Teacher of Geography

Post: Teacher of Geography

Salary: MPS/UPS Full-time Permanent

Start date: September 2023

Closing date for applications: 12 noon Friday 10 February 2023

The Geography department has been rated as an outstanding department by OFSTED in the most recent OFSTED inspection in October 2022. The department strives to be at the forefront of teaching and learning in the School and is passionate about teaching Geography in a dynamic way.

The core idea of the Department of Geography which governs the attitudes towards education and decision making is celebrating geographical thinking. We want to inspire in our students a wonder about the world, and a need to know. To create opportunities which will inspire in pupils a curiosity and fascination about the world and its people that will remain with them for the rest of their lives.

The department is well resourced, working in four spacious classrooms with separate Office facilities. There is a wide variety of media to support teaching and learning.

At Key Stage Three the department has a bespoke, innovative curriculum of engagement for KS3 students. Coupled with our progression framework, we aim to enact, in the Ofsted vernacular, an “imaginative and stimulating geography curriculum” skillfully designed to match the full range of pupils’ needs and to ensure highly effective continuity and progression in their learning”.

In Year 7 our geographical journey begins with a foundation year for students, equipping them with developing capabilities to understand places, explore how places are interconnected and how they change, and how to enquire and communicate effectively. In Year 8 we focus on global issues and sustainability in order to understand concepts such as change, risk, pressure, development, and inequality. Year 9 focuses on key geographical processes and concepts to consolidate studying geography at Key Stage 3, but also to act as a preface to GCSE Geography, should students choose this route. Here we study more classic fields such as weather and climate, but also apply more contemporary thinking from economic and cultural geography. Classes in Key Stage 3 have three 1 hour periods per fortnight.

Geography is the most popular option at GCSE level in recent years, with five teaching groups in Year 10 and Year 11. At GCSE level, students follow the OCR B syllabus. Key Stage 4 students have five 1 hour periods per fortnight. At GCSE students have the opportunity to go to Sicily to study hazards. Students also go to Cambridge for their Human fieldwork and Hunstanton for their Physical fieldwork.

At A-level we follow the OCR specification. There are two teaching groups at A-level in Year 12 and Year 13. All Year 12 students have the opportunity to participate in fieldwork to Snowdonia and Sheffield as well as local fieldwork. All the fieldwork opportunities help develop skills to prepare the students for their NEA.

Grades are excellent at both GCSE and A-level. The last set of results we had a positive value added of 0.78 at GCSE. 41% of students got an A or A* at A-level. 53% of students got an 8 or 9 at GCSE level with 66% achieving a 7,8 or 9 at GCSE.

 The Post

The role will suit a newly-qualified teacher or an experienced teacher.

The candidate appointed will teach Geography across all Key Stages and will work with the Subject Leader and other members of the department to create engaging teaching resources.

The successful candidate will be a conscientious teacher who possesses the ability to enthuse students about Geography. The candidate should also be willing to participate and run fieldwork.

Bourne Grammar School

We are an oversubscribed mixed selective school serving Bourne, Stamford and Peterborough. Our students are well-behaved and motivated and are taught in modern and well-resourced facilities. The school offers 240 places to students in Year 7 and, with a Sixth Form of 500, has expanded to become one of the largest grammar schools in the country. The vast majority of Year 11 students transfer into our Sixth Form where students are offered a choice of 26 A-Level subjects.

The best atmosphere, the best support, the best results

This is our purpose statement - we have no long or complicated mission statement. The order of the purpose statement is deliberate; we believe that if we get the atmosphere and support right then, given our able students and committed staff, good results will follow. The atmosphere is special and cherished by us all and something that interview candidates often remark upon.

We are a large and busy school and our students are well-behaved, motivated and want to be here and their parents/carers want them to be here. Most of the students, most of the time, want to learn and enjoy lessons which are well-taught and engaging.

Working at Bourne Grammar School

The teaching staff body numbers around 100 teachers supported by 40 non-teaching colleagues. All teaching staff are subject specialists and are only required to teach their own subject. Staff absence is very low, as is staff turnover. Staff who do leave often do so for promoted posts.

All teaching staff at Bourne Grammar School are issued with a laptop and other benefits including no breaktime, lunchtime or bus supervision duties and free on-site parking.

Location

Bourne is a pleasant, semi-rural and expanding town in South Lincolnshire. It is surrounding by beautiful villages and countryside and yet has easy access to Peterborough, Cambridge, London and the motorway network. London Kings Cross is approximately an hour by train from Peterborough. Lincolnshire and its neighbouring counties offer a wide range of housing considerably below the national average house price cost. Primary school provision and facilities for families are excellent.

The Application Process

All applicants must complete a Bourne Grammar School application form and should submit this by email recruitment@bourne-grammar.lincs.sch.uk no later than midday on Friday 10th February. Interviews will then be held on Thursday 23rd February.

We welcome visits from prospective applicants and these can be arranged by telephoning Mrs Fiona Hill on 01778 422 288 ext 296 or email recruitment@bourne-grammar.lincs.sch.uk. Expenses will be paid to all those interviewed.

Go to our website for more information regarding the School: www.bourne-grammar.lincs.sch.uk

Bourne Grammar School recruits staff from all sectors: Comprehensive, Selective and Independent.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and expect all who work here to share this commitment. The successful applicant will be subject to an enhanced DBS check and satisfactory references.

This appointment is excluded from the non-disclosure provisions under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. Applicants must declare any convictions which for other purposed are ‘spent’ and in the event of employment, failure to disclose such disclosure such convictions could result in dismissal or disciplinary action by Bourne Grammar School. Any information will be treated confidentially.