Science Teacher (Scientist & Engineer)

As a Liberty Woodland School Scientist & Engineer, you’ll be tasked with providing a high standard of education and fostering the self-directed learning of children aged 4-11 years in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, in our beautiful outdoor school. You will create an enabling and positive environment for the children to learn and encourage their curiosity. 

You’ll use your existing skills, experience and passion for teaching to incorporate a wide range of topics in science, technology, engineering and mathematics into the children’s projects for the term, facilitating explorations based on their interests, allowing them to experiment and learn in a creative and imaginative way. 

You will be responsible for creating and maintaining an exploration laboratory where children can explore and experiment with STEM activities, both in relation to their project and as part of our emergent curriculum where we guide learning around children’s passions and interests.

Due to the project-based nature of the curriculum, you will not be required to set homework and there will be no work that requires marking. Instead you will use your own critical thinking to reflect on the projects and to carry out purposeful & meaningful assessments in the form of a learning story which will be shared & reflected upon with the children, and to consider children’s development to adapt the direction of the scheme of work after each “inspiration week” in the term.  In addition, you will spend time between terms and projects to work effectively in a team to reflect on and improve and develop the overall experience of the school and curriculum as a whole.

This is a part time role - 2 full days and 1 half day (20 hours a week).

Responsibilities

Learning Facilitation

• ‘Our job is not to shape our children’s minds; it’s to let those minds explore all the possibilities that the world allows.’

• Create and maintain an exploration lab.

• Provide scientific experiments and learning opportunities for children in physics, chemistry and biology. 

• Support ongoing learning projects and groups.

• Extend children’s learning experiences by facilitating and sustaining a system to introduce and explore a wide range of materials, methods and topics.

• Guide the children to design their workspaces using a variety of tools, materials and design methods. 

• Become a learner, engaging alongside the children in encountering the world with curiosity, wonder and awe. 

• Provoke occasions of discovery, helping children to discover their own questions and help them test hypotheses.

• Intentionally interact rather than interfere, facilitating the learning of children.

• Interact with children to promote learning through play.

• Support and scaffold children to develop through their zone of proximal development.

• Work alongside the Learning Associates and Senior Learning Associates to observe children to provide a narrative and recognition of their achievements to then be used as research for future potential learning opportunities in addition to assessing their progress.

• Ensure the learning environment meet the needs and interests of the children, having an awareness of any physical or learning disabilities, family cultures and medical history.

• Provide a widening range of appropriate and interesting materials and resources that children can change and interact with, and can be used for creative expression, symbolising and representation.  

• Ensure there are a variety of opportunities for active and interactive learning, for children to have an effect and to change the environment, and for social interaction with adults and other children.

• Effectively provide scaffolding for the children’s endeavours, providing support and connections as and when they are required, and facilitating the children’s self-directing learning.

• Provide encouragement, warmth and acceptance to the children, along with challenges for creative and complex learning and thinking, helping them to extend their ideas and actions through sensitive, informed, well-judged interventions and support. 

• Participate in regular observations and reflections of projects and children to ensure the children’s interest and development are incorporated into the schemes of work and projects.

• Collaborate with the children in updating schemes of work after each inspiration week of each term, through sustained conversations, queries, and complex thinking. 

• Contribute to the development and writing of new schemes of work when required.  

• Develop and maintain strong partnerships and communication with parents/carers to facilitate day-to-day learning needs and encourage family involvement.

• Provide appropriate assessments in line with the school’s assessment procedures, using a combination of daily observations, monthly learning stories, encouraging monthly self-assessments by the children, and termly meetings with the family and child.

• Advocate to the greater public the value of exemplary early education and outdoor learning. 

Safeguarding

• Promoting and safeguarding the welfare of the students.

• Adhere to any relevant Policies about Keeping Children Safe, ongoing safeguarding, Equal Opportunities, Data Protection and Confidentiality

• Advise Head of School of any concerns, e.g. over children, parents, the safety of the environment, preserving confidentiality as necessary.

• Read, understand and adhere to all policies and procedures relevant to your role and the safe running of the school.

• Keep completely confidential any information regarding the children, their families or other staff that is acquired as part of the job.

• Ensure good standards of safety, hygiene and cleanliness are maintained at all times.

• Observe learner behaviour and ensure the safety and good conduct of the students.

Other Professional Duties

• Remain appropriately professional at all times. 


• Promote the Liberty Woodland School and Outdoor Learning ethos and work alongside the head of school and staff team to ensure that the school’s philosophy is fulfilled.

• Help maintain equipment and resources.

• Support all staff and play a key part in keeping team morale high.

• Be aware of the high profile of the school and to uphold its standards at all times, both in work hours and outside. 

• Carry out such duties, including cover for absent colleagues, as required by the Head of School, punctually and efficiently. 

• Contribute imaginatively to the co-curricular, extra-curricular and sporting programmes of the School as required by the Head of School, and be prepared to run or assist with activities beyond lesson times and on Saturdays when required.

• Attend whole school meetings, staff meetings, parents’ evenings, open days, Inset days, training and similar important events both in and out of normal working hours.


• Take part in the school’s performance management scheme and appraisal on an annual/biannual basis. 

Qualification and Experience

• PGCE/QTS desired

• Experience teaching science, technology, engineering and maths required

• Paediatric First Aid desirable

• Food Safety and Hygiene desirable 

• Forest School Level 2/3 desirable

• Experience of working with 4 to 11 year olds in a primary school setting