

Working with large groups of teenagers is always a challenge, but at NOA there is a wealth of support for students. From animal therapy to one to one support, NOA takes a holistic approach to education supporting all students, making my job easier and helping students reach their full potential.

​I have been welcomed by staff and made to feel very much at home. I have been offered CPD at the highest level with AQA and given additional time with GCSE students to ensure their portfolios reflect their best of their ability. ​

Most notably, my experience and expertise are being treated as an investment. When you work in the Arts, your subject can often be treated as an afterthought. But at NOA it is clear that my teaching practice is valued and I look forward to growing a department that enables young people to compete in the ever expanding Creative Sector. ​"

Head of Art

"It should feel daunting starting a new job but my time at NOA has been positive from the start. Apart from the welcoming atmosphere from your colleagues, it is apparent that support is in place for you to do well. I have been thoroughly lucky to receive such support and mentoring within my job role. It may seem like a tick-box activity that needs to be done, but at NOA it is genuine and they care about you progressing within your career. I am already planning to complete my degree and achieve my assessment only QTS; this has been with the active encouragement of my mentor, vice principals and support staff. All of this has occurred within the first couple of months of starting here; it is fairly obvious that career development is advocated at NOA.​

I love working at NOA; no two days are ever the same and I continue to learn as I teach. It is also the little extras that staff contribute along with work incentives that makes NOA a place where you would want to stay.​"

Teacher of Media

Benefits

Industry-leading Benefits Packages

We greatly value our staff, and want them to know it! Starting with financial rewards and solid career progression, we believe in leading the industry with better remuneration packages. As such, you can expect to earn more than if you took a role in the maintained sector, with up to 5% better pay for new teachers. In addition, we have teamed up with benefits provider Perkbox so that we can offer you more savings than ever before.

Core Benefits

 Every employee in United Learning will receive:

• An exceptional salary, above the maintained sector - up to 5% for NQTs.
• At least 8 INSET days per year in all our academies, with 3 dedicated to planning.
• Continuing Professional Development options - Tailored to your needs.
• The opportunity to save money across hundreds of major retailers.
• Competitive maternity, paternity and adoption benefits.
• The scope for flexible working.

Flexible Benefits

 You can also choose to sacrifice some of your salary to enjoy the following benefits:

• Enjoy a brand new bicycle for a lower cost in the Cycle to Work scheme.
• Improve your health with up to 40% off a gym membership.

…and many more!

As the payment for any benefits you choose are taken from your salary before tax and National Insurance is deducted, you will make considerable savings - meaning more in your pocket at the end of each month.

By joining North Oxfordshire Academy you will also become part of United Learning - a unique group of independent and state schools working together to bring out the best in everyone. Our vision is to provide excellent education, which prepares young people to progress in learning and to make a success of their lives. United Learning focuses sharply on the evidence of what makes it more likely that young people will progress and succeed, apply that to classroom practice, allowing schools to continue to learn and develop. It is a priority to provide teachers with excellent professional support and development, so that every child receives an excellent experience.

The approach is underpinned by a sense of moral purpose and commitment to doing what is right for children and young people, supporting colleagues to achieve excellence and acting with integrity in all our dealings within and beyond the organisation, in the interests of young people everywhere.

The development programmes offer access to tailor-made training no matter your career stage, alongside unrivalled opportunities for your career development across both the maintained and independent sectors. The Performance and Development Reviews (PDR) encompass personal aspiration, impact on pupil achievement and identification of continuous professional development and training that is right for you and your future. For more information please visit our dedicated careers site.