Teacher of English

“This is a good school”

“Pupils show high levels of respect”

“…the standards they attain are rising year on year and are now good”

Ofsted 2019

For September 2024 a well-qualified, committed and experienced teacher of English is required to join our thriving department.  This position is a full time, permanent position.

The successful candidate will join a supportive team of ten English teachers and a dedicated school librarian. A dynamic, innovative and inspirational approach to teaching and learning is essential, as is an ability to work effectively in a team which values academic rigour, growth and altruism. Whilst there are currently postholders in the faculty with responsibilities for key stage four, film studies, and whole-school literacy, we encourage each other to lead from within the team; consequently, there will be professional development opportunities for the successful candidate. TLR responsibilities may be available for suitably experienced candidates which can be explored at interview. A familiarity with the AQA specifications for GCSE English Language and English Literature would be an advantage but is not essential.

Our commitment to setting high expectations for students is reflected in a curriculum which places ambition at its heart. At key stage three, longer schemes of work provide opportunities for in-depth study and mastery of key skills, whilst our selection of texts – including ‘Antigone’, ‘The Odyssey’, ‘Much Ado About Nothing’, ‘Oliver Twist’, and ‘Nineteen Eighty-Four’ – ensures that students are well prepared for GCSE. Throughout key stages three and four, we are dedicated to building students’ confidence and self-esteem by providing the rigour and support necessary for them to experience success with challenging texts and content.

The successful candidate will also be joining Pittville School at an exciting time during which there is a school-wide drive to improve students’ reading. In addition to a wide range of targeted, supportive interventions, we use schemes such as tutor-time reading and Accelerated Reader to foster a love of books. A further innovation is our ‘faster read’ units, during which whole texts – for example Catherine Johnson’s ‘Freedom’ and Phillip Pullman’s ‘The Ruby in the Smoke’ – are read to students at pace over a three-week period, alongside strategies to improve their comprehension skills and tier 2 vocabulary. Although schemes such as these are part of our long-term commitment to develop students’ proficiency and confidence, their impact is already being seen, not least in significantly improved GCSE outcomes in the summer of 2023.

Pittville School is a rapidly improving 11-16 school situated in a superb setting in the heart of Cheltenham. Results are rising year on year, and we are particularly proud that visitors to our school always comment on the excellent behaviour and attitude to learning exhibited by our pupils. This is a fantastic opportunity to join our team.

If you are committed and hard-working and want to join us at a very exciting time in our development please contact Alison Bawdon on 01242 524787 or download an information pack from the school’s website: https://www.pittville.gloucs.sch.uk/vacancies/ or by emailing jobs@pittville.gloucs.sch.uk

Closing date for applications is Tuesday 4th June 2024

Interviews: To be confirmed

This position is due to commence September 2024

Applications from ECTs would be considered.

Pittville School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Applicants will be required to undergo child protection screening appropriate to the post including checks with past employers, social media checks and the Disclosure and Barring Service. All offers of appointment are subject to satisfactory references and DBS clearance. It is an offence to apply for the role if you are barred from engaging in regulated activity with children.