Teacher of Geography

We are a highly supportive school with strong subject and senior leadership to help you develop. We are looking for a highly ambitious, committed, and dynamic professional to join our Geography department; someone who is passionate about their subject, communicates well with young people and makes a positive impact on their learning. The Geography department comprises of 5 full-time teachers, including a Curriculum Leader, in 4 specialist classrooms. We are a hardworking team with our expertise recognised by The Geographical Association who awarded us the Secondary Geography Quality Mark in September 2024. We work collaboratively to support each other both with the demands of our work and our wellbeing, sharing our passion for different topics and examples.

The Geography department offers a broad and ambitious curriculum that empowers teachers to tailor learning to their students' academic, social and emotional needs. Planning is centralised as we aim to work collaboratively, but teachers are encouraged to select sources and material suitable to the learners in their classes and have flexibility in how they address learning objectives to ensure the best outcomes for their students. In Key Stage 3, students have 2 hours of Geography lessons per week with lessons based on the National Curriculum guidelines. GCSE Geography is a popular option with 6 classes in both Year 10 and 11. KS4 students study the GCSE AQA specification which includes fieldwork in Oxford and the River Chess for the human and physical enquiries. Case study examples of Nigeria, Jamaica, London and Rio de Janeiro are studied. We are delighted to have recently introduced A Level Geography at Aylesbury Vale Academy, with our first cohort currently in Year 12. We follow the Edexcel A2 Specification. Additional information about the topics studied by each year group can be found on our website.

Our students are very fortunate in the extra-curricular activities offered to them at Aylesbury Vale Academy. Our Eco-club meetings weekly and over the past year has been involved in community projects to reduce litter, has run school-wide competitions and has attended a national farming day in Hertfordshire. In addition, fieldwork is embedded in our curriculum, making use of the school environment, local area as well as travelling further afield. Our department's first international trip to Iceland ran in Spring 2024; we plan to run this grip again in 2026.

Like the Academy results as a whole, the most recent GCSE results saw students making good progress: P8 was the highest it has been in the Academy's history and the gaps between the progress of SEN and Pupil Premium students continues to narrow. Aylesbury Vale Academy has outperformed all other local non-selective schools. Our GCSE Geography results are consistently above national average in the Subject Progress Index.

Quotations from the Ofsted visit May 2024: 

• "Staff feel positive about the school's approach to workload." 
• "Leaders and governors prioritise making the school's improvement sustainable. As a result, everyone within the school is committed to achieving success for pupils."
• "Pupils of all ages enjoy their time at school here. They are polite and courteous."
• "The school is ambitious for every pupil to learn and achieve."
• "Pupils achieve well and perform well in national tests and examinations."
• "Pupils' conduct supports the learning ethos of the school."
• "Staff set clear boundaries for how pupils are expected to behave."

For further information contact Mrs E Perrin, HR Manager at vacancies@theacademy.me

Prospective candidates are encouraged to submit their applications as soon as possible as the school reserves the right to close the advert should we feel able to appoint an appropriate candidate.

Our commitment to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of our children will be reflected throughout the recruitment process and the successful applicant will be subject to an enhanced DBS check and an online screening check.