English Teacher & Literacy Lead, ACE Tiverton School

ACE Tiverton is a secondary special school, we opened in September 2019, with a designation to support and educate students across the Autistic Spectrum and with related communication, interaction, and mental health needs. We are looking to recruit a creative, resilient and emotionally intelligent leader to deliver English across Key Stage 3 & 4. All members of our staff team are primarily focused on using their subject knowledge and expertise to support and challenge our young people to fulfil their potential, preparing them well for adulthood and empowering them to become active members of their local, national and global communities.

We are developing an excellent reputation for providing student-centred learning and support with the highest level of challenge to ensure our students attain the highest standards of personal, social, emotional, and academic progress. We have 74 students currently on roll and a further 20 students joining in September 2022, all of whom are in receipt of an Education, Health and Care Plan. We are looking for a skilled and enthusiastic practitioner to teach English to GCSE Level. The school wide leadership of excellent literacy practice, including reading, oracy and writing, is a central tenet to this role. You will be enabled and encouraged to establish and embed excellent practice across our school family of enthusiastic and skilled specialist teachers and Teaching Assistants to create the consistently excellent learning experience that enables our students to thrive and achieve their full potential, academically, personally, and socially.

Job Purpose:

Promote and facilitate excellent progress and well-being of individual students in the teaching groups assigned to him/her and to contribute to an outstanding culture of community across the school. Model the high standards of communication, interpersonal skills and peer relationships expected in every interaction with students, staff and families. Fulfil the role of co-ordinator for the students in the learning family including, but not limited to, annual review, risk assessment, EHCP monitoring.

General Duties (Teaching and Learning):

• Teach students in accordance with the professional duties of a teacher.
• Perform the duties of Tutor with care and diligence.
• In each case, having regard to the curriculum for the school, and with a view to promoting the development of the abilities and aptitudes of the students in any class or group assigned to him/her.

                 -planning and preparing courses and lessons;

                 -teaching, according to their education needs, the students assigned to him/her,
                   including the setting and marking of work to be carried out by the
                   student in the school and elsewhere;

• Manage student learning through effective teaching in accordance with the Schemes of Work and Policies.
• Ensure continuity, progression and cohesiveness in all teaching.
• Use a variety of methods and approaches (including differentiation) to match curricular objectives and the range of student needs, and ensure equal opportunity for all students.
• Work effectively as a member of the ACE Tiverton team to improve the quality of teaching and learning.
• Set high expectations for all students, to deepen their knowledge and understanding and to maximise their achievement.
• Develop and use positive relationships in an environment of mutual respect which allows students to feel safe and secure and promotes their self-esteem.
• Promote and facilitate the general progress and well-being of individual students; and of any class or group of students assigned to him/her.             
• Provide guidance and advice to students on educational matters and on their further education and future careers, including information about sources of more expert advice on specific questions; making relevant records and reports.         
• Advise, co-operate and lead, in conjunction with the wider team, in the preparation and development of courses of study, teaching materials, teaching programmes, methods of teaching and assessment and pastoral arrangements.

General Duties (Monitoring, Assessment, Recording, Reporting, and Accountability):

• Assess, record and report on the development, progress and attainment of students as per the MER cycle of the school.
• Contribute towards the implementation of IEPs/PEPs particularly the planning and recording of appropriate actions and outcomes related to set targets.
• Assess students’ work systematically and use the results to inform future planning, teaching and curricular development.
• Be knowledgeable and remain up to date with statutory assessment and reporting procedures and prepare and present informative, helpful and accurate reports to parent/carers.
• Keep an accurate register of students for each lesson. Unexplained absences or patterns of absence should be reported immediately in accordance with the school policy.
• Make records of and reports on the personal and social needs of students. 
• Communicate and consult with the parents/carers of students on at least a weekly basis or more frequently.      
• Provide or contribute to oral and written assessments, reports and references relating to individual students and groups of students.

Leadership Responsibility:

• The delivery and development of the literacy curriculum and programs of study for KS3 and KS4
• Training teaching staff across KS3 and 4, to develop technical literacy expertise and pedagogy.
• Training of Teachers and Learning Family Leaders as literacy specialists.
• The identification of and creation of a range of innovative resources to engage and raise standards in literacy in Year 7 in the first instance.
• Develop and implement a school wide reading structure to promote reading across the school.
• The identification of areas of underachievement with rapid intervention put in place to address.
• Implementation of personalized programs to remove barriers to literacy

Experience and Job Knowledge:

Essential

• Experience of teaching English up to and including GCSE
• Knowledge of how to inspire students to raise their own self expectation and performance
• Experience of using ICT to support the learning within the classroom
• Experience of using diverse range of effective Teaching and Learning strategies
• Experience of producing and maintaining accurate records, and produce clear and accurate reports
• Experience of working under pressure and meeting deadlines

Desirable

• Recent experience of teaching
• Evidence of Continual Professional Development
• Experience of working with disengaged students
• Experience of teaching students with ASC and/or SEMH
• Completion of the SENCO Award or other relevant SEND qualification
• Experience in leading a school wide initiative.