Design Technology Teacher - Product Design or Resistant Materials

Outwood Academy Ripon has been part of the Outwood Grange Academies Trust since 2011 and is an exceptional place to build your future. Our school-based community is welcoming and friendly; students and staff make excellent progress together.  

Ripon is a thriving community with a magnificent cathedral making it one of Yorkshire’s most loved cities. The city’s history is entwined with the church and its proximity to the beautiful Fountains Abbey. Ripon is a delightful city with riverside and canal sidewalks that reach into the countryside and buildings that span the last thousand years.

We are seeking to appoint an inspiring and enthusiastic teacher to join our dynamic Technology department. This is a fantastic opportunity for an experienced teacher, or an early career teacher (ECT), looking to start your career and expand your experience. Our inspiring, inclusive and dynamic Academy is the place for you. 

We expect all colleagues to bring out the best in each and every student. Our diverse curriculum has something for everyone, with extra guidance for those requiring additional support, and we do whatever it takes to ensure young people develop a sense of responsibility – towards themselves, each other, their community and the wider world. We are extremely proud of the achievements of our students and staff who have consistently achieved excellent GCSE outcomes. Do you have drive, determination and ambition for this rewarding role as a Teacher of Technology? Are you a passionate Design Technology specialist who is keen to provide young people with the best possible education whatever their background or ability? If you are looking for a new challenge we welcome your application.

Design Technology department

Within the department, we have a Head of Department, one teacher, and a technician. The department has created a rich and engaging Key Stage 3 curriculum, where students respond to creative design scenarios, which are delivered through different units, to support students in developing their design, making, and evaluation skills through a combination of practical and theory-based lessons. For example, ‘The Mad Hatter’s Tea Party’, ‘Engineering Time’, and ‘It’s a Jolly Holiday’ activity pack. This ensures all students have a sound and detailed subject knowledge, whilst making outstanding progress across all of the Technology strands (Product Design, Graphics, Textiles, and Food Technology), fostering independence in preparation for AQA Design and Technology, or WJEC Level ½ Hospitality and Catering at Key Stage 4 level. 

The program of study is fully resourced with high-quality materials produced by staff across the trust who know this specification well. We develop our teachers to become ‘experts’ in preparing students for GCSE examinations, using our thorough and systematic methods devised over many years. We have the benefit of support from the OGAT family of schools, the Outwood Institute of Education (OIE) who provide ongoing CPD, support, materials, advice, and coaching and who model lessons alongside us to develop our expertise. As an indication of our success, each year over 85.7% of year 11 students achieve a pass in Design Technology qualifications, with strong positive average progress for all students across the department. 

The classrooms comprise a modern, recently refurbished catering room, a well-equipped woodworking room, containing a wide range of hand tools, electronics equipment, workshop machinery including scroll saws, a wood turning lathe, a pillar drill, and a band saw, a laser cutter and a 3-D printer. There is a library (Learning Resource Centre – LRC) run by a full-time enthusiastic librarian, with access to a wide range of curriculum support in books and online. 

There is a strong whole-school literacy strategy that aims to ensure that all students can gain the educational and personal benefits to support them in accessing resources and assessments. Reciprocal reading tasks are embedded into theory and practice within Technology theory lessons. This approach supports students to master keyword definitions and key content/ concepts, ahead of Key Stage 3 end-of-unit assessments and Key Stage 4 examinations to ensure an inclusive and supportive education for all students. 

If you are interested in joining our Design Technology Department, please contact Rachael Horrocks, Head of Department (r.horrocks@ripon.outwood.com) who would be pleased to tell you more, either by email or telephone, and we would be delighted to welcome you on a visit if you would like to see us in person.

For more information and to apply online, please click the apply button.

Closing date: Midday on 9 April 2024.

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Outwood Grange Academies Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. All appointments are made in accordance with safer recruitment practices and the statutory guidance in Keeping Children Safe in Education. Online checks will be carried out on all shortlisted candidates, and all appointments are subject to an enhanced DBS check, satisfactory references and checks regarding suitability to work with children.