Teacher of History (Part-Time)

THE HISTORY DEPARTMENT

History is taught throughout the school by specialist members of staff . History of Art and Government & Politics are taught in the Sixth Form only. Teaching is allocated based on expertise and time available, rather than according to any rigid structure. 

The Department is an enthusiastic team, exchanging ideas and openly discussing policies and new developments. A rigorous approach to the teaching of disciplinary concepts is particularly favoured. A wide variety of teaching techniques are used, and the girls are encouraged to develop an interest in the past, whether or not they opt for History at exam level. We have a thriving History and Politics Forum which is led by Sixth Form students. This meets once a week to discuss topics of interest or listen to outside speakers. 

KEY STAGE 3: Schemes of work are regularly reviewed to meet the changing needs of the girls and to incorporate our focus on disciplinary concepts and ideas. The girls start in Year 7 with ‘Introduction in History’, which aims to develop source comprehension and explanation skills. We then follow a themed programme of study entitled ‘Living and Believing’, focusing on social history. In Year 8, pupils learn about the nature of political power and its journey from monarch to parliament. In Year 9 we focus upon the ‘Age of Empire’ which includes a depth study of the Transatlantic Slave Trade, India, and the role of Imperialism in the First World War. We like to organise as many educational visits as we can to support the curriculum. Trips organised include a two-day Battlefields tour to Ypres, Belgium in Year 9, and a trip to Germany every two years for IGCSE students. 

IGCSE HISTORY: The course is consistently popular and there are approximately 55 girls taking History as an option in each of Years 10 and 11. Girls study the Edexcel History International GCSE. The depth studies chosen are: ‘Development of Dictatorship: Germany, 1918-1945’ and ‘A Divided Union: Civil Rights in the USA, 1945-1974’. The historical investigation is ‘Russia and the Soviet Union, 1905–24’ and the breadth study is ‘Changes in Medicine, c1848–c1948’. 

A LEVEL HISTORY. The Department offers the OCR History course to students who study ‘The Early Tudors,’ The Cold War in Europe’ and ‘Civil Rights in the USA.’ They are required to complete an independently researched piece of Non-Examined Assessment.

GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS and HISTORY OF ART are well-established A Level subjects at St Helen’s. We follow the Edexcel specifications for these subjects.

RESOURCES: The History, History of Art and Politics Department is well-resourced with its own classrooms, all with interactive smartboards. We have a vast collection of rich media content, linked clearly to the Schemes of Work. We make use of ICT extensively in our teaching and shared resources are managed through the school SharePoint, Microsoft Teams, and a department OneNote. In Key Stages 3 and 4 OneNote pages are made available for every girl, for use at home and in class. Textbooks are also made available at KS4. In addition, there are many classes sets of texts which provide a variety of resources to aid teaching. 

The role will report to: Head of History / Assistant or Deputy Head

MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES

All teachers are expected to ensure the highest standards of teaching and learning by:

• Preparing and delivering challenging and differentiated lessons
• Setting homework in accordance with the school’s homework policy
• Marking work in accordance with the school’s marking policy
• Using all available data and information to ensure that each student is provided with an appropriate programme of study
• Having a good understanding of the schemes of work they are following and how these fit into the overall scheme of work for the subject they are teaching
• Keeping up to date with developments in the teaching of their subject
• Take a full and active role in the School’s Co-Curricular programme.

Other Duties:

• Carry out such duties as may reasonably be required by the Head of Department
• Support and promote the school’s ethos, aims and objectives.
• Work towards and support the school vision and the current school objectives outlined in the School Strategic Plan
• Promote and safeguard the welfare of pupils and adhere to and ensure compliance with the School’s Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy
• Work within the School’s health and safety policy to ensure a safe working environment for staff, pupils and visitors.
• Promote equality of opportunity for all students and staff
• Help sustain a school culture and curriculum which promotes an ethical education for all including promoting positive strategies for challenging discrimination of any kind.
• Maintain high professional standards of attendance, punctuality, appearance, conduct and positive, courteous relations with pupils, parents and colleagues.
• Engage actively in the performance review process.
• Undertake other reasonable duties related to the job purpose required from time to time.

THE PERSON

It is essential for the successful candidate to have the following qualifications, experience, and personal attributes:

• A good honours degree in a relevant or associated subject.
• A love of teaching and learning and a commitment to further professional development
• Be able to work well with others and develop the curriculum through collaborative planning.
• Excellent classroom practice with experience of teaching History across the secondary age range including KS5.
• Detailed understanding of current developments in the secondary curriculum and assessment
• Be able to lead learning in their classroom, develop each child and demonstrable passion for the subject.

It is desirable for the successful candidate to have the following qualifications, experience, and personal attributes:

• A teaching qualification such as PGCE (or equivalent)
• Evidence of further professional development
• Knowledge and experience of how technology can be used to support learning.

APPLICATION PROCESS

Please apply as soon as possible as shortlisting/interviews will progress up until the closing date. Should a suitable candidate be appointed, we reserve the right to close the advert early. 

Due to the high volume of applicants, we receive, if you do not hear from us within 4 weeks of the closing date, please assume we will not be progressing your application further on this occasion.

THE SELECTION PROCESS

Shortlisted candidates will be invited to the school where they will be interviewed by the Head of History and members of the Senior Leadership team, be observed teaching a lesson, and have a tour of the school.

St Helen’s school is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people, as detailed in Part 3 (Safer Recruitment) of the KCSIE 2023 guidance document. Applicants will be asked for proof of right to work in the UK and undergo child protection screening, including checks with past employers and the disclosure and barring service.