Head of Modern Foreign Languages

Applications are invited for the post of Head of Modern Foreign Languages at Shaftesbury School. This is a great opportunity to join a fantastic school community with a very dedicated and hardworking staff team, excellent facilities and wonderful students in a beautiful part of the world. We were judged as ‘good’ with outstanding features in our latest Ofsted inspection in May 2017. The last SIAMS inspection was also graded as ‘good’. Shaftesbury School is one of only 38 state boarding schools in the country. Our boarding residence at Barton Hill House provides accommodation for over 100 boarders. We have boarders from many corners of the globe including Spain, Germany and Hong Kong, enriching our learning environment through their diverse cultures, faiths and traditions. We are a great, local community school with an international outlook. 

The school is part of the Sherborne Area Schools’ Trust, which has 5000 students in 17 schools – 4 secondary and 13 primary - serving north Dorset and south Somerset. At the heart of the trust is the desire to work in partnership, to collaborate with others and to be outward facing for the benefit of children and staff. The schools have extensive links beyond the immediate area and are keen to extend these further including leading the North Dorset Teaching School Alliance. Each school has a special and distinct identity to reflect the needs of its local community.

 The successful candidate will: 

• Have a passion for all aspects of MFL teaching
• Have excellent communication skills and the ability to celebrate and promote high quality teaching and learning 
• Have the ability to embrace and contribute to the vision of the Department and school 
• Be able to build relationships
• Have a positive approach 
• Have a real interest in educational issues, approaches and alternatives from around the world 
• Be proactive and motivated 
• Use resources, intellect, creativity and innovation to be successful 
• Have the ability to support, challenge and inspire our students, encouraging them to achieve the best they can through the promotion of outstanding teaching and learning 
• Have the ability to be a team player who will go the extra mile to support students and who will enjoy the opportunities of this role 

We can provide you:

• Supportive, experienced school team of staff and governors
• Great leadership opportunities to develop your career
• An attractive location
• The chance to make a difference and contribute to the school’s future development 
• Training and leadership development 
• The opportunity to work within SAST, a forward-thinking and growing multi-academy trust
• Support and collaboration with other schools across the Trust.
• The expertise available from a National Teaching School
• The opportunity to be involved in the North Dorset Teaching School Alliance