Teacher of English - Maternity Cover

Start date: Monday 31st October 2022

End date: Thursday 31st August 2023

Contract Type: Full time

Contract Term:   Fixed term (Maternity Cover) 

Salary: Commensurate with experience

Reports to: Head of English  

The West London Free School

The West London Free School is a non-selective school based in Hammersmith, West London. We are suited to teachers at all stages of their careers, priding ourselves on a supportive working environment and valuing the importance of staff wellbeing. 

The West London Free School provides all pupils, irrespective of their background, with a Classical Liberal education. By a Classical Liberal education, we mean a rigorous, knowledge rich education that draws from the best and most important work in both the humanities and the sciences. We believe that knowledge is a good thing in and of itself, empowering pupils to understand and take an interest in the world around them. We believe a secondary education is not just a preparation for work, but a preparation for life. As such, we value the knowledge of our teachers, and the passion for their subject that they bring to the classroom.  

We have a firm but fair approach to behaviour. Senior leaders see it as their core responsibility to ensure all teachers can teach without disruption. School rules are non-negotiable, poor behaviour is met by escalating sanctions, and pupil detentions are centralised and run every day by senior staff. Teachers can therefore prioritise planning and teaching their lessons. Senior leaders at the West London Free School all teach, pay due attention to workload pressures and are highly visible around school. 

As well as a knowledge rich education, the West London Free School runs an extensive co-curricular programme that encourages children to develop outside the classroom. The clubs are central to the ethos of the school and give pupils the opportunity to try new activities and develop new interests. The school specialises in music and offers a range of sporting opportunities as well as general interest clubs. All staff are encouraged to share their co-curricular enthusiasm by committing one hour a week to running a school club. 

The English Department

The English department is a unified and supportive team of committed teachers who work together and draw on each other’s strengths, consistently pushing for a rigorous but enjoyable curriculum with outstanding final outcomes. Schemes of work are carefully sequenced, based on an explicit knowledge and realised in intuitive lesson resources which are designed to support rather than constrain teachers. Such resources are the product of ongoing review and revisions in response to feedback from teachers which is always appreciated. We achieve excellent results and we have a strong uptake for English Literature at A-Level. 

Key characteristics of the role include:

• to impart your passion for English to the pupils you teach, whilst also ensuring their mastery of the subject. 

• to assist the Head of Department in planning and delivering schemes of work for Key Stages 3, 4 and 5, and monitoring their effectiveness. 

• to monitor the progress of pupils according to the department and school assessment policy and to advise on set changes. 

• to enhance the quality of teaching and learning in the department by taking part in collaborative planning, sharing resources, mentoring and observing teachers, and participating in continuing professional development. 

• to be a form tutor, and work collaboratively with your year group team. 

• to contribute to the wider school life, such as events, trips, and co-curricular clubs. 

The successful candidate will have:

• strong subject knowledge, a passion for English, and an ability to communicate that passion to pupils;

• an ability to teach English at Key Stages 3 and 4 to all ability levels, including pupils with SEN; 

• a proven track record of excellent English teaching and, where relevant, outstanding outcomes for pupils at both GCSE and A-level;

• an understanding of the ethos of the West London Free School, and a commitment to teaching a knowledge-based curriculum; 

• high expectations of pupil conduct and behaviour; 

• excellent team working skills; 

• excellent communication skills with both pupils and staff;

• a willingness to contribute to the school’s co-curricular programme. 

Rewards & Benefits

People are at the heart of our success. We look for talented and ambitious individuals who share our vision for creating an exceptional school, and are committed to ensuring that every child has access to the best possible education. We have developed a positive and supportive staff culture at the West London Free School, and we invest in our staff with support, coaching and mentoring as well as external training programmes. 

We offer:

• Teachers’ Pension Scheme for teaching staff

• Cycle to Work Scheme

• Complimentary drinks

• Employee counselling

• Recommend a teacher bonus scheme

• Staff children have priority admission into the school (after two years’ service)

• Season ticket travel loan 

The closing date for applications is Sunday 3rd July 2022 at 11pm, although candidates are encouraged to apply as soon as possible.  The School reserves the right to commence or complete the interview process at any time prior to the closing date.

Interviews: w/c 4th July 2022

Equal Opportunities 

The Knowledge Schools Trust is an equal opportunities employer. The Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, and applicants must be willing to undergo child protection screening appropriate to the post, including checks with past employers and the Disclosure and Barring Service. The post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and the School is therefore permitted to ask job applicants to declare all convictions and cautions (including those which are "spent" unless they are "protected" under the DBS filtering rules) in order to assess their suitability to work with children.

West London Free School and the Knowledge Schools Trust is fully committed to the principles of equal opportunity, diversity and inclusion.  We want to attract and retain the very best staff in all areas of the Trust, ensuring our staff body reflects the diversity of our students and local community.