Classics Teacher

Start date: Summer Term 2025

Contract type: Part-Time / Maternity Cover

The Appointment

For April 2025 Cheltenham College seeks to appoint a Part-Time Classics Teacher to teach a 0.52 FTE timetable of approximately 16 lessons per week. This is a fixed-term contract linked to a period of maternity cover - though the exact length of the contract is subject to discussion at interview.

A Teacher of Classics at College is responsible, through the Head of Classics, for the teaching of Latin and/or Classical Civilisation, according to the curricula for each year group.

This particular role will primarily involve teaching Classical Civilisation to years 9, 12 and 13, but there may be opportunity to teach some Latin and/or Greek too, if desirable. A linguistic background, however, is not essential: we would welcome applications from anyone with experience of teaching or studying Classical Civilisation, regardless of their route into the subject.

The length of the post will be either one or three terms, subject to discussion at interview.

The Classics Department

Situated in a historic part of the College Quad, the Classics Department consists of four classrooms, a small Sixth Form teaching room and an office. There are currently four full-time and two part-time members of staff.

We are a member of the Gloucestershire Classical Association, which runs an excellent program of Classical events. and we typically run residential trips abroad every two to three years, and theatre trips on an annual basis. 

Both Latin and Classical Civilisation are taught at all levels. Half of the 150 pupils in Third Form are taught Latin, the rest Classical Civilisation. The two GCSE sets for each of these subjects typically fluctuate between ten and twenty; at present, we have forty-four pupils preparing for Latin GCSE, and seventy-five for Classical Civilisation. In the Sixth Form, set sizes have varied from three to ten pupils; we currently have twenty-one candidates studying for A Level across the two subjects.

In the last decade, seventeen pupils have gone on to read Classical courses at universities including Oxford, Cambridge, King’s London, Durham, and St Andrews. We run a comprehensive Oxbridge programme of additional reading and discussion for our university applicants.

The candidate / Personal attributes

In order to be successful in this role, you will need to possess the following skills and attributes: 

• An excellent knowledge and genuine enthusiasm for the subject
• knowledge of, or a willingness to get to grips with, the various OCR Classical GCSE and A Level specifications. 
• Excellent administrative and organisational abilities
• Outstanding communication skills
• The desire to contribute to College’s rich co-curricular programme

The School

Cheltenham College is a thriving community, with over 1100 pupils from the Prep and Senior Schools combined, cared for by 600 support and academic staff. We have high-class facilities for academic development, boarding, sport, music and drama, as well as a truly awe-inspiring chapel. We are a 24/7 operation, working a six-day week with Saturday school. 

As staff, we enjoy the very wide range of activities that our pupils enjoy, with access to wonderful sports facilities for you and your family, a beautiful Common room, Library, and full IT provision.

College enjoys a thriving Common Room which offers a staff bar, regular social events and a supportive and collegiate atmosphere. Colleagues are generous in their support of new staff members and driven by a determination to ensure the very best outcomes for their students and colleagues.

Whilst we may seem a large organisation, we operate very much as a close community with a family feel.

Benefits include

• College offers a defined contribution Workplace Pension Plan plus a Flexible Benefits Pot. The scheme offered is through APTIS: Aviva Pensions Trust for Independent Schools and includes a generous College contribution.
• Permanent members of staff are entitled to a substantial reduction in fees for their children. 
• Members of staff may use the College sports facilities (at staff allocated times). 
• Subsidised health scheme membership (Benenden). 
• Discounts and offers for College staff from local businesses and retailers. 
• College has its own salary scale, and applicants will wish to contribute to College’s rich co-curricular programme.

Application process

To apply, please forward a completed application form, together with covering letter, electronically, to: recruitment@cheltenhamcollege.org

Closing date for applications is: 4pm prompt on Wednesday 4 December 2024

Interviews are scheduled to take place on either: Monday, 10 December 2024

Further details on what to expect from the interview process can be found here: https://www.cheltenhamcollege.org/about-us/our-staff/vacancies/

Cheltenham College is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people in its recruitment and selection of job applicants and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. The successful candidate will be required to undergo an enhanced DBS check.

We are committed to equality of opportunity for all staff and applications from suitably qualified individuals are encouraged regardless of age, disability, sex, gender reassignment, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief and marriage and civil partnerships. We encourage all candidates to ensure that College is aware of your particular requirements should you be invited to interview.