Trainee Teacher of Physics

Sir William Perkins’s School is a high-performing independent girl’s school for approximately 600 students aged 11 – 18 years. The Head is both a member of HMC and GSA. It was founded in 1725 and is now on an attractive 12 acre site situated on the outskirts of Chertsey, a two minute walk from the railway station and very near to the junction of the M3 and M25.  

The School has excellent facilities, having benefited from an extensive and ongoing building and refurbishment programme including a new staff room and kitchen and refurbished staff work room in autumn 2017.  New Sixth Form centre, Drama Studio and Careers centre which opened in summer 2016     

We are looking for an enthusiastic, well-qualified graduate who is passionate about Science to assist in the further development of our thriving and vibrant Physics department in a permanent, full-time role from September 2019 to teach throughout the School.  

The requirements of the PGCE mean that the successful candidate must decide whether to undertake their PGCE in Physics or across all three Sciences.  The School also has the flexibility to offer this as an NQT position or to a Physics  or Engineering graduate with a good honours degree who wishes to train as a teacher.  The School can provide all the associated support from the Senior Teacher and a department mentor.  There is also an opportunity to link with other related curriculum subjects such as Mathematics.  

The Chemistry, Physics and Biology Departments work closely together, and are taught as three separate subjects all through the School.  They each have three or four teachers, and there are two technicians plus an assistant who work with all three departments.  Each department has well-equipped laboratories plus two Sixth Form science laboratories.  Students start IGCSE Chemistry, Physics and Biology in Year 9, heading towards three Edexcel IGCSE science qualifications.  In the Sixth Form, students study the AQA Physics and Edexcel Chemistry specifications.  The school has an excellent reputation for Science and a large proportion choose to study Science in the Sixth Form and at University, including Oxbridge.   

In summer 2018, 75% of the Physics A level grades were at A*-A grade and 82% of Physics GCSE grades were at A*-A grade.    In Biology and Chemistry in summer 2018, 71% of Biology A level grades were A*-B grades and in Chemistry were 78% A*-A.  In the GCSE cohort 86% Biology students achieved an A*-A grade and in Chemistry 85% students were marked A*-A.

Visits to the School are warmly welcomed and encouraged