Head of Biology
King Edward's Witley
Surrey
- Quick apply
- Expired
- Salary:
- In excess of Fringe
- Job type:
- Full Time, Permanent
- Start date:
- September 2022 or January 2023
- Apply by:
- 20 May 2022
Job overview
We seek a dynamic and engaging Head of Biology to lead learning and teaching in the subject across all ages in the School. The successful candidate will be passionate about Biology and keen to promote Science across the School. They will be able to demand and deliver excellence as a habit in order to raise expectation and aspirations for everyone they teach and mentor. This will be evident through their proven experience, aptitudes, personal qualities and skills.
This will be a key role in delivering the School’s academic development plan. It will require a clear vision of the department’s contribution to promoting metacognition and scientific methods of enquiry to enhance learning within and beyond the Biology classroom. The role of Head of a faculty which will include all the Sciences will shortly be advertised, in addition to the post here. This shows the importance attached to these matters; the School is building its academic profile and sees this as its highest priority.
King Edward’s specialist Science teachers aim to excite and fulfil curiosity in and across the scientific world. Science is a core subject at King Edward’s with Biology, Chemistry and Physics making up a significant proportion of pupils’ studies from 1st to 3rd Form where we offer students a rich introductory course to all three major science subjects. 4th Form Science is central to their GCSEs, with a choice to take double or triple GCSE award; most pupils will take Coordinated Science, with a group of up to 20 pupils invited to take Triple Science provided they have demonstrated a sustained enthusiasm and aptitude across all three sciences. In the Sixth Form, the department teaches A Level and the IB Biology programme all delivered by three teachers. The School also offers Environmental Systems and Societies and Psychology to our Sixth Form groups.
We expect our Heads of Department to lead, guide and support their teams, to contribute to our collaborative and collegiate Common Room, to share in developing the policies, strategies and systems that underpin our daily practice, as well as leading their department to ensure that our pupils achieve excellent results. They should understand and promote the School, its values, ethos, structures, systems. We celebrate success and model a culture of aspiration, intellectual curiosity and appreciation for the different skills and knowledge that all contribute to the education of rounded, happy pupils who will leave King Edward’s equipped to seize opportunities, relish challenge and build for themselves happy and fulfilling lives.
In return, as well as job satisfaction and a sense of accomplishment, we can offer a competitive salary, staff fee remission on school fees both at King Edward’s and our partner school Barrow Hills, free car parking, free use of our gym, swimming pool and sports facilities, all meals and snacks on duty and a Cycle to Work Scheme. We currently offer membership of the Teachers’ Pension Scheme (TPS), if applicable.
King Edward's School is a co-educational boarding and day 11-18 school for some 420 pupils, around 35% of whom are full boarders. We are an HMC school and proud of our unique heritage and place among British co-educational independent schools.
To apply, please complete the Application Form or for further details, visit our website www.kesw.org, contact the HR Department on hr@kesw.org or telephone 01428 686358.
Closing date: Noon on 20th May 2022
King Edward’s School Witley is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff to share this commitment. All successful applicants are required to complete an Enhanced disclosure through the DBS. Applicants from under-represented groups are particularly welcome.
Attached documents
About King Edward's Witley
King Edward’s – yesterday, today, tomorrow
Yesterday
As one of the longest-standing co-educational schools in the country and one of only two remaining Royal Hospitals from Tudor times, King Edward’s Witley has a rich history of providing an education which is holistic, inclusive and progressive.
Nicholas Ridley, Bishop of London, convinced the boy King Edward VI to grant his palace at Bridewell on the banks of the Thames to the Lord Mayor of London, so creating the parent foundation – Bridewell Royal Hospital – as a place for the training and education of poor children in 1553. In 1860, the new charity scheme for Bridewell Royal Hospital was created and the House of Occupations was renamed King Edward’s School admitting boys and girls from aged 10.
The pupils from King Edward’s Boys’ School moved to its current site in Witley in 1867 and the School now occupies around 100 acres of stunning Surrey countryside. The School became co-educational again in 1952 and 2017 marked the 150th anniversary of the Witley school on its current site.
Today and tomorrow
We are steadfastly proud of our heritage and longstanding engagement with the City of London through the Bridewell Foundation. King Edward’s Witley and Barrow Hills School are the operational arms of Bridewell Royal Hospital, a charitable Foundation from which both schools inherit a culture with diversity, generosity, opportunity and social responsibility at its heart, combining a global outlook with a sense of local belonging. More concretely, a significant endowment from Bridewell allows us to provide boarding places to pupils with a clear boarding need – our Foundationers.
King Edward’s holds true to its Founders’ mission to offer a foundation for life to young people from a range of backgrounds. At King Edward’s this means an exciting and challenging curriculum, a broad range of sporting, artistic, social and cultural opportunities and an environment which is specifically created to inculcate the values of independent learning, responsibility for others and the enjoyment of challenge.
Pupil experience is at the heart of what we do. The School has over 475 pupils, many of whom are day pupils from primary and Prep Schools. Boarding is a core pillar of the King Edward's community, with over 140 boarders accommodated in Houses including an Upper Sixth pre-university House. All pupils, day and boarder belong to a house and are cared for by their Housemaster/ Housemistress and their team.
Around 30% of pupils live abroad, in over 30 different countries and there is a growing cohort of local day pupils. The Sixth Form generally numbers more than 100 pupils, most of whom go on to study at Russell Group, Oxford and Cambridge (in small numbers), and leading European or US-based universities.
Tradition continues to be highly valued and close links with the City of London remain through the Court of Bridewell (Board of Governors). The Lord Mayor attends Admissions Day and the School’s annual Foundation Day Service at St. Bride’s Church. Pupils participate in a range of events and activities associated with the City of London, perpetuating the School’s links with its historic roots.
The School has a long tradition of philanthropy and addressing disadvantage and vulnerability. King Edward’s offers welfare bursaries through the Bridewell Foundation, livery companies and other charities, for young people who are less advantaged and who have a particular need for a boarding education. Over 50 pupils are supported by the Foundation and other charities with financial contributions equal to annual boarding fees to attend the School. King Edward’s is proud of its ongoing work transforming the lives of disadvantaged young people through providing a safe, fulfilling and purposeful educational environment.
The Head is a member of HMC.
Further details of the School are to be found in the Independent Schools’ Yearbook, or on our website www.kesw.org.
Please note that you are wholly responsible for fact checking in respect of the information provided by schools. Please also check for the latest visa and work permit requirements that may apply. Tes is not responsible for the content of advertisements or the policies adopted by advertising schools. Tes asks that all schools follow Tes' Fair Recruitment Policy.