Osborn Fellow in Classics

This is an exciting role to support the school’s IB ethos of enquiry and intellectual ambition, through Classics extension work and inter-departmental collaborations. The post reports to the Director of Enrichment and the Head of Classics. This is a one-year fellowship from September 2023.

Who are we looking for?

• A strong Classicist with proficiency in Latin and Greek, who has recently completed their undergraduate or postgraduate degrees, ready to contribute their knowledge and passion to an ambitious Classics department
• A creative thinker and collaborator who can initiate, undertake and oversee activities within Classics, the Humanities subjects and within the school at large
• A true student and scholar, committed to developing as a subject specialist and as a whole school Fellow, exploiting the opportunities for interdisciplinary thought which the IB creates

Classics at KES

The department at KES is flourishing and represents the full potential of an IB education, embracing connections between sub-disciplines and rewarding independent and creative thought. All boys take Latin in Years 7-9 and so enjoy a lot of exposure to the language and the Roman world before they make their GCSE choices. Greek is optional from Year 9 and there is healthy uptake both then and at GCSE. We offer Latin and Greek at IB, both Standard and Higher Level, and we pride ourselves on reading the set texts rigorously and thoughtfully. The Independent Assignment component of Higher Level, along with the optional Extended Essay, gives pupils the chance to research areas of personal interest and to handle in depth primary material. Results at GCSE and IB are excellent and the department (three full-time and one parttime) is dynamic and committed, both to Classics and the school’s broader intellectual life. We have a weekly Upper School reading group, ‘The Anagnostics’; a Linguistics Club, which trains boys for the UK Linguistics Olympiad; and a long history of departmental expeditions both in the UK and abroad. What will the role involve? The role has a broad enough remit to allow each Fellow to shape it around their aptitudes and aspirations. Below is an indication of what the current Fellow has undertaken:

• Small-group off-timetable extension classes for Oxbridge candidates: prose composition, unseen practical criticism, literary translation
• Strategic planning with Heads of other departments about how best to develop the school’s intellectual identity, and the forthcoming changes to our ‘Core’ curriculum;
• Leading academic societies in Classics and other subject areas: Linguistics Club; the Anagnostics play-reading group; Sanskrit classes; the Upper School ‘Essayists’
• Working with the Director of Enrichment in planning whole-school enrichment opportunities including, for example, essay competitions or cross-department panel discussion groups
• Delivering one-off lectures to pupils in literature classes (within Classics or Philosophy/ History/ English/ Art)
• Inviting and hosting external speakers, remotely and in person – the latter using connections between KES and the university next door
• Planning trips to Classical plays, exhibitions, museums and sites. The Barber Institute next door has a significant classical inventory, for example.
• Team-teaching timetabled lessons within Classics and related subjects, including Theory of Knowledge (an IB core component)
• Academic support for pupils who are struggling within mainstream Latin lessons;
• Running internal and external essay competitions
• Establishing Classics outreach opportunities at schools within the KES Foundation

How to Apply

To apply for this role, please forward a completed application form (available for download at: https://kes.org.uk/about-us/vacancies/osborn-fellow-in-classics-3/