Kingsley School Application Pack for

Earth Centre Teacher (0.4)

Salary To Be Discussed

Welcome to Kingsley School

Our headlines

• Our students are fantastic—they are highly motivated and engaged young people with supportive and caring parents. • We are a school which serves children from birth to 18 years old. • We are a high performing school, with excellent A’ Level grades and a thriving programme preparing students for Oxbridge applications • We have just under 400 students in our nursery, prep school and senior school. • We pride ourselves on being a nurturing and caring school, where each child is known well • We have a long tradition based on Christian values, and we try to live out our faith through the work we do to care for our children and their families. • We are innovative - our big project at the moment is our Earth Centre. The vision is to put environmental sustainability at the heart of our curriculum. • We also look after more vulnerable children very well. We are a centre of excellence for special needs, and our Grenville Centre provides excellent support for children with autism spectrum difficulties • As well as day students, we welcome boarders from across the UK and around the world. • Our enrichment offer is very wide and diverse. All the teaching staff and many of the support staff are very involved in ensuring that our students have every opportunity to develop a wide range of skills.

A letter from the Headteacher

Dear Applicant

Thank you for expressing interest in applying for the post of Earth Centre Teacher required from September 2020 at Kingsley School. This vacancy will give the successful applicant the opportunity to work with a wonderful and diverse group of young people and supportive colleagues. We do hope you find the information contained in this pack informative and that it will enable you to reach a decision on whether to apply for the post.

We are seeking to appoint a colleague who shares our ambition to ensure that every young person at Kingsley School achieves their personal best.

We are a small, with a long tradition of serving children and their families. We aim to be caring and inclusive, while still providing an excellent academic grounding for all our children. We specialise in supporting children with moderate learning difficulties. We find that many children who have struggled in mainstream schools flourish here, as our class sizes are small and we can develop an enrichment programme that brings out the best in all.

We are also very proud of our academic record. Our A’ level results are among the best in the country. A recent cohort of Kingsley students achieved 51% A/A* grades in their A’ level and BTECs. We have a thriving Oxbridge programme, which recruits and supports students looking at places at our top universities.

The school was last inspected by ISI in 2018 and we were judged to be “excellent” for our pastoral care of our students and “good” for our curriculum. We are looking for ways to move the school forward academically. We are looking to recruit staff who are able to deliver excellent teaching and learning and an excellent experience for our many boarders.

The school has supportive and engaged backers. Our current project is the development of a £2 million Earth Centre over the next three years. Based in the heart of ’s UNESCO biosphere we are aiming to become a centre of excellence in developing our students to be future leaders and experts in environmental protection and sustainability.

We are a popular choice with parents locally, and abroad. We recruit children from many countries and the diversity this gives the school is one of our strengths. Working at Kingsley School represents an exciting opportunity to work in a school which has huge potential. Since I arrived at the school in February 2020, I have found the staff to be incredibly supportive. Similarly, I have found that our students are a very positive and enthusiastic group of young people.

Because our young people are so responsive and receptive, we are able to make a very wide extracurricular offer which greatly enhances the work done in the classroom. There is always something exciting going on in this school!

If you like what you have read so far and wish to be considered for this role, please complete the application form which is available from our website, and include a letter (of not more than two side of A4, in a 12 point font) explaining your suitability for the post. At Kingsley School, we take safeguarding very seriously and consequently the successful candidate will be required to complete a DBS enhanced check. Please do not include CVs with your application as these will be disregarded for safeguarding purposes.

The closing date for applications 19 June (midday). Electronic applications are fully acceptable and these should be emailed to [email protected] In the current situation we will hold interviews via on online platform e.g. Zoom. Candidates called for interview will be contacted by phone in the first instance with detailed information following by email. I hope you will consider joining our team and I look forward to receiving your application.

Please do not hesitate to get back to me should you wish to discuss the role further or arrange a visit.

Yours sincerely

Mrs Gill Jackson Headteacher

Kingsley School description

Kingsley School originally opened in 1884 and was renamed following the mergers of Stella Maris, and Grenville College. Ownership recently transferred from The Methodist Independent Schools Trust (MIST) to KSI. Despite the change of ownership the school remains an independent school for students from birth to 18 years of age, founded on Christian values, and intends to retain its Methodist links as an associate member of MIST. We have a very extensive site and excellent facilities in the seaside town of Bideford in the wonderful North Devon countryside. There are currently just under 400 students on roll across the nursery, prep and senior school, this includes 65 boarders.

Leadership Since February 2020, Kingsley School has had a new Headteacher. She joined a stable SLT who know the school well. As the senior team, we recognise the importance of CPD in helping staff to develop professionally in order to realise their own potential and improve the life chances of all the children they work with.

