Teacher of English (Maternity Cover - part-time) Torquay Girls Grammar School, Torquay, Devon
Job description
An opportunity has arisen to teach in our thriving English Department. We require Maternity Cover teaching KS3 English and Year 10 Literature & Language from 13th April 2020 to Easter 2021. The role will be 0.50fte with 2 full days off a week, then increase to 0.80fte in September 2020.
If you are an outstanding teacher with vision and dynamism, join us teaching bright, motivated girls in a beautiful part of the country. Results place us in the top 20 girls’ schools nationally; we were the Sunday Times South West State School of the Year 2019; and we are Ofsted Outstanding.
What We’re Looking For:
• Enthusiasm, a positive outlook and a sense of perspective
• The ability to work independently and collaboratively
• A willingness to try new approaches or ideas
• A positive attitude to professional development and own learning
• Reliability, integrity and excellent personal organization
• A willingness to accompany students on trips to competitions and useful experiences
• Subject knowledge sufficient to challenge the most able students up to A Level and beyond
TGGS is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults, and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.
The English Department at Torquay Girls’ Grammar School is a dynamic and collaborative team. We enjoy working together to design and deliver an exciting curriculum that engages our students and promotes enjoyment of the subject. Learning in English is active and lively. We encourage students to be independent in their thinking and to communicate their ideas confidently, asking questions, challenging ideas and using technology for both research and presentation purposes.
Our aim is to enthuse students through our own passion for English, nurturing both their critical and creative skills. Across all key stages, we provide opportunities that enhance our students’ experience of English; these include creative writing clubs, book groups and outreach work with local primary schools: for example, the Writing Fiction for Young Children initiative. Additionally, we run several theatre trips annually so that students can see their set texts ‘come alive’ on the stage.
Currently, all Key Stage 3 classes are taught in mixed-ability groups of approximately 30 students. At Key Stage 4, classes are also mixed-ability and we follow the Edexcel specification for both English Language and English Literature GCSE. At A Level, we have 2 groups in Years 12 and 13, each of which typically contains 15 students, and we follow the AQA English Literature A specification. The successful applicant will be expected to teach across a variety of year groups in KS3 and KS4 and will be provided with schemes of work/departmental resources for all aspects of teaching. Classrooms are equipped with a projector and an interactive whiteboard.
For further information, or to arrange an informal discussion of the role, please email Mrs Jo Preston, Head of English jpreston@tggsacademy.org
Essential educational requirements
A good Honours degree in an English related subject
Essential qualifications
A recognized teaching qualification PGCE or BEd
Qualified Teacher Status (QTS)
Essential skills and experience
• The ability to teach English to A-level
• An ability to articulate the importance/benefits of the subject for students and a commitment to selective education.
• Subject knowledge sufficient to challenge the most able students
• An awareness of the strategies for improving the learning and achievement of high ability students
• Awareness of recent curricular developments in English
• Experience of developing the English curriculum and resources
• Evidence of an ability to use a range of teaching and learning strategies
• Evidence of an ability to inspire a passion for English in others
• Evidence of how you have used assessment for learning/data to improve student attainment
• A confident and competent user of ICT for teaching
• Effective use of a VLE
• A strong ability to communicate effectively with all stakeholders
About Torquay Girls Grammar School
Torquay Girls’ Grammar school is the Sunday Times South West Secondary School of the Year 2019. There are currently 935 pupils in the school, 240 of them in the 6th form. There are two major points of entry: 150 places in Y7, where the pupils must take the 11+, and the Sixth Form where we take in about 50 external students. At both points of entry we are heavily oversubscribed. We take in students from a wide geographical catchment with approximately half coming from Torbay and half from Devon. We have a healthy balance of staff from NQTs to very experienced teachers, as well as a wide spread across the age range; this mix of experience and background provides for a happy, stimulating and rewarding environment. The role is to nurture the academic and personal development of our students. The teaching timetable is based on a 50 period fortnight with an average teaching load of 42 periods. The daily routine is from 8.40am to 3.45pm with after-school and lunchtime activities. In 2018 at A level 83% of grades were A*/ A or B and at GCSE over 71% were A or A*. This makes us one of the top twenty performing state girls’ schools nationally. Our 2016 Progress 8 score of 0.83 and ALPS score of 3 means we make outstanding progress when compared to similar schools. We were inspected by Ofsted in September 2011 and they judged us to be outstanding in all 22 key judgements and hence Outstanding overall. They wrote in the report that “Staff morale is very high.” 95%+ of pupils go on to top universities with some 10+ applying to Oxford or Cambridge each year. The school is extremely fortunate in attracting and retaining staff of the highest quality.
- Address
- 30 Shiphay Lane, Torquay, Devon, TQ2 7DY
- Phase
- Secondary
- Type
- Academy
- Website
- Torquay Girls Grammar School website (opens in a new window)