Director of Business Studies

Director of Business Studies, Ridgeway Education Trust

Didcot Girls’ School

Role commences: 1st September 2020 

Salary/allowances: MPS/UPS scale point + TLR1.2 £9,927pa

Thank you for your interest in this exciting post. Application forms, other recruitment material and a copy of the school’s prospectus are available on the school website under the ‘Join Us’ tab. 

Ridgeway Education Trust comprises Didcot Girls’ School, St Birinus School, Didcot Sixth Form and Sutton Courtenay CofE Primary School. Our vision is to provide an exceptional education for 3 -19 year olds in Didcot and the local community. 

This post is for a Director of Business Studies to lead the subject across the secondary schools and sixth form in the Trust. The post is based at Didcot Girls’ School. Didcot Sixth Form is a mixed sixth form of some 300 students. St Birinus School is Ofsted Good (February 2020) and Didcot Girls’ Ofsted Outstanding (November 2015). As Ofsted recognised, we invest in all of our staff: ‘Staff have exceptional opportunities for professional development. Staff feel valued and really like working in the school. Morale is very high.'(Ofsted). 

Didcot Girls’ School is a values-driven school, committed to high quality teaching and learning and respectful relationships within an inclusive learning community. Developing stimulating and student-centred teaching and learning is at the centre of our school development work. We work hard to ensure that all girls’ education enables our students to develop confidence, leadership skills and high levels of aspiration. 

Last summer’s GCSE results were superb with 83% of all students achieving 4+ in English and Maths, and 64% doing the same at 5+. Our Attainment 8 figure was significantly above national average at 54.3 and our Progress 8 of +0.71 places us the top 3% of schools nationally. Results at A level in the mixed sixth form shared with our partner school, St Birinus School, are also extremely strong.

The Faculty 

The Business Studies Faculty currently comprises three teachers, including the Director of Business Studies and the Head of Economics, at Didcot Girls’ School and one teacher at St Birinus School. This post carries faculty responsibility for A level Business Studies in Didcot Sixth Form and GCSE Business Studies at Didcot Girls’ School and St Birinus School. The Faculty achieves consistently strong outcomes in absolute and value-added terms at all levels, with standards in the Sixth Form particularly high. 

The successful candidate will teach at Didcot Girls’ School and in Didcot Sixth Form and will also be responsible for GCSE standards and outcomes at St Birinus School. 

Accommodation

The Faculty is based at Didcot Girls’ School and accommodated in specialist rooms with whiteboards, projectors and computers as well as a team room and work area which is shared with the Head of Economics and Psychology Department.

Didcot Sixth Form is based at St Birinus School although teaching takes place flexibly at both sites.

Curriculum

KS4 starts in Yr 9 and the take-up for GCSE Business Studies is very strong at both schools. We follow the Edexcel specification at GCSE and Post-16. There are two year groups per cohort studying at A level. From September we will also be offering Economics at A level taught by the Head of Economics.

Extra-Curricular Activities

We would like the successful candidate to extend the range of extra-curricular provision available to Business Studies students at GCSE and A level. 

The Post

This is a key post leading a strong faculty across Ridgeway Education Trust. We are looking for an excellent leader: someone who communicates well and understands how to support and challenge others. Someone who is committed to building a cohesive and ambitious team and nurturing a culture of continual learning and development. We seek someone who has a genuine and infectious passion for Business Studies, who will enthuse and engage the students they teach: someone with high expectations for all students and very strong subject knowledge.

Application Process

Please download and complete an application form from the school website (under ‘Join us’) and send it with a response to the following task to Frances Adley at fadley@didcotgirls.oxon.sch.uk: 

• A response of no more than 2 sides of A4 (11 point) explaining what excellent teaching, learning and curriculum looks like in Business Studies.

The deadline for applications is 9am on 14th April 2020. Please submit your application as soon as possible as candidates may be interviewed before the closing date and the school reserves the right to withdraw the position if an early appointment is made.

Given the current national emergency regarding the outbreak of coronavirus,   interviews may take place via skype should it not prove possible to run a recruitment day in school.

Please be aware that you will be required to bring your original degree certificate, proof of residence and your Disclosure and Barring Service or CRB certificate, if applicable, to your interview.  

I thank you for your interest in this exciting post and wish you well with your application.  

Tom Goodenough

Headteacher

Didcot Girls’ School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.