English Teacher (Temporary MAT cover)

Here at Outwood Academy Valley we have 15 English teachers and 3 one-to-one tutors in the English department. The department is a combination of experienced staff and more recent entrants to the profession and it is led by a Head of Department second in department and Lead Teacher who work together to provide supportive and strategic direction. More experienced teachers will value the clear sense of purpose and organisation in the department and recently-trained colleagues will find it a rewarding place to start a career in English teaching.

Teaching takes place in the departments 12 classrooms. Every classroom has a visualiser and these are used extensively by the team for the purpose of modelling and live marking. All classrooms have large interactive whiteboards. As a department we work closely with our two librarians who take pride in ensuring that our Vision is a welcoming and stimulating learning environment. Vision is well-stocked with a wide range of fiction and non-fiction to appeal to all interests and meet all reading needs.

The department has created a rich and engaging KS3 curriculum. Students read and study plays by Shakespeare such asMacbeth andThe Tempest exploring themes and characters and how the issues in his plays are pertinent to modern society. More modern texts such asThe Crossing The Girl Who Stole An ElephantandMy Sister Lives on the Mantlepiece allow students to consider themes such as friendship and loss of innocence and they invite discussion and reflection on key moral social and cultural issues.

There is a strong whole-school literacy strategy which aims to ensure that all students can gain the educational and personal benefits of reading. This includes reading catch up programmes reading challenges and rewards Accelerated Reader and a variety of reading interventions for readers who are not yet proficient. An HLTA further supports the development of Literacy by using the Ruth Miskin phonics programme to support emergent readers.

As in all OGAT secondary academies the department prepares students for Eduqas GCSE English Language and English Literature qualifications. The programme of study is fully resourced with high-quality materials produced by staff across the trust who know this specification well. We aim to make all our teachers experts in preparing students for GCSE examinations using our thorough and systematic methods devised over many years. We have the benefit of support from the trusts team of expert English directors who provide support materials advice coaching and who model and team-teach in lessons alongside us to develop our expertise. As an indication of our success each year over 85% of year 11 students achieve a pass in English with strong positive average progress for all students.

We look forward to working with you whether you are an aspiring ECT or an experienced teacher. If you are interested in joining our team please contact Rebecca Johnson who would be pleased to tell you more either by emailor telephone () and we would be delighted to welcome you on a visit if you would like to see us in person.

The Teacher is expected to implement and use a wide range of teaching and learning strategies within the classroom applying techniques like Assessment for Learning (AfL) to continually improve student performance. A core duty involves effectively using student level data to identify areas for development and raise standards.

This professional must be aware of strategies available for improving the learning and achievement of all students alongside possessing a good understanding of curriculum developments within their specific subject area. The role requires maintaining high expectations for all students and effectively communicating with students and their parents both orally and in writing. The teacher is expected to work collaboratively as part of a team sharing good practice across the department and demonstrating creativity in problem solving and a willingness to adopt new approaches.

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Essential qualifications include a degree in an appropriate discipline related to the relevant subject and a teaching qualification coupled with Qualified Teacher Status (QTS). Required experience includes recent and relevant teaching experience (either in employment or training) and experience of assessment at Key Stage 3 and 4.

The successful candidate will be confident in using standard computer packages (word processing email and spreadsheets) and understand how these tools can enhance student learning. The role demands high levels of professionalism including the ability to relate to students in a pleasant and sympathetic manner and a capacity to recognise potential child safeguarding issues.

• To view the person specification please clickhere.