Sandwell Valley School (SVS)
Job Description
Job Title: Mathematics and Science Teacher
Reporting to: Head of Curriculum
Hours of Work: 37 hours per week
Salary - £30K + (Higher salary offered subject to experience!)
Introduction
Sandwell Valley School is a charity and an independent school offering alternative provision to pupils aged 11 to 18. The school was opened in September 2016 and rated as ‘OUTSTANDING’ by Ofsted in June 2022.
Our school collaborates with schools and education authorities. We provide places for young people who are for instance:
- New to the UK.
- Those who prefer and thrive in smaller and nurturing settings.
- Those who have a statement of educational needs (social and emotional).
We believe that every young person should have the opportunity to succeed by being motivated and inspired. We aim to develop young people into unique and responsible citizens of society with a sense of their own values.
We cater for up to 175 pupils who study qualifications including GCSEs and Functional skills.
SVS pride ourselves on:
- Personalising the education we provide each pupil, to re-engage their interest and plug the gaps in their education. Our team of staff offer pastoral support and spend time with pupils to develop their confidence and motivation levels.’
- The excellent quality service SVS provides for its clients. This ethos is embedded within the organisation and contributes towards a culture of care and respect amongst staff.
Our Vision
Our vision is to provide education for everyone whatever their background. It will make sure that everyone has the chance to reach their potential and live a more fulfilled life.
Our Aim
To facilitate a culture for our students and staff that develops and builds upon knowledge to promote self-belief and respect in one's own ability.
Our Mission Statement
"Progress is our Success"
Job Purpose (Mathematics and Science Teacher)
- Provide a differentiated curriculum and support provision appropriate to an individual’s needs and ability
- Build on each pupil's strengths
- To carry out the professional duties of a teacher as circumstances may require and in accordance with the school's policies under the direction of SLT.
- To be an effective professional who demonstrates thorough curriculum knowledge, can teach and assess effectively, take responsibility for professional development and has students who achieve well.
- To contribute to the high standards of teaching and learning and the raising of standards of achievement.
- To support the Maths and Science Functional Skills Department
- To make a significant contribution to the vision and direction of Sandwell Valley School, where innovative and inspirational learning for all is the core value.
Safeguarding
- To uphold the School’s policies in respect of Safeguarding and Child Protection (on school website) and ensure the safety and well-being of all students
- To record safeguarding concerns/actions on CPOMS and ensure these are reported to the DSL.
- Complete mandatory safeguarding training on an annual basis.
Job Title
Teacher of Mathematics and Science
Line Manager
Key Responsibilities
- To deliver high quality Maths and Science curriculum through effective teaching and learning
- To teach subsidiary subjects as agreed
- To carry out the professional duties of a qualified teacher as identified in the DfE Teachers’ Standards.
Teaching & Learning
- Plan work in accordance with the curriculum area programmes of study ensuring progress and the personalised learning needs of every student.
- Liaise with relevant colleagues on the planning of units of work for collaborative delivery. Work in collaboration with associate staff attached to any teaching group.
- Take account of students’ prior levels of learning and achievement and use them to set targets for future improvements.
- Maintain positive relationships with staff and students to enable effective teaching to take place.
- Set high expectations for students’ behaviour by establishing a purposeful working atmosphere in accordance with the Behaviour Policy.
- Use various strategies such as de-escalation to manage various challenging behaviours
- Provide students with the opportunities to develop the skills required in order to learn.
- Listen to the views of students about their preferred methods and styles of learning.
- Set appropriate and demanding expectations for students’ learning, motivation, and presentation of work.
- Work at all times within the Health & Safety regulations of our school and ensure a safe working environment.
- Maintain a high level of display within his/her teaching room.
- Adhere to all the guidance as set out in the staff handbook.
Assessment & Reporting
- Maintain notes and plans of lessons undertaken and records of students’ work in line with the School’s Teaching and Learning policy.
