Head of Physics
Weald of Kent Grammar School, Tonbridge, Kent, TN9 2JP17 days remaining to apply
Job start date
1 September 2025
Closing date
28 April 2025 at 9am
Date listed
26 March 2025
Job details
Job role
- Head of department or curriculum
Visa sponsorship
- Visas cannot be sponsored
Key stage
- Key stage 3, Key stage 4, Key stage 5
Subject
- Physics
Working pattern
- Full time
Contract type
- Permanent
Pay scale
- MPS/UPS
Additional allowances
TLR2b (£5,585)
What skills and experience we're looking for
Qualifications Qualified Teacher Status
Degree or equivalent
Experience Outstanding classroom teacher and tutor
Sustained performance securing very good student outcomes
The ability to teach Physics to KS4
The ability to teach Physics to A-Level
Skills & Knowledge Able to communicate effectively, orally and in writing
Able to consistently demonstrate effective planning for practical lessons to help support the delivery of outstanding lessons
Confident in own ability to be effective and to take on challenges
Ability to relate well to students, colleagues, parents and Trustees Effective behaviour management
Able to support students in maintaining high standards
Efficient and effective administrative, organisational and personal management skills
Personal Attributes Ability to inspire, challenge and motivate
Have a positive approach with a desire to succeed
Energy, enthusiasm and perseverance
Reliability and integrity
Good interpersonal skills
Professional appearance and manner
Positive commitment to individual personal development
Capacity to work hard, under pressure, to meet deadlines and manage time effectively
What the school offers its staff
Staff are our most valued asset and we place a high emphasis on staff well-being and professional development, no matter what stage of your career you are at. We pride ourselves with the supportive and inclusive nature of the school and ensure that we foster a friendly working environment. As part of our commitment to staff well-being and development, we offer the following to teaching staff:
Professional Development
§ Research led CPD programmes, tailored to individual’s aspirations, which are based both in school and across the wider Trust.
§ A full induction programme for all new staff.
§ ECT’s will have a lower teaching load, timetabled mentoring sessions and a full programme of training and induction activities.
§ Unlimited access to the National College CPD platform.
§ An additional INSET day at the beginning of the academic year dedicated to teacher planning and preparation.
§ Our “No lesson judgements” policy ensures lesson observations are developmental and supportive.
§ One INSET day a year dedicated to moderation and curriculum preparation.
Staff Welfare
§ Data capture that is measured and timely - we report progress home three times a year.
§ Minimal written reports.
§ No requirement for teachers to submit lesson plans, even for lesson observations.
§ Teaching staff are only required to do a maximum of one twenty minute duty each week.
§ Supportive yet challenging governance, which understands that teachers are our most valuable resource.
§ We are a school that appreciates the importance of family. We do our best to support staff when there are issues and requests for additional leave regarding family events and an Additional Leave policy that supports staff when they may need time off school.
§ A teaching load of 42/50 one-hour periods of teaching per fortnight maximum.
Support
§ The school calendar is planned in advance across the whole year so people know what is happening and when.
§ In-house cover supervision team.
§ A comprehensive pastoral team to help with supporting our students with behaviour and wellbeing.
§ A highly effective and proactive support staff that play an important role in supporting teaching and learning.
§ A Marketing, Events and Visits team that are responsible for organising key school events and trips.
Benefits
§ School budgets are set making the assumption that everybody will get their incremental pay rise.
§ Cycle to work scheme.
§ Healthcare cash plan.
§ Occupational health support.
§ Priority admission for staff children (see admissions policy on school website).
§ Employee Discount Scheme (Multiple Retailers – Kent Reward Scheme).
§ Opportunity to perform paid lunch-time duties (with free lunch).
§ Free annual flu vaccination.
§ Employee Assistance Programme.
§ Free tea and coffee provided in the staff room.
§ Use of onsite canteen offering hot meals and salad bar.
§ Opportunities to participate in enrichment activities e.g. theatre visits.
§ Opportunities for flexible working.
§ Free on-site parking.
§ Membership of theTeachers' Pension Scheme(TPS) orLocal Government Pension Scheme(LGPS).
Environment
§ Pleasant working environment with very well-behaved students.
§ Eleven acres of school grounds set in Green Belt land at Tonbridge Campus.
Further details about the role
The Head of Physics is committed to delivering the school’s vision and the high ambitions for the school’s future. Their clear strategic and operational activity leads to sustained improvements and raised standards across the organisation. The Head of Physics communicates to others clearly and regularly to their team and those they may work with about the strategic direction of “Development and Standards” policy and the operational functions for which they are accountable. In addition, they ensure that the systems that are introduced are understood and embedded in the everyday work of their Department including any subject specialisms that form part of the area’s work. The Head of Physics seeks to challenge underperformance and remove barriers to inclusion and achievement. The Head of Physics is an outstanding teacher and tutor who consistently models Professional Standards. They actively seek out best practice and inspires others also to continue to improve. The Head of Physics actively supports the activities of the school community and the wider community it serves.
