Teacher of German

The German Department aims to provide outstanding teaching in what is the most-widely spoken native language in Europe, whilst instilling an appreciation of the rich cultural heritage and diversity within the German speaking countries. German is a well-established subject at this School and has been taught at Westcliff High School for Boys (WHSB) for over 50 years. We have achieved consistently strong results at both GCSE and Advanced Level and German remains a very popular choice for our pupils.

The Department offers a variety of additional clubs which pupils can attend, aimed at supporting those in need, or extending the knowledge of the most able. We have a particularly effective mentoring scheme, in which Year 10 and 11 pupils mentor those in the Lower School. Pupils in Years 7 and 8 also participate in various competitions, such as the Spelling and Translation Bees and pupils in all years take part in the Anthea Bell Prize and Stephen Spender Prize. Further to this, we organise a range of activities for School Enrichment Days and the European Day of Languages. We have links with a school in Germany.

The post would be suitable for a Graduate with a Degree in German who is interested in pursuing a teaching qualification. Currently, the School trains teachers through the University of Buckingham's Teacher Apprenticeship route (with the option to add the PGCE), and we also have a new connection with the National Modern Languages SCITT for whom we are hosting two MFL trainee teachers this year.

The post would also be suitable for an Early Career Teacher (ECT) in either their first or second year of the Early Career Framework. ECTs at WHSB follow the ECF training through the National Institute of Teaching. ECTs also benefit from a reduced timetable and a dedicated mentor. 

Accommodation and Facilities

The German Department is well-equipped. In both the Lower and Middle Schools, we use a mixture of textbooks, online resources and teacher prepared resources. Pupils are also offered the opportunity to buy a grammar workbook which accompanies the GCSE textbook. The Modern Foreign Language Department is based in six spacious classrooms (one of which is a newly refurbished computer room). There are whiteboards, projectors and speakers in all classrooms. All staff are trained in the use of the software available in the computer room, to enable them to use it effectively to support Teaching & Learning.

Curriculum

The curriculum incorporates contexts familiar to pupils in their everyday lives and teaches them the vocabulary that they need to communicate with young German people of their own age on topics that interest them. They are introduced to the everyday life and the culture of Germany and other German-speaking countries, encouraging intercultural understanding. At the same time, we ensure pupils are taught language learning skills and strategies that they need to become independent language learners.

In the Lower School, we use STIMMT 1, 2 and 3 and for GCSE we use STIMMT (Year 11) and the new course book for Pearson Edexcel GCSE (Year 10). Teachers are also able to use Active Teach and Active Hub, which provide an easy-to-use technology, designed to add dynamism and engagement to whole-class teaching. From Year 7 onwards, we use a range of extra materials and assessments to introduce, consolidate and extend pupils’ understanding of the new GCSE 9-1 specification.

The new Pearson Edexcel GCSE 9-1 Curriculum builds upon the work that has been completed in Years 7-9, both consolidating as well as extending it in order to enable pupils to achieve the very highest grades.

The majority of the course is covered in Year 10 and the aim is to finish the course content by the February of Year 11, allowing sufficient time for revision in preparation for the GCSE examinations.

For Advanced Level, we use the new AQA approved German course book (Hodder Education) and a range of stimulating online resources and authentic source material. A Level students work with our German Language Assistant in pairs once a week.

Examination Results

GCSE and A Level results in German have been consistently good. The GCSE German average grade was 6.96 in June 2024 and 62% of grades were 9-7. 86% of grades at A Level were A*-A in June 2024. 

Job Purpose:

The teacher is required to carry out the general professional duties of a school teacher under the reasonable direction of the Head of Department and Headmaster and to perform such particular duties that from time to time which may reasonably be assigned him/her by the Headmaster. Teachers on the Upper Pay Scale (UPS) will be expected to make broader contribution to the School as a normal part of their work.