Curriculum Kingsley School aims to provide a curriculum that meets the needs of all students by offering a breadth of educational opportunity. Subjects are mainly taught according to National Curriculum guidelines and a wide range of teaching and learning styles are used to ensure that students are actively engaged in their lessons. In Years 10 and 11, all students follow a core curriculum of English, mathematics, science, PSHE and PE. In addition, students select courses from a wide-ranging choice of GCSE options. We give our students the opportunity to take the EBacc suite of qualifications, with the most able following single science courses. The curriculum is based on five 60 minute periods per day, with an enrichment offer at the end of the teaching day.

Pastoral care and academic guidance The Heads of Key Stage and form tutors have responsibility for the welfare, academic progress and discipline of the students in their care. The tutors in each team have a particularly important role since they are responsible for ensuring our children are well cared for and happy. Time is set aside each day for a programme of activities designed to promote the students’ social and learning skills, support literacy, and to enable tutors to get to know each pupil as an individual. We have vertical tutor groups in KS3 to further strengthen care, guidance and support for students, and to create a family atmosphere in the tutor room. Pupil Voice is important at Kingsley School and we have an active School Council.

Links between home and school We aim to develop strong links between home and school. We hold consultative evening meetings between staff and parents to discuss any concerns, acknowledge successes and agree targets for further improvement. Parents also receive regular monitoring reports and are provided with frequent communications about developments in school. In addition, we publish various brochures and organise information evenings for parents at key points in their children’s education, together with awards’ evenings to celebrate the success of students at different Key Stages. We have an active and supportive PTA who provide excellent links between school and the families we serve.

Boarding Houses We have three boarding houses within our extensive grounds. Belvoir House accommodates all our girls, and has capacity for 32 children. Carisbrooke accommodates our junior boys and has 38 spaces. Longfield is our senior boys’ boarding house and has space for 48 children. Each house has a three bedroom flat for the house parents and their families and a one bedroom flat for the assistant house parents. There is also a separate house on site for our Head of Boarding and their family.

Special educational needs and disabilities

At Kingsley School, we place equal value on the education of all students. Those with special educational needs or disabilities are encouraged to achieve their potential within each curriculum area where they are provided with differentiated materials by their class teachers, whilst teaching assistants also offer additional individual support. We are very proud of our special needs provision, and believe this is an area of excellence for the school. Children thrive in our small groups, and we are able to make specialist, bespoke provision for the most vulnerable learners.

Able, gifted and talented provision Students who are identified as able, gifted and talented are provided with a wide range of challenging activities to support their learning. There are regular opportunities for extension and enrichment tasks in lessons as part of the curriculum, and teaching includes a variety of teaching styles to cater for learners’ individual needs. Teachers have high expectations of students and set personalised targets which are regularly reviewed to ensure appropriate progress for all. Students are also encouraged to participate in extracurricular activities such as Mathematics Challenge.

Extra-curricular activities A wide variety of clubs and activities are available to students and their families. These vary across the academic year but might include dance, science, cookery, film club, eco club, IT and many others. There are a wide range of opportunities in physical education and the arts. The school enjoys a high reputation for music. There are also excellent opportunities for students to begin or continue instrumental tuition as well as to participate in the annual school musical production. Educational visits appear regularly in our annual programme. Enrichment activities are vital to the development of our students and we continue to seek new and exciting opportunities to develop each individual.

School uniform Students are expected to dress appropriately for a learning environment. School uniform is compulsory for all students.

ICT resources Each member of the teaching staff is provided with a laptop computer for their individual use and all classrooms are equipped with interactive whiteboards or data projectors. In addition, there are a number of ICT suites around the school which can be booked for use by all curriculum areas. The school is seeking to develop its ICT provision and recently invested in a state of the art wifi system and a new Virtual Learning Environment. We are investigating ways to give every pupil their own 1:1 device, and hope to roll this out in 2021.

Kingsley active in the community Students at Kingsley School are encouraged to learn from the expertise, experience and information available within the local community. The school in return aims to provide a significant contribution to the community through the high quality education, guidance and care we provide for our young people and through participation in fundraising and community service. Kingsley School is active in its support of charities and each year the four houses organise a number of fundraising activities. We are also committed to sustaining and extending our links with local businesses, both to enrich the curriculum and to encourage sponsorship and financial support for the work of the school.

Our local area Devon is Britain's most popular holiday destination, so by working at Kingsley School you will be able to live and work in one of the most beautiful parts of the UK, somewhere most people only manage to visit for a holiday.

Devon offers scenic coastlines, one national park and part of another , a world heritage coast, blue flag beaches, little coves, market towns, seaside resorts, tranquil walks, picturesque villages, mouth-watering cream teas, real ales, heather clad moors, golf courses, gorgeous gardens, sparkling rivers, historic houses, entertainment and attractions galore. The school is very close to world class beaches, and we employ our own surfing instructor.

