Head of Physics

Head of Physics 

Highly competitive salary (TLR 2b £4,749 – salary negotiable based on experience) 

(with opportunity to also become a Specialist Leader of Education (paid on Leadership scale))

September 2019 start

‘This is an outstanding school. Teachers have high expectations of their students, who respond by producing excellent work.’ (OFSTED, June 2015)

Do you want to be part of a team and ‘family’ of people who are working together to achieve our mission of preparing all of our pupils for success at university and beyond?

Do you want to work in a school where you are free to teach ‘powerful knowledge’, in a culture that is scholarly, disciplined and joyful whilst unhindered by bureaucracy?

This is a fantastic opportunity for an ambitious practitioner, who wants to lead the rapidly growing 11-18 Physics curriculum area and make a real impact on further driving up standards. 

Despite being a ‘secondary modern’ in a selective grammar school borough, our mind-set is that we are a ‘grammar school for all’. We are unapologetically ambitious for every child, no matter what their background, prior attainment or needs. Our mission is to prepare every student to be able to go to university or high-powered alternative. We believe in the traditional values of hard work and kindness. We believe in teaching powerful knowledge, ’the best that has been thought and said’. We believe in an ‘entitlement curriculum’ for all, that ‘Knowledge is Power’, with an underpinning philosophy that ‘education for all should confer the benefits associated with education for the rich.’

Our Academy is a vibrant and exciting place to work and was graded as outstanding in all areas by Ofsted in June 2015. In 2018, Magna achieved a Progress 8 score of 1.04, placing us 38th nationally (top 1%). 

We believe that we are starting to do something for our pupils that is really special. However, we know that our results, whilst ground-breaking, are not yet enough to achieve the vision that we have for our academy: for all pupils to ‘climb their personal mountain to university or aspirational alternative.’ Addressing this, is the exciting next stage of our journey.

We value our staff highly, and treat work load very seriously. Our systems ensure you can really focus on your core purpose – teaching, in a sustainable way, unhindered by bureaucracy or poor behaviour.

What we offer:

• A professional progression model to enable you to progress to a Head of Science position
• Support and line management from an experienced Head of Science and a Science SLE 
• Great students who behave impeccably – you can make a massive difference to them
• ‘Warm and strict’ behaviour systems, including’ silent corridors’, with very warm relationships, meaning pupils feel safe and secure
• Same-day centralised detentions, including homework detentions (you do not need to organise/run/chase them at all)
• A feedback policy focused on whole class feedback – we do not have onerous marking policies
• A centralised homework system at KS3 – you do not need to mark KS3 homework
• No formal graded lesson observations – just ongoing ‘no-stakes’ feedback, helping you to continuously develop – we believe that trusting our staff with autonomy helps to develop a strong staff culture
• Collaborative planning with centralised, shared units of work and resources
• CPD starts as soon as you are appointed
• State of the art facilities and a very pleasant location in beautiful Dorset

The successful candidate will be:

• an excellent teacher of Physics/Science, who has a love for Physics 
• someone who does whatever it takes to ensure the life chances and ‘cultural capital’ of all our pupils are maximised
• totally aligned to our values and mission. If you are the type of person who fits with our culture, you will love working here
• aligned with our teaching philosophy, built around Lemov’s ‘Teach Like a Champion’ and teaching ‘powerful knowledge’

You will have excellent progression opportunities to become an SLE and/or Head of Science as the Academy, National Teaching School, National Support School and MAT continue to grow. 

We actively welcome visits and would be delighted to show you around our Academy. 

To apply, please click on the “quick apply” button to submit an online application.

Please contact zchallis@magna-aspirations.org or 01202 604222 to arrange a visit or an informal, confidential discussion about the role. 

Closing date for applications: 9am Monday 7th January 2019.

Learn more about Magna Academy at: www.magna-aspirations,org

Magna Academy is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. The successful candidate will be subject to an enhanced DBS check before taking up the post.