Summary

School name
Elemore Hall School
Address
Pittington, Durham, DH6 1QD
School type
Special school, ages 11 to 16
Education phase
Not applicable
Age range
11 to 16
Size
208 pupils enrolled
Website address
http://www.elemorehallschool.com (opens in new tab)

About Elemore Hall School

Dear Potential Applicant
Teacher of Cookery and Nutrition
Thank you for your interest in the current vacancy at Elemore Hall School. I hope that you will find the enclosed information useful.
Elemore Hall is three site SEMH Special School consisting of two 90 place KS3/4 sites and a 20 place KS4 provision for pupils with complex SEMH. Cookery and Nutrition is a long established subject on both of our main sites. Every pupil studies the subject from Y7-11 as we see the subject as not only a route to qualifications and a potential future career, more importantly we are providing pupils with essential life skills, knowledge and confidence around food choice and preparation.
The vacancy has arisen because the current long term post holder has decided to retire this summer. The successful applicant will be based on the Windlestone site but will work collaboratively with the other teacher of Cookery and Nutrition based on the Pittington site in the planning, development, promotion and delivery of the subject. Cookery is highly regarded in the school and every pupil is expected to achieve accreditation in the subject- currently this is BTEc in Home Cookery Skills. The successful applicant would be Teacher Tutor to a class group and involved in delivering the Culture Programme (PSHE, Citizenship, Tutor activities, etc) on a Friday morning. All teachers are encouraged to work some hours beyond the school day as part of our extended/residential activity programme (this is paid extra).
The school plays a vital part in the educational provision for pupils with Social, Emotional & Mental Health Difficulties within County Durham. The Governors and the LA are committed to providing a high quality service for its pupils and their families, where appropriate in conjunction with other professional agencies. We work closely with other professionals and have regular input for pupils and staff from other services particularly educational psychology.
Pupils at the school follow a mainstream style curriculum, moving between subject specialists and working towards accreditation. Classrooms are well resourced. Classes usually have a maximum of 9 pupils and will invariably have at least one Learning Support Assistant in addition to the teacher. Many of our pupils have had a difficult time in school before coming to Elemore (and may continue to experience difficulties), consequently many have a delay in their acquisition of basic skills, nonetheless we have the capacity to offer GCSE, BTec and/or other accreditation in most subjects.
From September 2021 the school has been split over three sites. Elemore Hall itself is based in an 18th Century Manor House that has been added to over the years including a classroom area in the mid 1990’s and a Performing Arts Room, Food Technology area and Sports Hall added in 2015. Outside we have around 40 acres of grounds including extensive woodland and grassland that can be used to support the curriculum for the 90 pupils who attend the site. The Windlestone site is for 90 pupils and is based in a purpose built facility that is around 16 years old, it too has excellent grounds including a farm. The third site is our KS4 Provision for complex SEMH – PACC, which provides for up to twenty pupils. Staff are encouraged to use the facilities across the sites to provide the strongest curriculum possible.
An essential part of our work is the personal, social and independence development of our pupils to enable them to be more able to access the classroom curriculum and, more importantly, the wider word and life post16. Every pupil has a personal tutor (a member of the Learning Support or Residential staff team) who works closely with the pupil and liaises regularly with their family.
Beyond the school day, both sites offer evening activities for most pupils and weekday residential provision for between 20 and 25 pupils per site. This makes an essential contribution to personal and social development.
The vacancy provides an opportunity to be part of a dynamic and forward-looking provision in this area of education. This is not a job for the faint hearted, working in this field of education is extremely demanding, but can be very rewarding. Applicants should ideally be, or have the capacity to become, Outstanding practitioners. Hard work, flexibility, striving for high quality, resilience & determination, teamwork and a sense of humour are key elements of being a successful member of staff at our school. Please read ALL of the information enclosed to ensure that this is the right job for you and that you are able to rise to the challenges that it brings! Having the right personal characteristics and attitude is more important than experience and consequently we welcome applications from NQTs right through to teachers on Upper 3.
For most people, working and teaching at Elemore is more than just a job. The staff team work very closely together regardless of their role or job description, and the links and relationships that we build with parents/carers and with the pupils are exemplary and a real strength of the school. Staff also enjoy a degree of independence and are fully involved in developing their own programmes for both the daytime curriculum and for extra-curricular and evening activities. As a school we aim to provide staff with a sense of purpose, a quality working environment and a commitment to career development. Most teachers who leave the school either do so to retire or go on to leadership posts in other schools.
The real nature of the work here is best described by talking with staff and pupils at the school and we strongly encourage visits from potential candidates, (this also allows you to get a feel for the atmosphere and ethos of the place). Please contact the school to arrange a visit, alternatively feel free to contact Michael Hunter (Headteacher designate) or Andrea Davies (Site Lead – Windlestone site) if you require any additional information or for an informal discussion on 01388 720337.
You might also look at the school website - www.elemorehallschool.com for more information.
Completed application forms, along with a covering letter of application outlining why you would like to work here and why you think that you would be a good candidate for the post, should be sent to the school for my attention by Tuesday 13th May 2025 either by post or preferably by email to richard.royle@elemorehallschool.com , Interviews: Wednesday 21st May 2025
Thank you for reading, I look forward to hearing from you.
Yours sincerely

Richard Royle
Richard Royle
Headteacher

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.

Location and map

Pittington, Durham, DH6 1QD

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