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Director of English

Director of English

Avanti House Secondary School

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Job type:
Full Time, Permanent
Apply by:
19 May 2022

Job overview

About us and the role

For September 2022, we are looking to appoint a Director of English to lead a highly successful English department.

We are seeking an innovative, enthusiastic and dedicated English teacher to lead a department that enjoys an excellent reputation both within and beyond the school. If you are an outstanding practitioner with the ability to inspire and motivate students we would like to hear from you.

The successful candidate will not only be passionate about their subject, and have exceptional subject knowledge, but also have a passion and drive to devise, implement, monitor the teaching and delivery to engage students in their studies.

The English faculty in Avanti House School comprises of a warm and wonderful team of nine outstanding teachers. Each team member is an expert in their subject and has the autonomy to exhibit their own unique teaching personality. What the team share, is a strong ethos for collaboration and conveying their passion of literature as a tool to evoke intellectual curiosity, spiritual growth and academic excellence in each child. This shared passion and collaboration creates a strong foundation for success and allows us to achieve the best outcomes for our students; we have a track record of successful GCSE results, with our last GCSE cohort attaining 79% of grades 9-5 in English Language and 85% in English Literature.

Since the Sixth form at Avanti House has been established in 2017, we have had an increasing number of students opting to study A Level English Literature, leading to a rapid growth in uptake Key Stage 5. As a popular option at A Level at the school, we have over thirty students both Year 12 and 13. This growth is based on strong pupil and teacher relationships, deep subject knowledge and continued development of teaching and learning.

Literacy is strongly promoted in our school through the Reading Strategy that sits within our Teaching and Learning Policy. Reading is key to learning across all subjects and is a strong predictor of outcomes to later life. We deepen the development of vocabulary and comprehension by combining purposeful reading with writing in focused learning activities. We provide opportunities for high level, meaningful dialogue. Our four elements of the reading strategy are Oral Reading, Comprehension, Generation and The Art of Writing. We introduce new techniques within these elements to continuously develop our practice such as disciplinary literacy and “speak like a scholar”.  Analysis of GL testing identifies pupils targeted for intervention, where Lexia is used for rapid progress in Word Study, Comprehension and Grammar.”

Avanti House Secondary School values professional development and will fully fund the new NPQ leading literacy-NPQLL-for the successful candidate and provide opportunities across the Avanti Schools Trust.

Why should you apply? 

  • You will be working in a fantastic environment. 
  • Avanti exists to help each person become a well-rounded human being through intellectual, moral and spiritual growth, and so make the world a better place. 
  • Benefits include: 
  • Teachers pension scheme 
  • Development opportunities

What will you do? 

  • Work with the Principal as part of a team of middle and senior leaders on the effective implementation and coordination of the vision, ethos and strategy for the school, within the context of the Avanti Schools Trust vision – taking a strategic lead on the leadership and management of the subject of English. 
  • As part of the development of the curricula, find opportunities to ensure that the fundamental British values are both understood and actively promoted within English. 
  • Take a lead on pedagogical development, standards of teaching and learning within the English department – supporting non specialists/less experienced teachers. 
  • Contribute towards developing links across local, regional and national groups, business & industry with an interest in English.

For a more comprehensive list of the job responsibilities, please view the full Job Description

What are we looking for? 

  • Up to date knowledge of the new GCSE/BTEC and A Level Specifications. 
  • Ability to coach and develop members of staff. 
  • Ability to monitor and evaluate the quality of teaching and learning and standards 
  • Excellent organisational skills and ability to delegate. 
  • Clear vision and understanding of how to implement and sustain a high quality of teaching and learning within English.

Please view the full Job Description for more information on the essential criteria and skills required for this role.

Further information

Pre-employment checks

Avanti Services Limited is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and requires all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. All successful candidates are required to have an Enhanced DBS check unless internally appointed and still within the cycle of DBS re-checks.

Any appointment subsequently made will be subject to the receipt of satisfactory references and other pre-employment checks.

Diversity and Inclusion

We want to make sure we are attracting the widest possible range of people and ensure that they are accepted, understood and treated equally when they work here. This means we will work hard to understand that each employee is unique and ensuring that individuals or groups are not treated differently or less favourably on the basis of specific characteristics.

Such characteristics include (but are not limited to) age, disability, gender including transgender, race, religion, sexual orientation, marital status, and how the school supports pregnant women and new parents.

Attached documents

About Avanti House Secondary School

Avanti House is a very happy school where the behaviour and attitudes to learning, by all students are exceptional. Students have an established and meaningful ‘voice’ through the prefect system and school council. It is through working in close partnership with parents and students that the school has grown exponentially since its opening.

When Ofsted inspectors visited the school in July 2014, they reported:

“The behaviour of pupils is outstanding. They are, without exception, respectful and polite. New pupils are immediately included, and those with additional needs or who experience difficulty settling in are sensitively inducted until they feel safe.”

At Avanti House Secondary School we deliver a rounded education to nurture confident and creative young people who will thrive in adult life. We put an equal emphasis on the highest academic achievement alongside the development of character and spiritual insight.

We offer students a diverse range of opportunities both in and out of the classroom. For example, we offer the Duke of Edinburgh Award and various trips including residential visits to Barcelona, Isle of Wight, Wales, Belgium, Rome and France.

Avanti House Secondary School is part of the growing family of Avanti schools. Avanti schools are Hindu-designated faith schools. However, staff and students at Avanti House Schools do not originate from any specific faith background; applications are welcome from practitioners of any faith and from those of none. They will, however, be expected to be in full sympathy with the unique ethos and vision of the School.

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Applications closed