Teacher of Art and Design
Permanent
Part Time - 27 hours and 43 minutes per week
Currently, Midlothian has 6 secondary schools, 32 primary schools (19 of which have nurseries) and 2 stand alone nursery schools. Our special school, Saltersgate, provides support for children with a range of physical, social, emotional, behavioural and learning difficulties. The schools range in size from our smallest primary school with around 20 children to our largest secondary with over 1200 pupils. We have a diverse range of school catchments, from rural to urban settings. We are fortunate to have a growing number of new build schools, with 15 of our primary schools and 2 secondary having been built within the last 10 years and several new builds planned.
Penicuik High School is a six year non-denominational school. The current roll is 640 and it is expected that the roll will continue to increase over coming years. The school is set in the heart of Penicuik and has provided education on the current site since 1937. The school in currently under renovation and on completion of this project a modern, state of the art campus will be crated. The school offers the full range of courses to our students from the Broad General Education phase through to National Qualifications in the senior school. The school is currently developing an improved curriculum offer that meets the needs of all young people. We are also proud to be an inclusive school that is continuing to work on ensuring the needs of all our learners are met. Structural changes to our building have allowed us to become more compliant with the Disability Discrimination Act allowing easy access to almost all areas of the school.
Our school is well served in terms of technology with every department having access to IT facilities including interactive whiteboards and all young people now have access to Chromebooks linked to the new Equipped for Learning strategy and the Midlothian Education google workspaces. The school also maintains three computer suites one of which is the Business Education classroom.
Being sited alongside the Penicuik Leisure Centre has enabled our students to have access to a good range of sports facilities as well as having a modern library facility close to the school which complements our own Library centre.
The school is supported by an active School Parents’ Association who are our de-facto Parent Council.
We are continually looking to recruit ambitious and committed professionals and welcome interest in our advertised posts. Please visit our school website https://penicuik.mgfl.net/ to find out more about our school or call the Head Teacher - Craig Biddick 0131 392 1920 to discuss the role.
Interview Date - week beginning 17/08/2026.
If you are successful, our offer of employment will be conditional on satisfactory completion of pre-employment checks, such as medical screening, two written references, one which must be from your most recent/current employer, verification of your original qualifications and your eligibility to work in the United Kingdom.
General Teaching Council Scotland
Teachers applying for permanent posts should be fully registered with the General Teaching Council Scotland (GTCS). For further information on registration please visit: www.gtcs.org.uk
Regulated Work with Children
This post is considered Regulated Work with Children, under the Protection of Vulnerable Groups (Scotland) Act, 2007. Therefore, it is an offence to apply if you are barred from working with children.
Successful candidates will require a PVG Scheme membership for Regulated Work with Children. You will be required to join the Scheme or undergo a PVG Scheme Update check prior to commencing employment with Midlothian Council, the cost of which will be met by you. The fee for a Full PVG Scheme Membership is £59. You will be required to re-pay this amount to the Council by salary deduction over 6 consecutive pay periods. The fee for a PVG Scheme Record Update is £18. You will be required to re-pay this amount to the Council by salary deduction over 2 consecutive pay periods. If your employment concludes before the amount is re-paid in full, the outstanding balance will be deducted from your final salary.
In your application we ask for information under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. We ask you to disclose any unspent convictions. Applicants should note that failure to disclose a conviction which is subsequently advised through a Disclosure Scotland check may result in the withdrawal of any offer of appointment.
Having a criminal record will not necessarily debar an applicant from working with Midlothian. Decisions regarding suitability for positions of trust which are subject to vetting will be dependent on the nature of the position, together with the circumstances and background of the offence(s).
For further information on the PVG Scheme please visit: www.disclosurescotland.co.uk
Please note that Disclosure Scotland has changed the way PVG certificates are issued. You will be notified by email from Disclosure Scotland that your certificate is available to view. Once you have viewed your certificate you will be allowed to share this with your employer and it is only available for 14 days from the first day you have viewed the certificate. If you do not grant access to Midlothian Council to view before access is removed, a further application will need to be generated, and this will incur an additional cost.
Please note If you have spent more than 3 months working or living outwith the UK in the last 5 years then you will also be required to present a copy of an overseas criminal record check. Details of how to apply and contact details can be found on the GOV.UK website
If you have difficulty applying for this post or accessing attached documents, or if you have a disability and reasonable adjustment is required, please email [email protected] to discuss with member of the Recruitment Team stating the post reference number.
Midlothian Council is currently undergoing a period of transformation, changing and improving the way it delivers services in Midlothian. As a consequence, there are a number of existing employees for whom we are committed to seeking suitable alternative employment within the Council in accordance with our legal obligations. Candidates are advised that, for some vacancies, internal candidates in this situation will be interviewed before the wider selection pool and a slightly longer delay may be experienced before application outcomes can be advised to you. Thank you for your patience in this matter.
If you are a trainee of a Midlothian Council Training Programme, have a disability or you are a care experienced young person who has previously been a looked after child, you are eligible for a guaranteed interview if you meet the essential criteria for the post.
Sunday 9th August 2026