- Mark/provide feedback, monitor and return work as directed in the school marking policy.
- Complete formal assessment and input results through the MIS system in line with policy and as specified in the published calendar.
- Complete student behaviour logs on the MIS system in line with the policy.
- Attend the appropriate Parents’ Evenings to keep parents informed about the progress of their child.
- Be familiar with the code of practice for identification and assessment for Special Educational Needs and keep appropriate records and personalised learning plans.
Care & Guidance
- Undertake responsibility for a tutor group or for any other arrangement for the care and guidance of students as is required by the School, including tutor, student interviews and coaching and mentoring.
- Be the first point of contact for parents.
- Monitor (and set targets for) for students to improve motivation, behaviour or achievement as and when required.
- Be prepared to undertake responsibility for the delivery of PHSE and employability skills during form groups.
- Promote good attendance and monitor in accordance with the School’s attendance policy.
Professional Standards
- Support the ethos, vision, principles and values of the School
- Treat colleagues, students and all members of the community, with respect and consideration.
- Treat all students fairly, consistently and without prejudice
- Set a good example to students in terms of appropriate dress, standards of punctuality and attendance.
- Support the aims of the School through attendance at and participation in events such as open evenings, option evenings and the like (as appropriate to responsibilities).
- Support the ethos of the School by upholding the code of conduct, uniform rules, etc.
- Take responsibility for own professional development and participate in arrangements as adopted by the School for the assessment of his/her performance and that of other teachers.
- Reflect on own practice as well as the practices of the School with the aim of improving all that we do and achieving excellence.
- Read and adhere to the various policies of the School and implement School improvement plans.
- Attend school staff meetings and participate in and contribute to weekly departmental meetings
- Undertake duties as prescribed within the School’s policies.
- Ensure that all deadlines are met as published in the school calendar or deadlines set by the SLT.
- Undertake professional duties that may be reasonably assigned to them by the Principal.
- Be proactive and take responsibility for matters relating to health and safety.
Knowledge & Understanding
- A clear understanding of current educational issues, theory and practice.
- Have a detailed knowledge of the relevant aspects of the National Curriculum and other statutory requirements.
- Undertake mandatory and professional CPD and have a secure and detailed knowledge of the specialised subject.
- Have an understanding of effective strategies to deliver their specialised subject.
Planning & Setting Expectation
- Identify clear teaching and learning objectives, content, lesson structure and sequences appropriate to the subject matter and the subject being taught.
- Maintain a quality file including Intent, implementation and Impact statements, scheme of work and curriculum plan for each term.
- Set appropriate and demanding expectations for students learning and motivation. Set clear targets for students learning building on prior attainment. Identify students who have Special Educational Needs, and speak English as a second language and know where to get help in order to give positive and targeted support. Implement and keep records on personalised learning needs.
- Ensure all students are registered with the awarding bodies and exams in a timely.
Assessment & Evaluation
- Assess how well learning objectives have been achieved and use this assessment to establish future learning objectives.
- Mark/provide feedback and monitor students’ class work and homework providing constructive oral and written feedback, setting targets for students’ progress.
- When applicable, understand the demands expected of students in relation to Key Stage 3 and Key Stage 4 courses as well as post 16.
- Help standardise all department assessments to help to ensure all predictive data is accurate and sets high expectations.
- To monitor and support the overall progress and development of students within the subject.
- To monitor student attendance and progress in relation to targets set for each individual, ensuring that appropriate action is taken where necessary.
- To act as a Form Tutor and to carry out the duties associated with that role as outlined in the generic job description.
- To ensure the Behaviour Policy is implemented in the subject area so that effective learning can take place.
- Understand the professional responsibilities in relation to the School policies and practices.
- Evaluate their own teaching critically and use this to improve their effectiveness.
Quality Assurance
- Promote excellence at all points of delivery, maintain the required quality file
- Actively participate in school monitoring and evaluation procedures and help update school improvement plan.