The Post Holder’s role and responsibilities will be reviewed and negotiated annually to meet the needs of the school community and in order to support the colleague’s on-going professional development. The areas of responsibility will include a range of strategic and operational activities.
The Post Holder will support by:
- Leading the Physics department across all relevant key stages.
- Creating and maintaining positive and supportive relationships with students, staff, parents, the PTA, Trustees and all other stakeholders.
- Engaging with appropriate professional development opportunities to promote professional effectiveness in their role.
The Science Faculty has developed a strong reputation for excellent teaching and learning which has resulted in excellent results, a high number of students studying Science at A Level and significant numbers of students then studying for science degrees at leading universities. The Science Faculty has developed a curriculum which is innovative and focused on developing students’ lifelong love of learning, as well as achieving outstanding examination success.
The Science team is constantly seeking ways to improve and engages with educational research to develop the curriculum to equip our students with the substantive, disciplinary and procedural knowledge and opportunities for success to allow them to take the next step with confidence.
The Science Faculty operates across both Tonbridge and Sevenoaks campuses. It consists of a large number of full and part-time staff along with a strong team of science technicians servicing 15 well equipped laboratories. Much development has gone into enhancing the facilities and our new laboratories at Sevenoaks and Tonbridge provide superb teaching spaces.
Teamwork is vital to the success of a faculty of this size working over two campuses. It is therefore essential for the successful candidate to be able to galvanize the team, and use the benefits and challenges presented by this to drive teaching and learning forward to meet the needs of our students thus ensuring consistency in standards.
We teach a condensed KS3 curriculum in Years 7 and 8, following the Springboard Boost scheme, students are taught
six-hour long lessons per fortnight. Students follow the AQA GCSE single science specifications throughout Years 9 to
11. Students have a specialist science teacher for each discipline for GCSE, and a total of twelve-hour long lessons per
fortnight in Year 10 and thirteen in Year 11. At A Level our students follow the OCR Physics, Chemistry and Biology
specifications in ten-hour long lessons a fortnight split between two teachers
Application Closing Date: Monday 28 April 2025, 9AM
Shortlist Interview Date: Friday 2 May 2025
Early applications are advised as the School reserves the right to appoint at any stage during the application process.
The School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.
Applicants will be required to undergo child protection screening appropriate to the post. As this role involves 'regulated activity' with children the successful applicant will be required to complete a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) disclosure application. Employment will be conditional upon the College being satisfied with the result of the Enhanced DBS check and the outcome of all other checks.
The School will also carry out a check of the Children's Barred List on the successful applicant. Applicants should be aware that it is unlawful for the School to employ anyone to work with children if they are barred from doing so, and it is a criminal offence for a person to apply to work with children if they are barred from doing so.
This role is also exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and the School is therefore permitted to ask shortlisted applicants to declare all convictions and cautions (including those which are "spent" unless they are "protected" under the DBS filtering rules) in order to assess their suitability to work with children.
Commitment to safeguarding
Our organisation is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. We expect all staff, volunteers and trustees to share this commitment.
Our recruitment process follows the keeping children safe in education guidance.
Offers of employment may be subject to the following checks (where relevant):
childcare disqualification
Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS)
medical
online and social media
prohibition from teaching
right to work
satisfactory references
suitability to work with children
You must tell us about any unspent conviction, cautions, reprimands or warnings under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975.
Applying for the job
Please complete the online application.
CVs are not accepted.
Additional documents
If you need these documents in an accessible format, please contact the school.
About Weald of Kent Grammar School
- School type
- Academy, ages 11 to 18
- Education phase
- Secondary
- School size
- 1920 pupils enrolled
- Age range
- 11 to 18
- Ofsted report
- View Ofsted report
- School website
- Weald of Kent Grammar School website
- Email address
- hr@wealdgs.org
- Phone number
- 01732 373500
Weald of Kent is a selective Girls’ Grammar School for 11-18 year olds with a roll of approximately 2000 students including our co-educational Sixth Form. The school is one of the highest performing schools in the country. We aspire to excel at everything we do. Owing to our continued success we were thrilled to have been given permission by the Secretary of State to expand and mirror what we deliver at our Tonbridge campus in a campus at Sevenoaks, which opened in September 2017. In addition to the exciting new facilities, we have also invested in our Tonbridge campus which now has a state-of-the-art Sports Hall and university style Sixth Form Study Centre. A new science block and new English classrooms have been built this year. Both campuses are situated in beautiful rural settings with far reaching views across the Garden of England with excellent transport links.
Arranging a visit to Weald of Kent Grammar School
To arrange a visit and increase the chance of a successful application email hr@wealdgs.org.
School location
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