Teacher of Design and Technology

The Portsmouth Grammar School is a leading co-educational school located in the historic heart of Portsmouth.  The school is an IB World School and offers the IB Diploma alongside A Level. It values the development of the whole person, placing emphasis on both academic achievement and co-curricular involvement.  The school aims to support every pupil in order that they might achieve their potential.

Applications are invited for this full-time post, to start from September 2019 or January 2020. The school seeks a subject specialist, who inspires young people with their passion for Design and Technology and for teaching, and ensures all pupils reach their full potential.  Applications are invited from all those who meet the above criteria, whether they are newly qualified, or more experienced teachers or have yet to commence teacher training.  

This is a full time vacancy but applications from candidates who can only offer a part-time role will also be considered. Please indicate clearly in your application whether you are interested in a full or part-time position.

The school offers excellent training and support to teachers at all stages of their career. PGS teachers convey passion for their subject and seek to maximise progress by knowing their pupils well and adapting their teaching accordingly.  

The aim of the department is to develop awareness, understanding and expertise in the core areas of design and innovative thinking. This can be expressed and developed through investigation and research, planning, designing, making and evaluating.  Pupils are encouraged to relate their work to experimental learning, enquiry, ingenuity and resourcefulness.  Their projects also value judgements of an aesthetic, technical, economic and social nature.  These aims are targeted from Year 7 through a range of projects that gradually build pupils’ confidence, skills and knowledge, preparing them for the complex coursework projects they undertake at GCSE and A Level. 

Design & Technology is taught to all pupils in Years 7 and 8 and is a popular option subject from Year 9 to the Sixth Form.  Food & Nutrition is also offered as a Year 9 and GCSE option. Pupils who choose the subject in Year 10 follow the GCSE AQA Design and Technology Syllabus and for pupils wishing to continue the subject to A Level, the Educas Product Design course is offered.

Being an active member of the department is essential and the candidate should be keen to help with DT Clubs, competitions and trips.  

The department occupies a suite of rooms which have been newly refurbished in 2017.  Pupils are encouraged to work with a wide variety of resistive materials and appropriate tools and machinery.  These include engineering lathes, milling machines, comprehensive heat treatment equipment, wood turning and machining, plastic forming machines including 3D printers and a comprehensive range of food preparation and processing equipment.

In addition to the facilities outlined above, we are fortunate to have our own suite of computers, with appropriate CAD software.  Pupils also have the opportunity to produce items directly from the computer screen using Computer Aided Design/ Manufacture techniques with computer-controlled cutting machinery. 

Results in public examinations are excellent.  There are plentiful opportunities for the more advanced pupils to develop their own projects in collaboration with local industry:  for example, pupils are entered into the Arkwright Scholarship and the Engineering in Education Schemes each year, allowing access to wide engineering experience.  

The Technology department has four full-time members of staff and a part-time teacher as well as a full-time technician.  The department is friendly, popular, and noted for its excellent relationships with pupils as well as for its purposefulness and success.  

The successful applicant will be expected to contribute fully to the pastoral and co-curricular life of the school. The school provides excellent professional development opportunities and has an outstanding reputation for induction of newly qualified teachers.

PGS is committed to safeguarding children and the successful applicant will be subject to an Enhanced Disclosure DBS check.