Assistant Head - Professional Learning

Founded in 1624, Dr Challoner’s Grammar School is an academy grammar school based in Amersham, with 1370 students (of whom 450 are in the co-educational Sixth Form). We have around 160 teaching and support staff and draw our intake of 180 boys who join the school in Year 7 from the Chiltern area of Buckinghamshire. Boys take the Buckinghamshire Transfer Test.

Challoner’s was the third secondary school in the country to be judged Outstanding under Ofsted’s new Education Inspection Framework when inspected in November 2019, with the inspectors noting that the school has a culture of teamwork, loyalty and aspiration, and that staff feel exceptionally well supported.

We are proud to be the Teaching School Hub for Buckinghamshire, a function we fulfil through the Astra Teaching School Hub. Astra's status as a School Centred Initial Teacher Training provider (SCITT), training over 50 teachers each year, also ensures Challoner’s is at the cutting edge of curricular and pedagogical developments in education.

Our ethos is ‘Excellence with integrity’, underpinned by our core values of:

- Aspiration;

- Kindness;

- Resilience;

equipping our students to flourish in the future, whatever that may hold. We are committed to our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Charter, by which we strive to create a safe environment for everyone, where kindness, respect and equity are visible characteristics amongst all members of the school community.

We believe that the learning habits developed by students are just as important as the knowledge and understanding they acquire during their time at school. An enthusiasm for learning permeates the school and drives a common desire to excel that is shared by students, staff and governors. DCGS is an active member of a number of organisations including the Association for Character Education and the International Boys Schools Coalition. We have hosted national conferences on learning as well as supporting many local schools. Professional development is given a high priority.

Staff often remark that Challoner’s is a great place to work. Recent feedback from staff includes:

- People really value each other

- There’s a great sense of community

- There’s always someone here to make you smile

- DCGS has allowed me to learn and develop so much

You’ll find a lot more information about the school on our website www.challoners.com (which we hope encapsulates that intangible ‘feel’ of the school), and about the Astra Teaching School Hub at www.astrahub.org. If you would like to know more, please feel free to contact us by phone or email.