Graduate Teaching Assistant - Dean Close School

Graduate Teaching Assistant - Dean Close School

Salary: £14,000

Location: Cheltenham

This is a temporary, full time vacancy.

The Vacancy

The Role

The School is seeking to appoint a number of enthusiastic post-graduate students, who may be considering a career in teaching. Under the line management of the Pastoral Deputy Head, the GTA role is pivotal in providing sporting and academic support for pupils, a top-class evening and weekend activity programme, contributing to the academic life of the school and being an integral part of the boarding community. Graduates from a variety of academic disciplines are encouraged to apply.

Duties

The role demands flexibility and adaptability from the successful candidates, but the main duties and responsibilities include:

Pastoral role

• You will be allocated to a boarding house where you will take a share of boarding house duties during the week, evenings and weekends and supporting the houseparent (HsM) and tutor team.
• You will participate in team tutoring a small group of pupils helping them with their academic progress, co-curricular commitments and pastoral issues.
• You will also be required to assist with duties and pupils in the Day House Village.
• You will be integral in helping the HsMs in organising and supervising House events such as House Evenings and tutor outings.

Co-curricular expectations

• Depending on your personal aptitude and experience, you will assist with the delivery of learning outside of the academic classroom in areas such as music, drama and art.
• A major apart of your role will be coaching, running teams, officiating at matches and travelling to away fixtures as appropriate in hockey, tennis, cricket, netball and/or rugby as well as minor sports.
• You will be expected to participate fully in the co-curricular programme at the school, running or assisting with societies and extra-curricular activities including some 6th form specific events, as appropriate.
• You will be key in the provision of the evening and weekend activities programme. Availability for most term-time weekends, including soft exeats, is expected.

Academic involvement

• You can expect to be affiliated to an academic department relevant to your degree. Starting with lesson observations and progressing to team or small group teaching you can assess whether a teaching career is for you.
• There will be opportunities to provide academic support to pupils and departments outside the classroom such as field trips, departmental visits and pupil clinics and possibly trips overseas.
• A significant part of your role is the supervision of workrooms and lessons during a teacher’s absence.
• You may be required to invigilate public and internal exams.
• Dean Close School is part of the Cheltenham Educational Partnership which includes both state and independent schools. There are likely to be opportunities to get involved in CEP events throughout the year.
• Several internationally renowned festivals take place in Cheltenham every year. As a GTA you will be encouraged to accompany groups to participate in or watch festival events as appropriate.

Whole school commitments

• You will be required to assist with school duties particularly in the Dining Hall.
• GTAs are members of the Common Room so are expected to attend staff meetings and INSET.
• You may occasionally be required by the Health Centre to escort pupils to hospital or other appointments and provide overnight cover.
• There may be an occasional requirement to accompany international pupils to or from airports at the beginning or end of terms.
• Other duties will be required from time to time which are deemed as appropriate by the Deputy Head Pastoral.

Dean Close is a seven-day-a-week boarding school so the successful candidates must be prepared to take a full part in the school community during the 34 weeks of term time. Consequently, this post requires full weekly, evening and weekend commitments, including soft exeats, however each GTA is timetabled to have 24 hours off during the week.

There will be training, formally and informally, in a variety of aspects of modern teaching and coaching practice. The school frequently requires assistance with lifeguarding (for extra payment) so successful candidates are encouraged to acquire training. Other professional training opportunities may well be available.

Please see the job description for further information.

The Foundation

Dean Close Foundation is a growing, vibrant and diverse family of independent schools and nurseries, uniting around a shared vision and set of values. These spring from the origins of Dean Close School, which was founded in 1886 in memory of Dean Francis Close, Rector of Cheltenham and educational philanthropist. The Christian ethos of that original school continues today where the aim is that every child should be given the opportunities to flourish, underpinned by its core values of courage, contribution and love which are the guiding principles behind its educational vision. The Foundation currently has five schools and six nurseries within its group, creating a strong community that can share best practice, resources and a secure future.

Dean Close Foundation is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. Applicants must be willing to undergo child protection screening appropriate to the post, including checks with past employers and the Disclosure and Barring Service.