Teacher of Mathematics

We wish to appoint from September 2023 a well-qualified, enthusiastic and committed Teacher of Mathematics. The post is part– or full-time and permanent. The position would suit an EQT or experienced teacher. 

This is an excellent opportunity to join one of Oxfordshire’s largest and most successful schools. Effective administrative systems support the two sites. Students are well-behaved and motivated, and there is a strong sense of community in Thame, with a committed parent support base.

We are exceptionally strong in terms of pastoral support for all students and have the highest expectations for individual achievement whatever the starting points. Outside the classroom there are wonderful extra-curricular activities for all. Students leave the school successful and well-rounded individuals. There is a ‘buzz’ about learning in the school and our students are fortunate to be supported in their learning by dedicated teachers and support staff. Staff training and professional development are always a developmental priority and many of our staff move on to promotions in other schools.

The School

The school is the only school serving the market town of Thame and surrounding villages. It is a popular school and always oversubscribed. It is a split site school – Years 7-9 on our Lower School site and Years 10 -13 on our Upper School site. There are around 540 students in our Sixth Form and we attract many students from other schools, post-16. Teamwork is a key feature of school life and so is partnership with our feeder primary schools. There is a strong drive to establish powerful curriculum links cross phase with teachers collaborating on a range of projects.

The Mathematics Faculty

Mathematics is a very strong and popular subject at Lord Williams’s School. This is due to the skill and commitment of a team of 18 teachers. Expectations both of students and of team members are high. There is an emphasis on team work and mutual support which has enabled the faculty to meet the continuing challenge of new initiatives with confidence. Although staff are based on one of the two sites, most have a timetable which includes work across the whole school.

The Mathematics Faculty has a high standard of accommodation with its own suite of rooms on each site also with access to ICT rooms. The Upper School site has a brand new Maths Block, opened in May 2017 by Professor Marcus du Sautoy with 8 classrooms and 4 work rooms. There has been significant investment in resources with new text books in Key Stages 4 and 5. All Lower School classrooms have data projectors and internet access; the Upper School rooms use interactive whiteboards. The Mathematics team are keen to use technology in their lessons to enhance teaching and learning opportunities. Favourite resources used by staff include MathsPad, MyMaths, Mathsbox, Underground Mathematics, Integral, Autograph, GeoGebra and Desmos.

Examination preparation has been a key focus; we have produced a large quantity of revision materials and our GCSE results are consistently well above national averages with 82% achieving grades 4-9 in summer 2022.

The faculty structure is as follows:

 Head of Faculty

Second in Faculty and Team Leader of a Key Stage

Team Leader of a Key Stage

Team Leader of a Key Stage

The Teaching Programme

In recent years Key Stage 3 and Key Stage 4 have been developed to provide a course which is balanced in terms of content and styles of delivery. In Year 7, students are set as soon as possible using Year 6 SATs results.

The Mathematics Faculty are passionate about exposing students to the beauty and power of mathematics and developing their sense of enjoyment and curiosity. The programme of study we have developed builds on prior knowledge and developing fluency and retention through varied and frequent practice. Once there is a secure grounding in the topic content, we endeavour to develop mathematical reasoning and competence in solving increasingly sophisticated problems.

In Key Stage 4, Year 11 students currently follow the Edexcel Linear GCSE course. We aim for 100% entry at GCSE for Year 11 students, and the percentage achieving grades 9 - 4 was 81% in 2019. The percentage of students achieving grades A* - C was 81% in 2018, 81% in 2017, and 88% in 2016. For students in the Sixth Form who have not achieved a grade 4, we run a GCSE retake course.

In Year 12 and 13, we offer A-level courses in Mathematics (Edexcel) and Further Mathematics (Edexcel). Currently approximately 90 students study A Level Mathematics and 16 students are doing Further Mathematics.  

At all levels we aim to challenge students from the weakest to the strongest mathematicians. The most talented 15% are entered for the various UKMT Annual Mathematical Challenges with a few each year participating in the Olympiads. For the lower attainers the Mathematics team work  closely with the Learning Support team to provide additional assistance in the classroom. We run a bespoke intervention for Year 7 students identified as below expected standard in their Year 6 SATS.

High on our list of priorities is to instil a love of Mathematics. All members of the faculty are encouraged to try new approaches to topics and develop new materials. Ideas are rapidly shared amongst the teaching team particularly in faculty meetings where Hot Ideas is the first and most exciting item on the agenda of all meetings.