Subject Leader of Psychology and Sociology

We are looking for a dynamic and inspirational Subject Leader for our well-established Psychology and Sociology team. The successful candidate will be an outstanding teacher in his/her own right.  He/she will have excellent inter-personal skills, the desire for Psychology & Sociology to continue to be one of the most popular  subjects in our Sixth Form and the drive to ensure Psychology and Sociology at Wycombe High School    delivers the best experience (and results) of any school in the County, or indeed nationally. Strong  organisational skills are essential.  The successful candidate will be expected to contribute towards extra-curricular activities within the department.

Examination results at Wycombe High School are outstanding.  An impressive 44% of all A Level grades in 2016 were A* or A grades. The whole school A* rate was 14%.  The significant majority of our students gained their first choice university place – an exceptional achievement given this year’s competitive climate.  Our results at GCSE are equally outstanding, with 89% of all grades A*-B and 33% of all grades were A*.   Results are outstanding, for example in 2015 43% of all A Level Psychology grades were A*-A; 100% were A*-C.  

Psychology and Sociology have strong value added scores.  Our students are high achieving and rise to the challenge of outstanding teaching and a personalised curriculum. As a department we pride ourselves on developing the whole student so that they leave sixth form life as confident, secure young women.  Our department review in January 2014 stated that:

“This is an outstanding department: outstanding leadership is reinforced by outstanding teaching and a great team spirit. Results are outstanding: the department achieves the best residuals in the school. Uptake,  retention and destinations are all exceptionally strong. Every effort is made to support students to reach their full potential: differentiation and exemplary written feedback in the classroom is reinforced with a network of support outside including a mentoring programme and a G & T programme. Energy, innovation and vision permeate the department.”

There are approximately 140 Psychology students, with healthy numbers expected for next year. We have a range of ability levels within the class, thus the ability to differentiate learning outcomes by task is key. We incorporate a range of support strategies in the department and you would be expected to be involved in Drop-in Clubs for students. In addition, we also run a Psychology Society for budding psychologists, educational visits and an internship programme where ex students conduct work and support individual  students. The options to be creative in the process of bringing this subject to life are endless and as an innovative department we would welcome your ideas.

We ensure we can offer a professional learning pathway for all stages of a teacher’s career and professional abilities, which provides the evidence required for pay progression.  We aim to support and guide teachers throughout their career at Wycombe High School by offering mentoring, coaching, opportunity and development to help them become the best that they can be.

Wycombe High School is a girls’ selective state academy school with 1350 students on roll, of whom over 400 are in the Sixth Form.  Each year 192 girls are admitted into Year 7.  Our school is part of the Wycombe High School Academies Trust; a Trust consisting of Wycombe High School and Bourne End Academy.    We are a National Support School, a Teaching School and a Mathematics Hub and have strong community partnerships.  We have invested substantially in IT systems and training.  We have an outstanding reputation for the performing and visual arts.  

Wycombe High School is geographically placed in the town of High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire. High Wycombe is the county’s largest town and is a lively, modern location with plenty of tourist attractions & points of interest.  The school is close to the town’s main amenities. 

High Wycombe  offers excellent rail,  road and coach links.  Chiltern Rail links High Wycombe to London Marylebone in as little as 23 minutes and the M40 and M4 offer easy access to many other parts of the UK.   There is a coach park, with parking facilities,  within five minutes walk of  the school offering  coach access to many cities and to Heathrow and other airports.

Visits prior to interview are welcomed.