Head of Languages

Required from September 2021.

The Post

The Head of Languages will oversee the delivery of all subject areas within the Faculty from Reception to Year 8, reporting directly to the Deputy Head, Academic.

This is a new senior middle-management position with oversight and responsibility for the teaching and learning of ancient and modern Languages throughout the school. Candidates will have an excellent track record in preparing pupils for 13+ or other public examinations. They should be able to teach French up to Common Entrance and it would be an advantage if applicants were able to offer a second modern language i.e. Spanish or Italian.

There is plenty of scope for the post-holder to shape curriculum provision within the Languages Faculty which run from Reception up to Year 8. At St Anthony’s, we aim to instil in pupils a love of learning and to harness the keen sense of inquiry typical of young minds. Developing in pupils subject knowledge and content goes hand-in-hand with key verbal, written and thinking skills. The school is mindful that the world of today requires citizens to be digitally literate, collaborative in approaches to problem-solving, and (perhaps most importantly,) willing to adapt (or up-skill) to a fast-changing professional environment.

The post-holder will line manage teachers of Latin, French and Mandarin. Most likely they will teach French (and possibly their second language) to boys in Year 6, 7 and 8 although they may be deployed to teach lessons in any year group. St Anthony’s is also looking to appoint a full-time teacher of French who will be expected to teach across all year groups. The Head of Faculty will ensure language teachers are appropriately supported and line-managed which will include lesson observations, CPD and the standardisation of assessment and reporting. The Faculty structure has been designed so that good practice is shared between teachers with the aim of delivering first-class language provision to all pupils.

Applications from well-qualified Catholic teachers are particularly welcome; irrespective of religious affiliation we ask all teachers to be supportive of St Anthony’s Catholic ethos.

This is a very exciting time for St Anthony’s and this post will appeal to ambitious colleagues aiming for Assistant or Deputy Headship.

Hours of work: 35 hours per week, 8.30am until 4.30pm.

Salary: Dependent on skills and experience and in line with the Alpha Plus Pay Scale.

Closing date: 28th February 2021.

The School

St Anthony’s School for Boys is a Catholic preparatory school (IAPS) for boys aged 4 – 13. There are currently over 310 pupils on roll and the school is looking to increase this number to 330 over the next few years.

The school operates a two-form entry with approximately 20 boys in each class from Reception up to and including Year 6. About half the year group leave St Anthony’s to join Year 7 senior schools including UCS, City of London and Highgate. The remaining pupils stay on to prepare for Common Entrance at the end of Year 8 before proceeding to leading boarding and day schools such as Harrow, Eton, St Paul’s and Westminster.

The school is not super-selective and promotes a caring, nurturing environment promoting the holistic education of each child. We speak of St Anthony’s as a greenhouse rather than a hothouse! Pastoral and academic expectations are high amongst parents and staff. The school adds significant value to pupils’ learning and there is great emphasis on regular communication between boys, staff and pupils.

St Anthony’s achieved ‘Excellent’ in all categories of the ISI full-school inspection in November 2019 - the school is now pursuing an ambitious development plan incorporating digital literacy with outstanding academic, pastoral and co-curricular provision.

Safeguarding

St Anthony's Boys and the Alpha Plus Group are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and employees of the school are expected to share this commitment. The protection of our students’ welfare is the responsibility of all staff within Alpha Plus Group Schools and individuals are expected to conduct themselves in a way that reflects the principles of our organisation.

All members of staff must undergo an enhanced DBS with Barred List and Teaching Prohibition order clearance, be aware of and follow the Safeguarding, Prevent Duty, Anti-bullying and Behaviour and Discipline policies of the school, and partake in training on safeguarding, prevent duty and personal welfare.

Equal Opportunities

We are committed to equality of opportunity for all staff and applications from individuals are encouraged regardless of age, disability, sex, gender reassignment, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief and marriage and civil partnerships.