EXPIRED

This job expired on 9 October 2023 – see similar jobs

  • Start date details

    1st January or 15th April 2024

  • Closing date

    9 October 2023 at 8am

  • Date listed

    19 September 2023

Job details

Job role

  • Teacher

Visa sponsorship

Visas cannot be sponsored

Subject

English

Working pattern

Full time

Contract type

Permanent

Full-time equivalent salary

MPS/UPS scale point + TLR1 (2) (currently £10,710 per annum)

Head of English job summary

Didcot Girls’ School is a dynamic school. In November 2022, the school was judged  as continuing to be Outstanding. As Ofsted recognised, we invest in all of our staff:

“Leaders support staff very well. They have established a collaborative and respectful working environment. With the trust, they provide highly valued training and leadership programmes. Staff are exceptionally proud to work at the school.”

Ofsted also noted the high standards within the school and commented that “Pupils’ behaviour is exemplary.”

We are a values-driven school, committed to high quality teaching and learning and respectful relationships within an inclusive learning community. Developing stimulating and student-centred teaching and learning is at the centre of our school development work. We work hard to ensure that all girls’ education enables our students to develop confidence, leadership skills and high levels of aspiration.

We are committed to continuous professional development and have wide-ranging training and development opportunities. We are also mindful of the competing demands people face in their lives and make every effort to accommodate flexible working.

Summer 2023 GCSE results were superb with 85% of all students achieving 4+ in English and Maths, and 71% doing the same at 5+.  Results at A level in the mixed sixth form shared with our partner school, St Birinus School, are also extremely strong with 34% of grades awarded as A* or A and 66% achieving Grades A*-B. These results place us as one of the highest performing schools in the county.  


The Post

This is a key post in our school, leading a high-performing subject area. It is essential that the successful candidate is an outstanding teacher and able to support others to ensure excellent standards of teaching across the whole department. We are looking for a leader who can define and realise a strategic vision for their subject, and who can look outwards to innovate whilst looking inwards to build on existing strengths. The post requires a leader with a relentless drive to improve the department’s shared practice and teamship. This post will provide excellent professional development opportunities for someone ambitious to work at senior leader level in the future.


The Department

The English Department is staffed by a dynamic, talented and extremely supportive group of 15 teaching staff and two part-time English HLTAs. The department is accommodated in specialist rooms with interactive whiteboards and visualizers as well as a team room and work area.


Curriculum

At key stage 3, the English Department teach a mastery curriculum, which has been developed to provide the foundations from which to develop excellent students of English. This curriculum includes a rigorous model for skills progression, explicit first teaching of key English concepts, and a rigorous model for assessment. It has been conceived to prepare students for the rigours of the reformed GCSEs, whilst maintaining a balanced and varied experience of English. Most importantly, it has been created by a team of practising teachers who are committed to a process of iterative refinement. 

In Year 9, the curriculum follows a ‘representative texts, representative tasks’ model, where challenging content is taught in a way that enhances student familiarity with the sorts of approaches required at GCSE.

In Years 10 and 11, students follow the AQA specifications for English Language and English Literature. English is a very popular option in the joint Sixth Form; we offer AQA’s Specification A in English Literature and AQA Specification A in Language and Literature.


Outcomes

Results at all levels are very strong. In 2023, 93% of Year 11 students achieved at least one grade 4 or above in Language or Literature, 85% of students achieved a grade 5 or above, and 52% of students achieved grade 7 or above. A level English Literature, and Language and Literature, are very popular. Results are strong, with many students opting to study English at university.


Media Studies

The school has a separate Head of Media who is responsible for the administration, curriculum provision and outcomes of Media Studies GCSE and A level. However, the Media curriculum is currently delivered by teachers from within the English department. As such, effective collaboration and strategic planning with the Head of Media is essential.


Extra-Curricular Activities

The school has a strong culture of Reading for Pleasure. There are fortnightly Reading for Pleasure lessons in the Library, regular visits from authors, a strong team of Reading Ambassadors, engagement with local and national book awards, and student-led book clubs at KS4 and KS5. There are regular theatre trips across all year groups, and regular university visits for KS5 students. The department runs successful catch-up provision for KS3 students, which includes reading mentoring programmes, run by older students, for struggling or reluctant readers at KS3. Extra-Curricular Activities

 Ridgeway Education Trust is growing, and we will be joined by two further primary schools in the autumn. This post has the potential to include responsibility for directing extracurricular primary PE.

Excellent professional development is available for the successful candidate.


Application process

The application deadline is 8am on Monday 9th October. 

To ensure we conduct a fair shortlisting process we use blind shortlisting whereby personal information (such as name, email address, gender & ethnicity) are not made available to the short-listing panel.

Please note that the school reserves the right to interview on receipt of applications, and to appoint prior to the deadline, so early application is recommended.

Didcot Girls School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and expects staff working in all its schools to share this commitment. The successful applicant will be subject to an enhanced DBS check along with standard pre-employment safeguarding checks.

Please be aware that you will be required to bring your original qualification certificate(s), proof of residence and photographic ID to interview.

Didcot Girls School is an equal opportunities employer.

Commitment to safeguarding

Didcot Girls School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and expects staff working in all its schools to share this commitment. The successful applicant will be subject to an enhanced DBS check along with standard pre-employment safeguarding checks.

Please be aware that you will be required to bring your original qualification certificate(s), proof of residence and photographic ID to interview.

Didcot Girls School is an equal opportunities employer.

This job post has expired.

About Didcot Girls' School

School type
Academy, ages 11 to 18
Education phase
Secondary
School size
1616 pupils enrolled
Age range
11 to 18
Ofsted report
View Ofsted report

Didcot Girls’ School is a dynamic school. In November 2022, the school was again judged to be Outstanding. As Ofsted recognised, we invest in all of our staff:

“Leaders support staff very well. They have established a collaborative and respectful working environment. With the trust, they provide highly valued training and leadership programmes. Staff are exceptionally proud to work at the school.”

Ofsted also noted the high standards within the school and commented that “Pupils’ behaviour is exemplary”

We are a values-driven school, committed to high quality teaching and learning and respectful relationships within an inclusive learning community. Developing stimulating and student-centred teaching and learning is at the centre of our school development work. We work hard to ensure that all girls’ education enables our students to develop confidence, leadership skills and high levels of aspiration.

We are committed to continuous professional development and have wide-ranging training and development opportunities. We are also mindful of the competing demands people face in their lives and make every effort to accommodate flexible working.

Summer 2022 GCSE results were superb with 88% of all students achieving 4+ in English and Maths, and 72% doing the same at 5+. Results at A level in the mixed sixth form shared with our partner school, St Birinus School, are also extremely strong with 44% of grades awarded as A* or A and 68% achieving Grades A*-B. These results place us as one of the highest performing schools in the county.

School location

Similar jobs nearby

Year 7 Transition Teacher

Cressex Community School

Holmers Lane, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, HP12 4QA

English Faculty Leader (maternity cover)

St Birinus School

Mereland Road, Didcot, Oxfordshire, OX11 8AZ

Teacher of English: TMS Full time – Fixed Term – 1 Year

Bartholomew School

Witney Road, Witney, Oxfordshire, OX29 4AP

Teacher

Oxfordshire Hospital School

61-63 Cuddesdon Way, Oxford, Oxfordshire, OX4 6SB

Get a job alert when similar jobs are listed

Find more school jobs in Oxfordshire