Transport links are excellent, with easy access to the motorway network and national rail network.

House prices are relatively cheap when compared to London and the South East, so the quality of life for yourself and your family is very affordable.

Bideford is a vibrant little town, made famous by the author, Charles Kingsley, who described us as “the little white town”. It has an excellent range of shops, cafes and restaurants; more than enough for everyday needs. Nearby Barnstable has a full range of bigger shopping you access to most national chain stores.

Public Exams

Focusing on both pupil wellbeing and ‘teaching the way pupils learn’ resulted in exceptional grades for Kingsley’s Sixth Form students in the 2019 public exams. 51% of all grades awarded are A* and A at Kingsley, putting the school’s results at double the 25.5% national average for achievement at this level. 27% of grades achieved were A* grade and the average UCAS score per pupil was 148 (equivalent to more than 3A grades at A level).

Topline results:

• 66% of grades awarded were A*, A & B grades • 100% A grades for all A-level Psychology students • 78% of all Maths grades were A* or A • 75% of all Biology grades were A* or A • Three pupils achieved 100% A* & A’s at A level • 100% Distinction * for all BTEC Hospitality students • 100% Distinction * for all BTEC Music students • 75% Distinction * for all BTEC outdoor education

In addition, this year Kingsley has been ranked:

• In the Top 25 CoEd Boarding Schools in the UK (https://www.best-schools.co.uk/uk- school-league-tables/list-of-league-tables/top-100-co-ed-boarding-schools-by-a- level/) • Top 10 School in the UK for Value Added – in the Governments’ School performance tables Kingsley’s A level progress score placed the school 10th in the UK out of 4,311 schools. The A level progress score measures how much progress all students who studied A levels at Kingsley School made during their time in the Sixth Form. This score is calculated using a comparison with students at all other schools in England. The score was based entirely on our A level results and did not include our equally strong vocational programme where 82% of results were at the equivalent of A* and A at A level.

POST OVERVIEW

Kingsley School Bideford is looking for a colleague to join us to teach in our innovative Earth Centre and in our senior school. A specialism in Earth Sciences, Biology or Horticulture and the ability to teach at KS3, KS4 and KS5 is needed. The post is part time (0.4fte), and the contract is permanent.

Kingsley School is an inclusive and forward-looking independent school in a beautiful part of the country. Our greatest asset is our positive and motivated young people, many studying in the UK from overseas. Working with us means that you will be able to teach the sort of young people who probably inspired you to become a teacher in the first place. We are committed to providing excellent education for all our students, and at the heart of this is a belief in excellent professional development for all our colleagues, both teachers and support staff. Working at Kingsley will enable you to work within a school where excellence comes as standard and where you are surrounded by positive, supportive colleagues who aspire to be wonderful teachers. We are a boarding school where there is a rich extra curricular offer for both our boarders and day students, and we would hope a new colleague will enjoy widening the offer we can make to our young people. We put the wellbeing of our staff at a high premium. We believe that our excellent inspection outcomes come from simply getting things right for everybody, not overburdening staff with unnecessary tasks.

We are looking for an enthusiastic teacher who has a deep love of their subject and the ability to communicate this passion to our young people. We would expect our new Earth Centre teacher to have excellent academic and professional qualifications and be able to maintain high standards of teaching and learning. We would hope this person is a creative and innovative teacher who enjoys trying new ideas in their classroom. A key element of this role will be to work alongside colleagues in our innovative Earth Centre, supporting the development of this important initiative. The vision behind the Earth Centre is to educate a generation of young people with the academic background to be leading global citizens.

The position is subject to satisfactory DBS checks and excellent employment references.

If you are interested in applying for this opportunity, please visit our website http://www.kingsleyschoolbideford.co.uk/vacancies/ and download the application form.

Closing date for applications: 19 June at midday

Job description

Key Purposes

The Earth Centre Teacher must provide high quality teaching, effective use of resources and high standards of learning and achievement for all students.

Key Knowledge & Understanding of: • The school’s aims, priorities, targets and plans in the context of the work of the department. • The relationship of the work of the department to the school as a whole. • Relevant statutory requirements for the curriculum and for assessment, recording and reporting. • The characteristics of high quality teaching and the main strategies for improving and sustaining high standards of teaching, learning and achievement. • The implications of the Code of Practice for Special Educational Needs for teaching and learning.

