Head of English and ELA

HEAD OF ENGLISH & ENGLISH LANGUAGE ACQUISITION 

REPORTS TO: The Head of Senior School

THE FACULTY 

The English faculty is a well-resourced facility, comprising three fulltime teachers and six EAL teachers each with their own teaching room. The department has a centralised online curriculum which enables teachers to share resources and allows staff and pupils to access the IT skills needed for the 21st century. The team is well-balanced in terms of experience and CPD is strongly encouraged; opportunities to improve or seek promotion are supported through the department and the school appraisal system. 

Pupils thoroughly enjoy their English lessons; they turn up to class early and are always keen to participate in lessons and in the range of ASA the department provides. We offer a range of drama, reading buddies, LAMDA and various competitions throughout the year. The Globe theatre, visiting authors and book fairs encourage a love of English and encourage all pupils to engage with performance. There is a focus on oracy which is supported across the school with all pupils encouraged to be ambassadors of the English language. 

The faculty closely follows the English National curriculum at Key Stage 3 and pupils achieve above national average in reading and writing. Pupils who come to Wellington with low levels of English are supported by an ELA teacher who co-plans and teaches with their mainstream counterpart to ensure that progress is rapid. There is a graduated support system for pupils which begins with full emersion teaching of English to pupils moving into Humanities lessons  with extra support given by a key teacher. We are lucky enough to have an ELA teacher assigned to each year group who can monitor and support lessons across the curriculum to ensure pupils have full access to the wider opportunities that Wellington has to offer. By Key Stage 4, it is expected that 90% of pupils will be ready to take an IGCSE.  

We offer IGCSE Second Language as well as first Language and English Literature IGCSE. Standards are high with pupils achieving 90% A-A* in Language which for most is taken at the end of year 10 and English Literature sat in year 11, achieving 75% A-A*. A small number of our pupils go on to study A Level Literature with 100% of them achieving a grade A. 

Pupils are also prepared for world class universities by the ELA team who teach IELTS and TOEFL to those who wish to study internationally. It is expected that all pupils will achieve their required score.

1 General Role Description: 

The Head of English has an overall responsibility for ensuring the leadership, academic outcomes and monitoring of the quality of teaching and learning in all Senior School English courses in accordance with the policies and procedures of the school.  

The Head of English has responsibility for the quality and consistency of the Senior School English curriculum and is required to organize and contribute to the development of schemes of work, departmental policies and other documentation under the guidance and accountability of the Head of Senior School. In addition, the Head of English is required to collaborate with other departments (and in some cases other schools) in order to plan and implement projects and events. The Head of English will be expected to guide, support and equip departmental staff in their academic roles and where possible enable them to meet their professional goals and/or receive necessary professional training. In addition, the Head of English is required to carry out lesson observations and appraisals for departmental staff in line with the school’s appraisal policy.  

The Head of English is responsible for managing the departmental budget in line with the school’s policies and procedures.   

The Head of English has a responsibility for teaching innovative lessons to classes ranging from year 7 to year 13, including all the normal professional responsibilities that accompany their role as class teacher.  

The Head of English must have a clear vision and goals for the English department that are consistent with the development plan of the whole school. The Head of English should be able to develop and implement a plan to achieve their goals for the English Department drawing on the skills, knowledge and experience of the team.  

 2 Knowledge, Experience and Profile 

Required Qualifications / Skills: 

▪ At least two years’ experience in leading an academic department, with a proven track record in raising standards and developing people

▪ A relevant degree (BA) and professional teaching qualification

▪ Recent teaching experience of A-level and GCSE/IGCSE English

▪ A passion for English and the ability to share this with as wide a range of students as possible

▪ Excellent subject knowledge and an interest in current developments in English

▪ Fluency in written and spoken English

▪ The desire to put the wellbeing each student at the heart of what they do

▪ Excellent inter-personal skills

▪ Honesty, integrity, compassion, flexibility and a good sense of humour

▪ Strong organizational, self-management and problem-solving skills

Desirable Qualifications / Skills: 

▪ Experience teaching the Cambridge International Examinations IGCSE English

▪ Experience teaching IELTS and TOEFL

▪ Experience using ICT to enrich students learning

▪ Experience teaching and mentoring EAL students

Important Note: 

“Aligned with the recommendations of the International Task Force on Child Protection, we hold ourselves to a high standard of effective recruiting practices with specific attention to child protection.” 

ITFCP Statement of Commitment 

Please note this position is subject to an enhanced Criminal Records Bureau Disclosure. Wellington College International Tianjin is committed to equality and diversity. The College is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.