Teacher of Philosophy Beliefs & Ethics, Head of Department

Career Opportunity (M2-M6 or UPS1-3 +TLR2a)

Ambitious, forward-thinking, flexible and self-motivated?   If you can combine these attributes with excellent teaching skills, now is the unique time to join the teaching staff at Coombe Wood School. During this key period of natural expansion as the school increases in cohorts, we offer the opportunity to develop your career. We offer scope to advance at our vibrant and heavily oversubscribed school (1335 applications for 180 x Y7 places in September 2021), situated in £35million state-of-the-art, brand new buildings, where we took up occupancy in January 2021.

With three year groups (Y7-9) currently on role, the commencement of GCSE courses along with the opening of the CWS Sixth Form in September 2021, bring with them a variety of promotion opportunities for dedicated and ambitious staff. CWS is a school with a growing track record of rewarding outstanding performance amongst current staff via internal promotions. By becoming part of the team at Coombe Wood School, your career will benefit from joining a future-focused group of schools within Folio Education Trust, offering access to high calibre CPD, which contributes to the recognised quality of learning within our schools.

There is a strong team spirit, which has contributed to a supportive learning environment for both staff and students at Coombe Wood School. Our staff are ready to overcome unexpected challenges, break fresh ground, encourage collaboration and share excellent teaching skills within our hardworking and dedicated group.

Our PBE Department 

At CWS we believe that every student deserves the opportunity to reflect upon the diverse and ever-changing world we live in. PBE is a vibrant and academically demanding subject, covering a variety of both religious and non-religious systems of belief. We encourage all our students to critically explore Philosophy, Beliefs and Ethics in a way that enhances their skills of literacy and reasoning in the classroom. We believe that this, in turn, supports their developing understanding of the world around them.

PBE is currently offered as a discrete subject at KS3 and as an optional Religious Studies GCSE at KS4. Our students come from a variety of religious and non-religious backgrounds which brings learning about (and from) religion to life in the classroom, whilst providing a safe space for them to grapple with their own identity and sense of belonging. This coupled with the natural curiosity our students display around ultimate questions and moral issues makes PBE at Coombe Wood School a thriving and dynamic subject to teach.

For an experienced teacher this Head of Department role will be integral to shaping how the department develops as it grows.

About us – context, location and buildings

This fully inclusive secondary co-educational school was established to meet an urgent rising local demand. The site of our new building and extensive grounds is opposite Lloyd Park in South Croydon, with an excellent Tramlink service to and from East Croydon station (just 5-minute journey-time away,) and a short walk from several bus routes. Our £35 million new building and facilities offer specialist teaching spaces for all subjects including Music, Dance, Drama, Science, Design Technology and Art. In addition, students benefit from indoor and outdoor auditoriums, a brand new Health Related Fitness building offering dedicated health and well-being studios and competition-sized spaces for gymnastics, netball, football and basketball. The school is set in spacious parkland grounds which offer a range of outdoor learning opportunities across all subject areas.

Advantages Include:

• Network of expertise and CPD support within CWS and Folio

• 9 INSET days per year

• Chance to join an innovative and supportive ground breaking team

• Opportunity of career progression with natural expansion of the school

• Catchment includes many aspirational, supportive families

• Working with students who use MyZone technology to track and improve their fitness, as a result increasing their focus and concentration in class

• Outstanding brand new £35M building, modern facilities and extensive grounds

• Free access to new sports amenities for staff.

Application Procedure

Please download the candidate pack and application form or visit Career Opportunities on our website.  As well as the virtual tours and faculty talks signposted on our website, departmental heads are offering a Google Meet to answer questions; if you would like the link please contact Mrs Baker on jbaker@foliotrust.uk   or call 07891 671 226 in the first instance.

Please email your completed applications to careers@cws.foliotrust.uk    in compliance with safer recruitment guidelines CVs will not be accepted.

Closing Date: 9am Wednesday 3rd March

Interviews: This year our selection and interview process will be run remotely during March.

Folio Education Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.  The recruitment process will include an enhanced DBS check, medical screening, confirmation of right to work in the UK and all other pre-employment checks in line with safer recruitment requirements.

The Candidate Privacy Notice (“Privacy Notice”) is published on our web site www.folio-education.co.uk