Chemistry Teacher

St Helen's is one of the leading independent day schools in the country, educating over 1100 girls aged 3-18.

An excellent opporunity has arisen for a dynamic and innovative part time teacher to teach Chemistry for one year in our thriving Science Department.

Person specification

The successful candidate will have:

Essential:

• An Honours degree in Chemistry or a Science related subject

• Experience of teaching Chemistry across the secondary age range to A Level and demonstrable passion for the subject

• Detailed understanding of current developments in the secondary curriculum and assessment

• A clear motivation to work with young people

• The ability to form and maintain appropriate relationships and boundaries with young people

• Commitment to further professional development

Desirable:

• A teaching qualification such as PGCE or equivalent

• The ability to teach a second Science subject

• Evidence of further professional development

• Knowledge and experience of how IT can be used to support learning

The Science Department

In KS1 of our Preparatory School, class teachers start to encourage elementary scientific method, undertaking a number of basic experiments in the course of Science lessons.   At KS2 the subject is also taught by class teachers, under the direction of a subject coordinator, in a bespoke Science laboratory with the support of a dedicated technician.  There are strong links between Science teachers in the Prep School and Senior School.

In the Senior School, students study a bespoke integrated Science course in Year 7, before studying Biology, Chemistry and Physics in separate lessons from Year 8 onwards. At KS4 all students currently study the Edexcel IGCSE syllabus, with the majority taking separate Biology, Chemistry and Physics IGCSEs to achieve the Triple Award, and the remainder sitting Dual Award Science. 

The Science Faculty in Senior School is led by the Head of Science and Physics, Andrea Adlam, supported by separate Heads of Biology and Chemistry. IGCSE and A Level Science results in recent years have been outstanding and pupil take-up of all three Sciences at A Level is excellent. A significant number of pupils go onto study science related degrees, including Medicine, Dentistry and Veterinary Medicine.

Fortnightly Departmental meetings take place to ensure continuity and progression through the syllabi, to discuss pupil progress, and to share good practice. Whole faculty issues such as promoting independent learning, assessment and testing, the use of ICT in learning and teaching, staff training and planning for special events are discussed and planned in termly Faculty meetings.

Science has its own building which consists of ten laboratories on two floors, ample preparation rooms, storage facilities, and offices. All Departments are well-resourced with class sets of apparatus to carry out a wide range of Biology, Chemistry and Physics experiments and investigations. All laboratories and study areas are networked to the school system.  ICT is rapidly being integrated within schemes of work, and we are actively seeking to develop and extend our use of ICT in the classroom. The Departments are supported by well-qualified, experienced laboratory technicians. Presently in Senior School, there are three full-time and two part-time teachers of Biology, three full-time and three part-time teachers of Chemistry and two full-time and two part-time teachers of Physics.