Management of Resources
- To manage resources efficiently.
- Participate in the annual set up of the school calendar to ensure information on staffing needs is provided.
Additional Duties
- To play a full part in the life of the school community, to support its distinctive values and ethos and to encourage and ensure staff and students to follow this example.
- Any other duties as required by the Principal commensurate with the grade.
Pastoral System
- To monitor and support the overall progress and development of students within the subject.
- To monitor student attendance and progress in relation to targets set for each individual, ensuring that appropriate action is taken where necessary.
- To act as a Form Tutor and to carry out the duties associated with that role as outlined in the generic job description.
- To ensure the Behaviour Policy and safeguarding is implemented in the subject area so that effective learning can take place.
- Undertake staff rota’s and supervision duties during breaks and outside play that they teach.
- Evaluate their own teaching critically and use this to improve their effectiveness.
Professional Development
- Understand the need to take responsibility for their own professional development and keep up to date with research and developments in pedagogy and in the subjects.
Other Specific Duties
Whilst every effort has been made to explain the main duties and responsibilities of the post, each individual task may not be identified. Employees will be expected to comply with any reasonable request from the Principal to undertake work of a similar level that is not specified in this job description.
The job description is current at the date shown. It will be reviewed at least annually and, in consultation with you, it may be changed by the Principal to reflect or anticipate changes in the job commensurate with the grade and job title.
We are committed to safeguarding children, young people and vulnerable adults. All staff and volunteers are expected to behave in a way that supports this commitment and are subject to an enhanced DBS and other checks required for staff working in education (school safer recruitment policy).
Person Specification
Qualifications & Experience
Essential
- Educated to a degree level or equivalent in the (or closely relating to) the identified subject(s)
- An excellent track record of recent, relevant professional development
- Unqualified Teachers/ ECTs welcome to apply
- Evidence of raising standards and performance of a cohort of young people
- Experience of effective teaching and performance within the curriculum area.
- Ability to teach Mathematics and Science across KS3 and KS4.
- Demonstration of good teaching, learning and assessment skills
- Demonstrate an ability to manage and prioritise workload
- Experience in managing challenging behaviours
- Experience in working with students in SEN
Desirable
- Teaching qualifications Level Cert Ed/PGCE (or willing to work towards this)
- QTS or equivalent
Knowledge and Understanding
Essential
- Ability to teach Mathematics and Science across GCSE/equivalent courses
- The ability to create a stimulating visual environment in the classroom.
- Excellent written and communication skills, including appropriate ICT skills.
- Commitment to improving student learning and raising achievement.
- A secure knowledge of the importance of data as a means to both measure and extend progress.
- Have the vision to plan the way ahead and to get things done
- A high level of organisational skills
- Good, up to date subject knowledge skills.
- Experience/understanding of helping low achievers.
Communication Skills
Essential
- Able to engage with staff and students effectively
- A good communicator both verbal and written skills
- Able to work effectively as part of a team,
- Sensitive to the needs of others.
- Supportive
- Professionalism
Decision Making and Judgement Skills
Essential
- Demonstrate good judgement.
- Think creatively and imaginatively to anticipate, identify and solve problems
Personal Qualities
Essential
- Good up to date knowledge and skills
- Ability to work with others and under own initiative.
- Achieve challenging professional goals
- Determination to succeed and the highest possible expectations of self and others
- A commitment to inclusive education
- Vision, imagination and creativity
- Sensitive to the needs of others
- Willingness to contribute to extra- curricular activities
- Ability to build relationships with students and staff at all levels
Job Types: Full-time, Part-time
Part-time hours: 37 per week
Pay: From £30,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Company pension
- Discounted or free food
- Free parking
Ability to commute/relocate:
- West Bromwich, West Midlands: reliably commute or plan to relocate before starting work (preferred)
Experience:
- Teaching: 2 years (preferred)
Work Location: In person
