Leader of Science

Downland School is a co-educational maintained community special school for pupils aged between 10 and 16 who have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP). 

Our pupils have varying aptitudes and abilities; we are extremely proud of all their achievements and progress. Our pupils have a range of Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) including: Autism (ASC); Attachment Disorders and Social, Emotional Mental Health (SEMH) difficulties. We seek to ensure that, by the time they leave us, our pupils emerge as self-confident individuals able to manage their own learning; equipped with the skills and competencies to successfully take the next steps in their lives. 

We are a friendly, happy and caring school, providing a positive, inclusive and enriching educational experience for our young people. We view each of our pupils as unique and shape our provision to meet their individual needs and accelerate their progress in a variety of areas e.g. personal, social, academic and well-being. Our commitment to supporting the ‘whole’ child and their development is underpinned by our strong pastoral systems and our committed and trained staff. At Downland we promote inclusion and equality and celebrate diversity.

Our mission statement is ‘Aspire, Achieve and Thrive’.

We are now looking to appoint a dynamic and ambitious Leader of Science who has a proven record in raising achievement. This is an exciting opportunity to join our enthusiastic, committed and professional team and to teach pupils from year 6 to year 11.

You will have a passion for your subject; a track record of outstanding teaching and the ability to teach pupils with SEND. You will fully participate in developing Science across the school and initiatives to secure outstanding teaching and learning in all aspects of school life. You will have a strong commitment to the wider pastoral role and wish to make a significant positive impact on our young people’s lives, securing the very best outcomes. 

Can you raise aspiration and rise to the challenge?

Key areas of work will include:

• Leading the development of the science curriculum to drive up the quality of provision at Downland School 

• Inspiring the quality of teaching and learning within the Science department

• Actively promoting innovation and creativity, with a SEND focus across the department and the wider school

• Delivering consistently ‘good’ or ‘outstanding’ lessons

• Focusing, strongly, on raising levels of progress and attainment through accurate assessment of data which is used across the school, using a range of evaluation methods which align with the school’s self-evaluation processes

• Focusing on developing the needs of the whole child

• Teaching mixed ability class groups of pupils with complex SEND

• Participating fully in all aspects of pastoral care and wider school life 

Enthusiasm and commitment to working with and raising achievement for pupils with SEND is paramount to us; you will be expected to actively demonstrate the school’s core values and embrace ‘The Downland Way’.