Teacher of Philosophy, Religion and Ethics (PRE)

Department: PRE

Line Manager: Head of PRE

Role

The Headmaster is looking to appoint an ambitious, dynamic, high-achieving graduate to join a thriving department and teach PRE (formerly ‘Religious Studies’) in the Senior School. The successful candidate will have genuine enthusiasm for PRE and be capable of teaching bright A-Level pupils. They should be well placed to generate and sustain a high degree of motivation in all pupils, and to deliver excellent teaching. As befits a Cathedral School, the aim is to ensure that religious education at King’s is of the highest quality. Whilst religious education at King’s has traditionally been based on the Christian faith, it is very important that pupils are given a thorough understanding of all major global faiths. We are a diverse, inclusive School and we welcome applications from all candidates regardless of their own background and personal beliefs.

This role offers great scope for class discussions, individual research and creative work.  At all times there is an emphasis on seeing the study of philosophy, religion and ethics as something which is relevant, interesting and enjoyable. At King’s we aim to foster a spirit of enquiry, an awareness of moral values and the ability to present strong ideas and arguments. We encourage an understanding of each pupil’s place in the local and wider community and aim to prepare them to become a positive member of the fast-changing global community.  PRE is not only a key focus within the curriculum, it also makes a strong contribution to current cross-curricular activities and projects.

The School

The King’s School, Gloucester has a rich academic tradition dating back to its founding in 1541. It houses the longest serving classroom in Europe and is held in high esteem amongst the local and wider community, winning Gloucestershire Independent School of the Year in 2020. The School strives for excellence in all areas: the academic results are strong with the pupil value-added score being equivalent to half a grade at GCSE; there is a wide-ranging sport provision and pupils reach national levels every year; in Music, our links with Gloucester Cathedral provide an ideal location for high quality orchestral and choral music; finally, the creative arts enjoy much success with DT and Art having their own dynamic and well-facilitated design space.

The Department 

The PRE Department is an energetic, supportive and collegiate department.  The post-holder will find their colleagues interested, supportive and positive about the subjects that they teach. There will inevitably be opportunities for the successful candidate to contribute to, and develop, the extra-curricular, enrichment and outreach provision in PRE. The staffing in the PRE Department at King’s is currently as follows: Head of PRE, one teacher of PRE, who is also the School Chaplain, and two additional part-time teachers of PRE, who also teach in other subject areas.

The PRE Department is housed in Little Cloister House. This building is a 17th century timber-fronted property next to Gloucester Cathedral, built over a medieval undercroft and contains what is believed to be the oldest, continuously used, classroom in the world. There are a range of dedicated PRE classrooms for Senior School and Sixth Form lessons in the building. Laptops are available for use in the department, while the Sixth Form bring their own devices. Gloucester Cathedral itself offers a spectacular setting to explore the Christian faith and is widely used by the School for PRE education.

The Curriculum

All students study PRE from the First Form (Y7) to Third Form (Y9). Many students also opt to do the GCSE and A-level, and this is an increasingly popular choice at King's.

Main Duties

The following shall be deemed to be included in the professional duties which a teacher may be required to perform:

• First class teaching throughout the School in a manner appropriate to pupils' ages and abilities  

• Promoting and safeguarding the welfare of pupils

• Assessing and recording pupils' progress in accordance with departmental and School policies

• Promoting and teaching KS3/GCSE/A-Level through well-planned and well-delivered lessons that are consistently good or outstanding over time 

• Contributing to departmental meetings including sharing good practice

• Developing and sharing teaching and learning resources 

• Monitoring the work and progress of pupils, including those with specific learning needs 

• Maintaining professional skills through INSET and our Continuing Professional Development programme. 

• Being proactive in exploring innovative ways of delivering PRE throughout the curriculum 

• Assisting with the production of displays to create an attractive learning environment 

• Setting high personal and professional standards in all aspects within your subject area and acting as a professional role model for others in your subject area 

• Helping to organise appropriate extra-curricular opportunities and experiences (e.g. educational trips) to enhance the enrichment and learning of students in your subject area

• Helping to initiate and promote links with Junior School (JS), in particular with the JS subject co-ordinator for PRE

• Actively encouraging and promoting the use of IT as a teaching strategy within your subject area

• Keeping abreast of national developments in PRE at all Key Stages, and its assessment in order to select courses that develop the learning and attainment of pupils in line with national expectations

• Helping to promote links with educational organisations outside of King’s

• Promoting an awareness of relevant career opportunities and experiences for students, in PRE subjects

• Contributing to the Department’s cross curricular initiatives, cross subject projects and activities programme

• Contributing to the extra-curricular life of the School through the Activities and Academic Enrichment Programme or other appropriate commitment 

• Taking part in the pastoral life of the School as a Form Tutor

• Any other tasks or responsibilities that may reasonably be assigned by the Head of Department and/or Headmaster 

Person Profile

The successful candidate should have the following: 

Essential 

• Strong degree in a PRE-related subject 

• Experience of teaching at KS3-5

• Enthusiastic and passionate about subject, the School and the pupils

• Able to use dynamic, effective teaching strategies that engage all learners

• Excellent written and oral communication, numerical and interpersonal skills

• Excellent ICT and organisational skills

• Ability to work under pressure, plan and prioritise own workload, remaining professional at all times

• Initiative and resourcefulness; able to produce excellent teaching plans and schemes of work

• Ability to deliver high standards, accuracy and attention to detail, meeting all deadlines

• Willingness to undertake further professional development

• Strong people skills, including a personal warmth and good humour

Desirable

• Further post-graduate qualifications relating to PRE 

• PGCE / QTS

Applications

Applications are to be made using the School’s application form, available from the School website.  Any queries regarding the application process should be directed to the Deputy Head (Staff) Mr John Collins at j.collins@thekingsschool.co.uk