20 days remaining to apply

  • Start date details

    September 2025

  • Closing date

    22 April 2025 at 8am

  • Date listed

    26 March 2025

Job details

Visa sponsorship

Visas cannot be sponsored

Key stage

Key stage 3, Key stage 4, Key stage 5

Subject

Languages

Working pattern

Full time: Full time

Contract type

Permanent

Pay scale

£31,650 - £49,084

What skills and experience we're looking for

The Downs School seeks a creative, innovative and engaging classroom practitioner with a genuine enthusiasm for Languages. This is an exciting opportunity to join a supportive and motivated team where your skills and ideas will play a pivotal role in positively shaping students’ lives, aligned to our vision: ‘educating today’s students for the world of tomorrow’

Our highly successful and forward-thinking Languages Faculty comprises expert linguists united by their commitment to constantly improving their practice. Our commitment to CPD and inspirational teaching and learning is a stand-out feature of both the department and the school. The Languages team places Conti teaching techniques at the core of the curriculum, ensuring all students can actively participate and experience success. The successful candidate will join their colleagues in taking a lead role in the pursuit of ever-improving practice designed to accelerate student progression.

About the Role: As a successful candidate, you will:

  • Motivate and Inspire: Bring your enthusiasm for Languages into the classroom, igniting curiosity and a love for learning.
  • Build Relationships: Foster positive, trusting relationships that make learning both exciting and appropriately challenging.
  • Embrace Innovation: Adopt and contribute to creative, forward-thinking teaching methods.

  • Deliver Expertise: Showcase strong subject knowledge in languages, teaching your discipline (Spanish, German or French) with confidence and clarity up to at least Key Stage 4.
  • Collaborate: Contribute to the success of our Languages faculty by working closely with a dedicated team of teachers.


The Downs School and Sixth Form is a successful, oversubscribed, and popular school serving the stunning Downs area of West Berkshire. Our results demonstrate the impact of our commitment to outstanding teaching and learning. We lead all schools in the county for attainment and were ranked in the top 200 schools nationally for our Progress 8 last summer.

We reserve the right to close this vacancy if we receive sufficient applications for the role. Therefore, if you are interested, please submit your application via TES as early as possible. Further information can be found at thedownsschool.org or by contacting Sarah Townsend, HR Manager.

Closing date: Tuesday 22 April 2025 at 8am

The Downs School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people. Successful applicants

What the school offers its staff

What we offer: In return, you’ll enjoy:

  • Caring Environment: Our positive ethos prioritises staff well-being and recognition.
  • Empowerment: Work alongside ambitious, dedicated colleagues who are committed to developing the whole child.
  • Outstanding Behaviour: A collegiate, therapeutic approach ensures exemplary student behaviour—praised by Ofsted: “Pupils’ behaviour is impeccable. Pupils arrive at lessons on time and ready to learn.”
  • Exceptional Students: Engage with children who love being at school and have a strong attitude towards their learning.
  • Professional Environment: Join a stimulating and collaborative workplace in a school Ofsted labelled as ‘exceptional’ in October 2024
  • Professional Growth: Access extraordinary professional development and support to enhance your teaching skills.
  • Flexible Work Options: We value work balance through, amongst other things, the availability of flexible working, our ‘Time for you Tuesdays’, commuted INSETs and Employee Assistance Programme.

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

Apply for the job by following the link below.

CVs are not accepted.

Visas cannot be sponsored.
How to apply
If you're interested in teaching or training to teach in England as an international citizen, we can help you understand your next steps.

Additional documents

If you need these documents in an accessible format, please contact the school.

About The Downs School

School type
Local authority maintained school, ages 11 to 18
Education phase
Secondary
School size
1405 pupils enrolled
Age range
11 to 18
Ofsted report
View Ofsted report

The Downs School, a Foundation, 11-18 comprehensive school, is a successful, oversubscribed and popular school serving the Downs area of West Berkshire. The roll is nearly 1300 with a well-established sixth form. Results at all levels are consistently above national averages and Ofsted described our students as having ‘excellent personal and social skills’ who ‘achieve well academically’.

Arranging a visit to The Downs School

To arrange a visit and increase the chance of a successful application email recruitment@thedownsschool.org.

School location

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