Head of Girls' Games and Physical Education (PE)

Head of Girls' Games and Physical Education (PE)

Start date: 19th April 2022 or 1st September 2022

Contract Type:  Full time 

Contract Term:  Permanent 

Salary: Commensurate with experience

Reports to: Director of Sport

The West London Free School 

The West London Free School is a non-selective school based in Hammersmith, West London. We are suited to teachers at all stages of their careers, priding ourselves on a supportive working environment and valuing the importance of staff wellbeing. 

The West London Free School provides all pupils, irrespective of their background, with a Classical Liberal education. By a Classical Liberal education, we mean a rigorous, knowledge-rich education that draws from the best and most important work in both the humanities and the sciences. We believe that knowledge is a good thing in and of itself, empowering pupils to understand and take an interest in the world around them. We believe a secondary education is not just a preparation for work, but a preparation for life. As such, we value the knowledge of our teachers, and the passion for their subject that they bring to the classroom.  

We have a firm but fair approach to behaviour. Senior leaders see it as their core responsibility to ensure all teachers can teach without disruption. School rules are non-negotiable, poor behaviour is met by escalating sanctions, and pupil detentions are centralised and run every day by senior staff. Teachers can therefore prioritise planning and teaching their lessons. Senior leaders at the West London Free School all teach, pay due attention to workload pressures and are highly visible around school. 

As well as a knowledge-rich education, the West London Free School runs an extensive co-curricular programme that encourages children to develop outside the classroom. The clubs are central to the ethos of the school and give pupils the opportunity to try new activities and develop new interests. The school specialises in music and offers a range of sporting opportunities as well as general interest clubs. All staff are encouraged to share their co-curricular enthusiasm by committing one hour a week to running a school club. 

The PE Department

Physical Education and Games are highly valued parts of the WLFS curriculum. At Key Stage 3, pupils have one hour of PE and two hours of games a week. At Key Stage 4, we offer Physical Education at GCSE, and all pupils have a two-hour games lesson a week. It is an exciting time for the department, as we plan to introduce A-level PE from September 2022, and would be particularly interested in interviewing candidates with Key Stage 5 experience. Sport is incredibly popular at WLFS and we have a busy clubs and fixtures programme. The large majority of our sport provision takes place at Kings House Sports ground, a fantastic facility located five minutes away from our school site. Our main girls’ sports are Hockey, Netball and Rounders and our minor sports are Rugby, Football and Athletics.

Key characteristics of the role include: 

• to impart your passion for Physical Education and Games to the pupils you teach, whilst also ensuring their mastery of the subject.  
• to assist the Head of Department in planning and delivering schemes of work for Key Stages 3, 4 and – if desired – 5, and monitoring their effectiveness.  
• to monitor the progress of pupils according to the department and school assessment policy. 
• to enhance the quality of teaching and learning in the department by taking part in collaborative planning, sharing resources, mentoring and observing teachers, and participating in continuing professional development.  
• to contribute to the wider school life, such as events, trips, and co-curricular clubs. 

The successful candidate will have: 

• strong subject knowledge, a passion for Physical Education and Games, and an ability to communicate that passion to pupils; 
• an ability to teach Physical Education and Games at Key Stages 3, 4 and – if desired – 5 to all ability levels, including pupils with SEN;  
• a proven track record of excellent Physical Education and Games teaching and, where relevant, outstanding outcomes for pupils at both GCSE and A-level; 
• an understanding of the ethos of the West London Free School, and a commitment to teaching a knowledge-based curriculum;  
• high expectations of pupil conduct and behaviour;  
• excellent team working skills;  
• excellent communication skills with both pupils and staff; 
• a willingness to contribute to the school’s co-curricular programme.
  

Rewards & Benefits

People are at the heart of our success. We look for talented and ambitious individuals who share our vision for creating an exceptional school and are committed to ensuring that every child has access to the best possible education. We have developed a positive and supportive staff culture at the West London Free School, and we invest in our staff with support, coaching and mentoring as well as external training programmes. 

We offer: 

• Teachers’ Pension Scheme for teaching staff 
• Cycle to Work Scheme 
• Complimentary drinks 
• Employee counselling 
• Recommend a teacher bonus scheme 
• Staff children have priority admission into the school (after two years’ service) 
• Season ticket travel loan 

The closing date for applications is 9am on Monday 24th January 2022, although candidates are encouraged to apply as soon as possible.  The School reserves the right to commence or complete the interview process at any time prior to the closing date.

Interviews: w/c Monday 24th January 2022. 

Equal Opportunity 

The Knowledge Schools Trust is an equal opportunities employer. The Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, and applicants must be willing to undergo child protection screening appropriate to the post, including checks with past employers and the Disclosure and Barring Service. The post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and the School is therefore permitted to ask job applicants to declare all convictions and cautions (including those which are "spent" unless they are "protected" under the DBS filtering rules) in order to assess their suitability to work with children.

West London Free School and the Knowledge Schools Trust is fully committed to the principles of equal opportunity, diversity and inclusion.  We want to attract and retain the very best staff in all areas of the Trust, ensuring our staff body reflects the diversity of our pupils and local community.