Teacher of French (with Spanish desirable)

Please note that only fully completed Jo Richardson School application forms will be considered. Due to our safeguarding procedures, we do not accept CVs.

Previous applicants need not apply

(Please note, applications will not be acknowledged over the Easter break between 29th March - 14th April)

JRCS

This is a great opportunity to join a highly successful school as part of a friendly and very hard-working department. Established as a brand-new school in 2002, we moved into our award-winning £30 million accommodation in 2005. The school is located within easy reach of central London via the District Line and yet just minutes by car from the Essex countryside.

The school prides itself on providing both teaching and nonteaching staff with the most appropriate and effective support to ensure that their professional development needs are fully met and that there is a high level of challenge in the opportunities they are offered. Wednesday afternoons are devoted to CPD and the school has a very strong record of developing staff. Please visit the “join us as a member of staff” page of our award-winning website to learn more about what makes JRCS such a special place to work. Staff wellbeing is important to us, we are a caring and supportive school. Staff turnover is low, and staff enjoy being part of our supportive and friendly community.

In 2022/23 JRCS achieved another set of excellent outcomes at both KS4 and KS5. 65% of our students achieved a level 4+ in both English and Maths and 47% achieved a level 5 pass in both English and Maths. Our progress 8 score is 0.26 which represents well above average progress. At KS5 our A*-C grade was 83%; with 51% achieving A*-B grades. Our vocational students achieved an average BTEC grade of Distinction*. Our Sixth Form continues to work in partnership with four other schools to deliver the highest quality post-16 education pathways for our students.

We pride ourselves on being a truly inclusive school and this is actively underpinned by our motto ‘Success for All’. Academic rigour runs alongside a commitment to extra-curricular activities, and we offer our students a wide range of opportunities to pursue their studies both inside and outside the classroom. Our extensive range of extra-curricular activities, together with trips to Rome, Berlin, France, WWI trenches in Ypres, skiing in the USA, and our highly regarded Duke of Edinburgh programme, is second to none and ensures all students get the chance to extend their academic, social, and cultural experiences outside of the classroom. New staff are encouraged to participate in trips.

 At the school’s most recent Section 8 inspection in January 2023, Ofsted stated that Jo Richardson Community School continues to be a good school. There is enough evidence of improved performance to suggest that the school could be judged outstanding if they were to carry out a graded (section 5) inspection now. The school’s next inspection will be a graded inspection.

 MFL at JRCS

The Modern Foreign Languages is a thriving department at JRCS, and the person appointed will be joining a very experienced team of subject specialists in first-class accommodation, fully equipped with the latest interactive technology. Indeed, all rooms are equipped with data projectors, visualisers and Smart Boards. At GCSE, teachers follow the AQA GCSE Exam specification. Over the last few years, we have reviewed our curriculum to ensure it is engaging and ambitious and we are continually developing teaching and learning, using research to inform our practice.

We are looking for someone enthusiastic, dedicated and willing to work as part of a successful team. The successful candidate will be a well-qualified, highly motivated and committed French teacher who has a passion for working with students and can motivate, enthuse, and challenge them to produce the highest quality work. You will have a good track record of raising standards and securing successful pupil outcomes at GCSE level in addition to being ready to make a whole school contribution. We currently offer French at KS3, but students can choose either French or Spanish at KS4. In summer 2024, we achieved another set of excellent French results with 88% of students achieving a grade 4 or above, and 64% of students achieving a grade 7 or above and a Progress 8 of 1.41.

This role requires someone who is willing to learn and develop. High quality induction, including a two-week NQT school-based immersion programme in July, is available to all staff at JRCS as part of our strong commitment to continuing professional development.

Staff also receive high levels of support with their professional development with 2 hours of dedicated CPD time every week to work collaboratively as a department or with colleagues in other subjects. We are looking for a candidate who is passionate about languages, enthusiastic about teaching and learning and who will embody our school motto of ‘Success for All’. This role is open to ECTs.

A strong vision for extra-curricular activities is also important for the department as well as the capacity to work collaboratively as part of a team.

Please log onto our website www.jorichardson.org.uk for further details about the school, this post, a link to our recent Ofsted report and the application process itself. All applications should be made online by clicking the ‘Apply Now' link. Please contact Margaret Stone or Vicky Garland on recruitment@jorichardson.org.uk if you wish to arrange a visit to the school.

JRCS is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. The successful applicant will be required to apply for an enhanced DBS disclosure.

Closing date:   7.00am on Monday 22nd April 2024

Interviews:      Tuesday 30th April 2024

Headteacher: Lisa Keane

Castle Green, Gale St, Dagenham, Essex, RM9 4UN