Head of Physics - full-time, permanent - required for September 2025
Sir Thomas Rich's School
Gloucestershire
- £38,034 - £49,084 per year
- Expiring soon
- Salary:
- Plus TLR 2B
- Job type:
- Full Time, Permanent
- Start date:
- 1 September 2025
- Apply by:
- 24 March 2025
Job overview
The role
Physics is taught as a separate subject from Year 9 through to A-Level and Oxbridge entry by a team who are passionate about their subject and enjoy challenging and engaging the pupils through a variety of approaches. Physics is currently taught by four specialists, as well as by other members of the science faculty. The School follows the Edexcel specification (code 1PH0) for GCSE and the Edexcel specification at A Level. The department is extremely strong and are proud that they enjoy a history of excellent examination results. A Level Physics at STRS is a popular choice and attracts a large number of Sixth Form students to study their subject. The Physics department are a close-knit team who support and encourage one another offering help and advice and who strive to make their subject interesting and relevant to all ages and levels of ability within the School. For more information, please refer to the attachments below.
About you
A fantastic opportunity has arisen for a highly motivated, outstanding teacher to lead our successful Physics Department. This permanent, full-time post would be particularly well-suited to an ambitious practitioner ready to progress in their career. We offer exceptional opportunities for professional development and remain dedicated to mentoring and supporting our staff. The successful candidate should be willing to work hard and contribute to the ongoing success of the School.
About us
Founded in 1666 as the Blue Coat Hospital, today Sir Thomas Rich’s is a progressive grammar school for boys in Years 7 to 11, and young men and women in the sixth form. We are consistently one of the highest attaining schools in the county and we are proud of our long-standing reputation for academic and sporting excellence. GCSE results consistently come in the top 10% for attainment and value added in the country. Our students typically achieve ten or eleven GCSEs, mostly at the highest grades, and three or four A-levels, mostly at grades A*, A and B. The School attracts high-ability, talented students and offers a wide range of extra-curricular opportunities. We believe that students thrive in an atmosphere of respect, care and support.
Teachers and support staff work hard to promote this ethos and to make sure that every pupil feels that they are a valued member of the school community. High quality pastoral support is key to this aim, and we work closely with parents to develop positive relationships with families and help students achieve their full potential. Our accomplished teachers use their skills and in-depth subject knowledge to inspire, encourage and support our students in their journey through the School, laying firm foundations for academic excellence at GCSE, in our Sixth Form and beyond. Our excellent support staff show high levels of commitment to the School and work hard to manage all non-teaching aspects of school life effectively.
Located on the edge of the city of Gloucester in the heart of the south west, Sir Thomas Rich’s is just a short drive from Junction 11 of the M5. The beautiful Cotswold towns of Cheltenham and Cirencester are easily accessible and there are excellent public transport links to the nearby cities of Cardiff, Birmingham and Bristol.
To apply
If you wish to be considered, please complete the application form (parts 1, 2 (mandatory) and 3 (discretionary)) and provide a covering letter explaining your suitability for the post. The inclusion of your CV would be welcome. Please forward via the TES portal or send to The Headteacher, Sir Thomas Rich's School, Oakleaze, Gloucester, GL2 0LF. We also accept applications via email.
Closing date for applications is 9am on Monday 24 March 2025
For further information or to arrange an informal visit , please contact Jane Morton, Headteacher's PA and HR Manager.
Safeguarding Statement
Sir Thomas Rich's School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share the same commitment. Disclosure of any criminal convictions and an enhanced DBS check will be required for this post.
Attached documents
- Physics Department Information.pdf146.69KB
- Job Description146KB
- Staff Privacy Notice .pdf181.22KB
- Recruitment of Ex Offenders Policy.pdf116.37KB
- Letter to Applicants.pdf143.98KB
- School prospectus1.51MB
- Inspection report129.54KB
- Exam Results 2023-24256.81KB
- Child protection policy395.53KB
- Recruitment monitoring form116.37KB
About Sir Thomas Rich's School
- Sir Thomas Rich's School
- Oakleaze, Longlevens, Gloucester
- Gloucestershire
- GL2 0LF
- United Kingdom
A Blue Coat School founded in 1666 by Sir Thomas Rich, the present school is housed in modern buildings sited in its own playing fields, on the outskirts of Gloucester. We are a boys' Grammar School with a mixed Sixth Form. The School has an excellent reputation locally and nationally. We are heavily over-subscribed each year. We take in five forms of entry. Our total pupil numbers are 1249 which includes 464 in the Sixth Form.
Sir Thomas Rich’s has long been recognised for its high standards of learning and teaching. We were one of the first schools in the country to be awarded Beacon School status by the Government in recognition of excellence and one of the first schools to gain Language College status, Science College status, Sportsmark Gold and the Mental Health Champions award. We have also been a Teaching School and hold the Investors in Careers Quality Mark.
The School aims to provide a secure, happy and stimulating environment in which children can achieve high academic, social and moral standards. All that we do is based on the key foundations of hard work, good conduct and a high level of commitment and loyalty to the School. Our excellent examination results have been featured in the national press each year since the publication of league tables. Government performance tables show that we achieve amongst the best results of all schools and colleges nationally. Furthermore, we are consistently in the top 10% for value added. Teachers are committed to their professional development and strive to be the best practitioners inside and outside the classroom.
Sir Thomas Rich’s is a lively school. There is a busy calendar of extra-curricular activities including residential trips. The sporting side is very strong. The School offers rugby, soccer, cross country running, cricket, tennis, badminton, athletics, basketball and netball. In recent years, several students have gained international honours in sport. Music is also a strength and there is a choir and several other ensembles. Regular, well supported, drama productions take place during the year. There are over twenty active clubs and societies outside Music and Sport, as well as 'fringe' clubs, which exist according to the interests of new pupils and staff. The activities speak for the fact that staff involvement and participation are high.
Four Houses, which each year compete for the Cock House Trophy, provide social, sports and cultural activities within the School. The pastoral system rests primarily and considerably with Form Tutors, overseen by Heads of Year. Further support and guidance is provided by Assistant Heads, each in charge of a section of the School. There are active Parents' and ‘Richian Alumni’ associations. The Parents' Association and friends of the School raise £30,000 plus each year.
The buildings are a cohesive unit of well-maintained classrooms, laboratories, three ICT suites and specialist rooms for subjects such as Technology, Art and Music. Departments are arranged in neighbouring rooms to facilitate sharing of resources. All rooms have interactive whiteboards. The Assembly Hall has a fully equipped stage alongside a Drama Studio and we have a comfortable and spacious Learning Resources Centre completed in 2014. Sports facilities are excellent, comprising a Gymnasium, Sports Hall, fitness suite, indoor swimming pool and a Sports Pavilion. The School moved to its current site in 1964 and the original quadrangle dates from then.
Sir Thomas Rich’s underwent a routine two-day Ofsted inspection recently on 6-7 October 2021, and the Overall Effectiveness of the School has been judged as ‘Good’ as a result.
Ofsted stated:
“Pupils are very happy in the school. They feel a huge sense of loyalty. Those who join the school in the sixth form say the same. Every pupil wears the badge with pride. Pupils feel safe and say that they can go to anyone in the school if they have concerns. Leaders have very high expectations of pupils to which they respond willingly. Behaviour is impeccable. Led by the headteacher, there is a culture of respect that permeates the school.”
January 2022
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