Job details
Visa sponsorship
- Visas cannot be sponsored
Subject
- Science
Working pattern
- Full time
Contract type
- Permanent
Full-time equivalent salary
- MPS / UPS
Additional allowances
TLR 1.2 £10204
Learning Leader Science job summary
Learning Leader of Science
MPS/UPS + TLR 1.2 (£10204)
Required from 1st September 2022
As part of our journey to become ‘a truly great school’, we are looking for a highly effective and motivated Learning Leader to join our dynamic and successful Science department. Building on our current success, where we have seen Grade 4+ results almost double over the last few years, we wish to invest in an exceptional leader in order to support our ambition to be in the top 20% of schools nationally. The successful candidate will be an excellent classroom teacher with the vision and expertise to lead the ongoing improvement of students’ outcomes in Science.
Leading the Science team you will inspire staff and students to achieve beyond expectations and build on the current success enjoyed by the department, where 98% of students achieved 4+ in Chemistry, 96% 4+ in Biology, 89% 4+ in Physics and 46% 4+ in Combined Science. The department also runs a number of extra-curricular activities and visits, such as the hugely successful and well attended Science Club, to inspire a love and passion for Science. We offer both Triple and Combined Sciences at KS4 to ensure that we offer an aspirational curriculum to all our students. The Learning Leader for Science also has responsibility for our vocational Animal Care course which runs successfully in Key Stage 4.
Sir John Thursby Community College is a good school and we are passionate about and ambitious for our students. We value and care for our staff and seek to abandon anything that hinders the preparation of great lessons and creates unnecessary workload.
Our last Ofsted in January 2020 noted that, "Sir John Thursby Community College continues to be a good school. Staff enjoy working at this school. The pupils that we spoke to told us that they feel safe at school. They have good relationships with staff and they are well cared for. Senior leaders are determined to make the school better for pupils and staff."
Our beautiful, state of the art building ensures that our students and staff have the best learning environment in which to achieve. We are a very positive community, with our recent staff survey showing that over 97% of our staff enjoy coming to work and are proud to be part of our school. At SJT we view the professional development of all staff as a priority and our innovative ‘Learn Together’ initiative enables all staff to be on our outstanding teacher programme.
We are looking for a teacher who shares our drive and passion to inspire our students with the love of their subject and has the motivation and expertise to:
• Take responsibility for the leadership of the Science department
• Ensure that achievement rises in the department by effective analysis of student performance and through the delivery of an appropriate and inspiring curriculum
The successful candidate will fully embrace our ethos of ‘Belong, Believe, Achieve’ whilst bringing fresh ideas that will build on current strengths and achievements through:
• Outstanding classroom practice and an ability to engage all young people.
• A commitment to contribute to our extra-curricular programme.
• The ability to motivate students of all abilities to achieve their full potential.
• A passion and commitment to raise standards and achievement.
• The ability to work and contribute as part of a team.
• Commitment, resilience, patience, hard work and a good sense of humour.
• The willingness to do what it takes to achieve our goals.
We welcome visitors to the school (COVID restrictions permitting). To arrange a time to visit and meet with the headteacher please contact his PA Leanne Barwell (email - l.barwell@sirjohnthursby.lancs.sch.uk. or telephone 01282 682313 ext: 21009).
Further details and application form are available from the college website or Irene Hayhurst (on behalf of the Headteacher) as detailed below.
• Website: www.sirjohnthursby.lancs.sch.uk
• Sir John Thursby Community College, Eastern Avenue, Burnley, BB10 2AT Tel: 01282 682313
• email i.hayhurst@sirjohnthursby.lancs.sch.uk
Please submit your completed application form (on the version supplied with this vacancy) to Mrs I Hayhurst: i.hayhurst@sirjohnthursby.lancs.sch.uk
Closing date: 9am Tuesday 8th February 2022
Shortlisting: 10th February 2022
Interview date: w/c 21st February 2022
The school is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and expects staff and volunteers to share this commitment. You will be required to undertake an enhanced DBS disclosure and a range of other recruitment checks.
Further information about the job
The candidate will be required to undergo a full enhanced DBS check and must be eligible to work in the UK.
Visas cannot be sponsored.
If you're interested in teaching or training to teach in England as an international citizen, we can
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Commitment to safeguarding
The school is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and expects staff and volunteers to share this commitment. You will be required to undertake an enhanced DBS disclosure and a range of other recruitment checks. Please note that in line with Keeping Children Safe in Education 2025 an online search will be carried out as part of our due diligence on shortlisted candidates.
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About Sir John Thursby Community College
- School type
- Local authority maintained school, ages 11 to 16
- Education phase
- Secondary
- School size
- 1118 pupils enrolled
- Age range
- 11 to 16
Background Information and Introduction from the Headteacher
I am incredibly proud to be leading a committed team of staff in our vibrant, ambitious and progressive community School.
We are characterised by how we treat our people. Everything we do is driven by our strategic vision and our ambition to be a beacon of excellence for our students and families. We are research driven and our work is linked to our core values of Ambition, Respect and Belonging. We are passionate about learning and we have a genuine commitment to ensuring our staff have autonomy, within a framework of a respectful, professional environment.
Sir John Thursby Community College is a mixed 11-16, multi-cultural, fully inclusive school which values all students, staff and our community partners. We have over 1,100 students on roll and over 150 staff enjoying working together to provide the best for everyone. In our latest Ofsted report in April 2023, the school was graded ‘good’ in every area and inspectors commented that the pupils ‘enjoy attending this thriving and popular school'
People and relationships are at the heart of what we do. One of our key values is that all members of our school community are known, valued and loved. We are firmly committed to ensuring that all our staff have a positive work/life balance and we give all our teaching staff a minimum of 20% non-contact time. In our 2025 staff survey, 97% of our staff said they would recommend SJT as a great place to work.
We have a highly ambitious curriculum with over 70% of students following the EBacc subjects. Our results are consistently strong, and students make excellent progress from their starting points. Our behaviour system is built around the principles of relational practice and students behave well.
I would encourage you to come and visit SJT to see why we all believe that it is a special place to work. I am always keen to show people around our school so would welcome any contact for an appointment to see us in action.
Mr Matt Renshaw - Headteacher
SJT is committed to safeguarding and expects all applicants to share this commitment. All staff are required to adhere to our safeguarding policies and procedures and regularly undertake a full enhanced DBS check.
Arranging a visit to Sir John Thursby Community College
To arrange a visit and increase the chance of a successful application email i.hayhurst@sirjohnthursby.lancs.sch.uk.