Senior Science Technician

Senior Science Technician

Full time, term time only

This role supports the use of practical resources and facilities and provide assistance and advice in the practical needs of the curriculum. Information about this vacancy is on the advert and attached documents. 

Key responsibilities

1) To co-ordinate the use of practical resources and facilities and provide assistance and advice in the practical needs of the science curriculum, including liaising with teaching staff.

• Preparation of practical lessons and assessments for all Science subjects from KS2-KS5 (Where training needs are identified these can be organised to support a candidate who is not familiar with all subjects.)
• Preparation of resources and assembling apparatus
• Ensuring that equipment is properly maintained and cleaned
• Giving technical advice to teachers including regards risk assessment
• Carrying out risk assessments for technician and class activities
• Assisting in practical classes if required
• Designing, constructing and, modifying apparatus
• Trailing new practical activities that may be used in teaching classes
• Setting up and caring for plant collections
• Preparing standard solutions and other chemicals
• Maintaining and ordering resources as required, equipment, apparatus and chemicals

2) To ensure and promote the maintenance of a healthy and safe working environment through contributing to the assessment and monitoring of both health and safety procedures and information resources.

• Keeping up to date with health and safety requirements and with developments in practical science
• Attending courses and reading publications as required
• Giving health and safety advice to teachers and students
• Safe disposal of waste materials
• Keeping records of and arranging external checking fume cupboards, pressure vessels and other hazardous equipment
• Ensuring all electrical apparatus is safe before use
• Organising, storing and checking the condition of chemicals and other equipment
• Advising maintenance staff on deliveries of hazardous materials
• To ensure that both routine and non-routine checking, cleaning, maintenance, calibration, testing and repairing of equipment are carried out to the required standard.

General

• Monitoring and keeping financial records of the departmental expenditure in accordance with school policy
• Maintain records of textbook allocations.
• To attend whole school and departmental INSET
• To attend weekly departmental meetings
• Supporting the use of ICT/Dataloggers in the department
• In addition, supporting whole school events where these fall outside normal working hours time.
• Carrying out any such duties as may be reasonably requested.
• Participating willingly and enthusiastically in the life of a busy boarding and day school.

The Royal School is a small, independent, co-educational day and boarding school for children aged 9 – 18. The school is academically ambitious for all its pupils and the size of the school ensures that every member of staff knows and cares for every pupil. The focus is on the whole child, seeking to develop their talents and sparking their intellectual curiosity. Our Future Ready philosophy for education aims to ensure pupils leave us prepared for life.

It is testament to our staff team and focus on finding the best in everyone that in 2022 The Royal School was shortlisted in the prestigious TES Schools Awards as Best Boarding School of the year and been nominated as a finalist in the Muddy Stilettos Best Schools Award.

The school is part of United Learning which brings with it numerous opportunities for professional development, to share ideas and best practice, amongst our supportive network of 7,000 colleagues. The Royal School is a warm and friendly place to work.

We may hold interviews as and when applications are received, and this job may be withdrawn without notice. Applications will only be considered if submitted online and before the closing deadline. With this in mind, we encourage you to apply as soon as possible. All Applicants will be required to complete the United Learning online application form and a link is provided on this advert. CVs will not be accepted in place of United Learning’s application form. 

The Royal School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all who work at the School to share this commitment.  Successful applicants will be subject to child protection screening appropriate to the post including an enhanced disclosure through the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) and checks with previous employers.

United Learning is a large, and growing, group of schools aiming to offer a life changing education to children and young people across England.

United Learning schools work as a team and achieve more by sharing than any single school could. The subject specialists, Group-wide intranet, own curriculum, and online learning portal all help us share knowledge and resource, helping to simplify work processes and manage workloads for an improved work-life balance.

As a Group, we can reward our staff better: with good career opportunities, better pay, benefits, and ultimately, the satisfaction of helping children to succeed. We invest in our staff wellbeing. Our academies each have at least eight INSET days per year (with three of those solely dedicated to planning), and an ongoing group-wide wellbeing programme. It's an ethos we call ‘the best in everyone’.

We are working hard to become a more diverse organisation – which is key to our commitment to bringing out the best in everyone. We welcome applications from everyone committed to this ethos and would particularly welcome applications from black and minority ethnic candidates, who are currently under-represented in the Group as a whole. We always appoint on merit, and we are open to discussing flexible working options.

United Learning is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. All positions are subject to an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring check from the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) and shortlisted candidates will be subject to an online check.

Here at United Learning, we are committed to ensuring our employees feel valued and appreciated. Because we are a group, we can reward you better than any school could alone, and this includes your employee benefits. Here is some information about the benefits available to United Learning.