Teacher of Religious Studies

We are looking to appoint a well-qualified, enthusiastic graduate to teach Religious Studies across the full age range to A Level in this academically selective school. The person appointed will also be expected to contribute to the School’s extra-curricular programme.

The post would suit a newly qualified entrant as well as a more experienced member of staff. 

Early applications welcome.

The Dept:

Religious Studies is taught throughout the school; the scheme of work followed in the Lower School allows for academic engagement and promotes understanding of the six major world faiths, as well as encouraging philosophical and ethical reasoning. Girls of all faiths, or none, are valued and equally welcome; the atmosphere is one of mutual respect promoting the lively exchange of ideas.

The department enjoys considering popularity and success at both GCSE and A level and it is pleasing to see girls progress to reading Theology, Religious Studies and related subjects at university.

A full GCSE is offered as an option in Years 10 and 11, with girls following the AQA syllabus (specification A) focusing on Christianity, Islam and four philosophical and ethical themes. Girls achieve excellent results and there are always good numbers continuing with the subject post 16. 

The sixth form follow the A level specification with OCR which involves the study of Ethics, Philosophy of Religion and Developments in Christian Thought. 

In 2018, 75% of girls achieved Grade 9 and 97% Grades 8/9 at GCSE; 84% girls achieved A*- B at A level.

We regularly enter girls into competitions such as the NASUWT Arts and Minds Award.  Academics from the University of Birmingham and visitors from Faith communities also contribute to our provision. We also enrich the academic programme with a series of educational visits throughout the year. 

The School:

King Edward VI High School for Girls (KEHS) is one of the most successful girls’ schools in this country with outstanding academic results and a large programme of extra-curricular activity. The School was founded in 1883 and counts the actress Lindsay Duncan and the BBC Correspondent Reeta Chakrabarti amongst its alumnae. The School is an independent day school with 602 girls aged 11-18 and is part of the King Edward VI Foundation, which has ten schools in Birmingham. It is situated on a beautiful 50-acre campus in Edgbaston, which it shares with King Edward’s School.  

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’s purpose is undoubtedly the pursuit of excellence in all that it does, but it is of equal significance that this excellence should be accessible to able pupils, whatever their family background or financial situation.  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.

Academic success:

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 93% 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, 13 students gained places at Oxbridge. The School was rated ‘excellent’ by the Independent Schools’ Inspectorate in 2010 and 2019, and was ranked as one of the top 10 best value Independent Schools in 2018 by the Daily Telegraph.

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