Teacher of Geography

Part Time Teacher of Geography

The School

Academic standards in the School are extremely high. The School was rated ‘excellent’ by the Independent Schools’ Inspectorate in 2010 and was named top independent school in the West Midlands in 2018

KEHS regularly ranks as one of the top performing academic girls’ schools in the country. Academic standards in the School are extremely high – this year’s GCSE results saw 92% A*/A and/or 9-7 grades; 1 in 5 results were at Grade 9 or A*, and 49% of students achieved at least 8 top grades. At A Level, 92% of grades were at A*-B and 33% at A*. The School has a long history of sending girls to the very best universities including Oxford and Cambridge; in 2018, 14 students gained places at Oxbridge and 17 students have conditional offers for Oxbridge for 2019.

At KEHS, we aim to offer an outstanding education for able girls who like original ideas and new challenges. Staff are passionate about their subjects and seek to inspire a love of learning for its own sake. Pastoral care is important to us as we seek to educate girls, supporting them to become confident, resilient young women.  Girls combine a rigorous academic education with a huge range of high quality extra-curricular activities.   The School produces music and drama of an exceptional quality, with a biennial performance in the Symphony Hall in Birmingham. These activities were enhanced still further by the construction of the Sir Paul and Lady Ruddock Performing Arts Centre, a joint £10 million facility with King Edward’s School, which opened in 2012.  There is also a large range of sporting opportunities.  The School has its own Sports Hall and swimming pool, which were recently refurbished, with hockey and netball pitches on site.  

The School reflects very closely the diverse racial mix of the city itself and attracts pupils from beyond Birmingham.  At the moment, 20% of pupils have some kind of financial support and almost 10% pay no fees at all.  The funds for this are provided by the King Edward VI Foundation and through the generous donations of alumnae and other organisations.

Further details about the school can be found on the website, www.kehs.org.uk

The Post

This is a temporary (one year) part time position (0.5 fte)

We are looking to appoint a well qualified, enthusiastic Geography teacher in this academically selective school. 

Early applications are most welcome.

The Geography Department

All girls study Geography (two x forty minute lessons) in Years 7 to 9 in classes of not more than twenty-four pupils.  Girls may then choose to study Geography, following the Edexcel International GCSE. A significant majority of Year 9 pupils chose to continue with Geography, and three or four sets have become the norm in Years 10 and 11. In last year’s examination, 83% of candidates achieved A*.

At A-level, we currently follow the OCR specification, and it is delivered in seven and a half periods a week in the Lower Sixth, and seven periods a week in the Upper Sixth. Last year, 86% of A-level candidates gained grades A*/A, and 43% achieved an A*. There are usually two sets for Geography in both years of the Sixth Form; however, next academic year, for the first time, there will be three sets in the Lower Sixth. This vacancy has been created in part due to this expansion in A-level numbers.

The Geography team is presently made up of the Head of Department and two other full-time members of staff.  There are three specialist teaching rooms, equipped with all the ICT facilities for the delivery of Geography at a high standard.  The Geography department runs a highly regarded fieldwork programme, including a biennial A-level expedition to Iceland and an IGCSE fieldtrip to Dorset every June, and the new member of staff will be expected to have an enthusiasm for this work and for other enrichment opportunities relating to the subject.

For this post a good Geography graduate is sought who is keen to develop further their experience in the teaching of the subject. This is an exciting challenge for a person at the start of their teaching career or with considerable teaching experience.