Combined Cadet Force School Staff Instructor & Outdoor Pursuits Lead

The Portsmouth Grammar School is a leading co-educational school located in the historic heart of Portsmouth. We are very much a family school known for excellent teaching, superb pastoral care and wide-ranging co-curricular opportunities and offer an education across the age range from Pre-School to Sixth Form. 

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a suitably qualified and experienced School Staff Instructor (SSI) to join our well-established Combined Cadet Force (CCF). Reporting to the Contingent Commander, the SSI provides administrative, logistic and training support to the contingent. It is expected that candidates will have a Regular, Reserve or Cadet service background. Strong administrative and IT skills are essential together with a willingness to undertake all necessary MoD training for the role, for example in the GP Rifle.

In addition to the pre-appointment checks required by the school, the successful candidate will need to complete any required MOD checks before appointment. It is a requirement that the post holder has a full clean driving licence with a D1 category. Ongoing MiDAS training will be provided by the school as needed and all training and refresher courses must be completed by the post holder to the required timeframes and standards.

Reporting to our Assistant Head (Co-Curricular), the role holder will also lead our Outdoor Pursuits activities, including management of the Duke of Edinburgh (DofE) Award scheme and lead responsibilities for the Gold and Bronze award in the first instance, with an expectation that the role will also absorb the Silver award, at the point when the current Silver award lead relinquishes this element.

The position of CCF SSI and Outdoor Pursuits Lead is a full time, term time role (plus an estimated 8 weeks during holidays, paid at a daily rate, in support of trips and expeditions), working 37.5 hours per week. It is expected that the CCF SSI role will be conducted across 3 days/week and the Outdoor Pursuits role conducted across 2 days/week, though in practice it will be for the post holder to judge and prioritise their time across the different elements of the role. It is also expected that the post-holder will have a flexible approach to when these hours are worked as occasional attendance at events during evenings and weekends is required. The standard working day is 7.5 hours each day, with a 30 minute unpaid lunchbreak. The usual hours of work will be 08.30 – 4.30, with the exception of Mondays during term time when the hours of work will be 09.30 – 5.30 due to the cadets parading on Mondays after school.

To support the delivery of the CCF programme, the post-holder will be required to work the following:

1. Three weekend camps (6 days)
2. One Adventure Training Camp during the Easter holiday (8 days), plus an additional administration day immediately following the trip (1 day)
3. One Summer Army Camp (8 days), plus an additional administration day immediately following the trip (1 day)
4. There will also be occasional weekends such as range weekends scheduled through the year

The CCF is a popular activity involving approximately 160 pupils and is an important part of the school’s co-curriculum which enables pupils to develop a range of skills in leadership and resilience. Cadets parade every Monday afternoon after school on the school quad.

To support the delivery of the DofE Award scheme, the post-holder will be required to work the following:

a.      Bronze training day and practice weekend (4 days)

b.      Silver practice and assessment (6 days)

c.      Gold practice and assessment (14 days)

d.      Post expedition admin days (4 days)

In the existing structure, some of these trip/expedition days take place on school days, others at weekends and some in the holidays. It is anticipated that an additional 8 weeks will be required outside of school terms to support activities.

It is requirement of the role to attend all Professional Development Days (INSET) in the school calendar.

A six-month probationary period will apply to this appointment to the support staff of the school.

How to apply:

Any enquiries about the role or how to apply are welcome at recruitment@pgs.org.uk or alternatively via our CCF Contingent Commander Mr Paul Bristow at p.bristow@pgs.org.uk

Candidates are asked to apply using the online form linked to our advert on TES.

This role is open for applications. Candidates who meet the criteria are encouraged to apply as soon as possible as interviews may take place before the last day of this term which is 13th December 2024. The final closing date will be midday on Tuesday 21st January 2025. Early applications are welcome and we reserve the right to interview and appoint prior to the closing date.

The School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

Applicants will be required to undergo child protection screening appropriate to the post, including checks with past employers and the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS). The School may carry out online searches on shortlisted applicants and applicants may be required to provide details of their online profile, including social media account names/handles, as part of their application.

The post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. The School is therefore permitted to ask job applicants to declare all convictions and cautions on a self-declaration form in advance of attending an interview (including those which are ‘spent’ unless they are ‘protected’ under the DBS filtering rules) in order to assess their suitability to work with children.