Key functions

Planning & Setting expectations: • To plan, develop and deliver high quality lessons and schemes of work, using a variety of approaches, to continually enhance teaching and learning and to maximise individual progress for students • To contribute as appropriate to a personalised learning agenda to meet the needs of individual students • To contribute to the school’s delivery of engaging and effective teaching and learning strategies • To consistently apply the school’s Behaviour and Rewards Policy • To contribute to the development of comprehensive schemes of work which include a range of teaching and learning methods and activities providing a rich experience for all students, and incorporating a variety of assessment methods at key points to enable accurate judgements to be made on student progress • Fully engage with Faculty and whole school initiatives for collaborative planning and moderation. • To share in the development of Faculty classroom and intervention strategies for students’ literacy, numeracy and spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. • Contribute to resources and material for the school’s website and/or VLE.

Teaching & managing student learning • Manage student learning through effective teaching in accordance with the Faculty/Department’s schemes of work and policies. • Ensure continuity, progression and cohesiveness in all teaching. • Use a variety of methods and approaches, including differentiation to ensure stretch and challenge for all students and to meet curricular objectives and to ensure equal opportunity for all students. • Set assessments and homework regularly in accordance with the School policies and guidelines, to consolidate and extend learning and encourage students to take responsibility for their own learning. • Work with SEND staff and pastoral support staff (including prior discussion and joint planning) in order to benefit from their specialist knowledge and to maximise their effectiveness within lessons. • Work effectively as a member of the Faculty team to improve the quality of teaching and learning. • Set high expectations for all students, particularly Pupil Premium students, to deepen their knowledge and understanding, to raise aspirations and to maximise their individual achievement.

• To plan and execute appropriate intervention strategies within the classroom to address potential underachievement and log as appropriate • Use positive management of behaviour in an environment of mutual respect, which allows students to feel safe and secure and promotes their self-esteem. • Inspire creativity, independence and critical thinking

Assessment & Reporting • Analyse and use relevant national, local and school data, research and inspection evidence to inform policy and practice expectations, targets and teaching methods. • Following school guidelines, use the systems for assessing, recording and reporting achievement, and using the information to recognise and raise achievement further. • Use targets to evaluate progress by all students, including those with special educational needs. • Monitor the progress made in achieving targets, evaluate the effects on teaching and learning, and use this analysis to guide further improvement. • Use data effectively to identify students who are underachieving and, where necessary, create and implement effective plans of action to support these students.

Guidance & Welfare • Manage student behaviour in the department and in the department’s teaching areas.

Wider Professional Role • Contribute to a positive climate in the department. Establish constructive working relationships among staff, including, through team working and mutual support, sharing responsibilities and tasks as appropriate and contributing acceptance of evaluation and accountability. • Have a clear, shared understanding of the importance and role of the subject(s) in contributing to students’ spiritual, moral, cultural, social and physical development, and in preparing students for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of adult life. • Support the school’s link with the local community, using this to extend the subject, enhance teaching and develop wider understanding. • Communicate effectively, orally and in writing, with parents, governors, external agencies and the wider community.

Continuing Professional Development - Personal • In conjunction with the line manager, take responsibility for personal professional development, keeping up-to-date with research and developments in teaching pedagogy and changes in the curriculum, which may lead to improvements in teaching and learning. • Undertake any necessary professional development as identified in the School or Faculty Improvement Plan and Appraisal processes taking full advantage of any relevant training and development available. • Maintain a professional portfolio of evidence to support the Appraisal process. • To work to the school’s policies • Participate in the school’s Appraisal Policy.

Continuing Professional Development – Staff • Contribute as appropriate to the school’s CPD programme. • Support trainees and NQT’s to ensure they are appropriately monitored and supported if applicable.

Tutor Role • Every classroom teacher may be expected to be part of House team and to work to the Personal Tutor job description

Safeguarding • To be responsible for promoting and safeguarding the welfare of children and young persons with whom the post-holder comes into contact with, or is responsible for in line with School Policies.

Person specification

Essential Desirable APPLICATION FORM AND LETTER Qualifications and Professional Development • Qualified Teacher Status √ • Good honours degree or equivalent √ • A commitment to CPD √

LETTER, INTERVIEW AND REFERENCES Knowledge, skills and personal qualities Candidates should be able demonstrate they have: • A genuine belief in the value of each √ child • A knowledge of the GCSE and NC √ requirements of the subject you offer • A knowledge of the A’ level √ requirements of the subject you offer • A good knowledge and understanding of current curricular developments in the √ subject you offer • The ability to maintain a high standard √ of teaching and learning • The ability to establish firm, fair and

effective discipline √ • A willingness to be part of a team √ • High levels of commitment, motivation √ and initiative • Good ICT skills √ • The ability to relate well to all √ members of the school community • Good communication skills √ • High personal standards and high √ expectations of themselves and others • A flexible approach to school life √ • A desire to contribute to a range of √ extra curricular activities • An excellent health and attendance √ record • A willingness to support and promote √ the school’s distinctive ethos