Teacher of English

Mount Grace School is a co-educational, comprehensive 11-18 Academy set on 20 acres of beautiful grounds in Potters Bar, Hertfordshire.

We are an inclusive, first choice community school that cares for and meets the needs of all its students, who achieve ambitiously as a result of great expectations and excellent teaching. We build strong character to support students to navigate the world around them so that they can lead happy, successful and healthy lives.

We offer a highly effective, knowledge-engaged, curriculum consistently driven by the explicit teaching of vocabulary and reading. Our teaching is informed by educational research into how children acquire and retain knowledge and it is enhanced by exceptional character development. As a result, children develop skills so that they can embrace the challenges and demands of future work and life.

Our motto ‘Res Non Verba’ (Latin for ‘Deeds not Words’) reminds us that we have to act on our ambitions. Our aim is clear: we want to be an outstanding school where students excel academically, create positive memories, make meaningful connections and develop a strong virtuous character so that they flourish and succeed in all areas of life. To realise our vision we insist on strict standards of behaviour and courtesy that enable all to achieve, feel safe, be proud to belong and contribute positively to the school and the wider world.

Being a relatively small secondary school, we are proud of our personalised programme of support for young people. We acknowledge and break down physical, emotional and perceived barriers to success and seek to support individuals with their personal goals and ambitions. Our pastoral and mental health support is well resourced with expertise that understands the impact that nurturing a positive self-esteem can have on a child’s life chances. This, matched with the highest expectations for learning, reading and oracy as well as an ethos that promotes growth mindsets, means that all students can excel regardless of how low the starting point or how high the goal. But we don’t do this alone. We have a highly supportive parent, carer and community voice behind us and robust network of professional partners who work with us to enrich the child’s experience and ensure they thrive.

I am immensely proud of our successes and the significant progress we have made in recent years. There have been measurable improvements across all areas of our school as well as the physical improvements from ongoing investment to our learning environment.

Headteacher

Geeta Patel

Values and vision

Proud to Belong: At the heart of our ethos and values is the drive to create an inclusive environment where every student, staff member, parent, and community partner feels valued and proud to be part of our school. We cultivate positive self-esteem and high levels of wellbeing by insisting that both adults and children in the school take personal pride in delivering excellence.

An Ambitious Curriculum: This commitment is reflected in our rich and engaging curriculum, designed to challenge and inspire our students to achieve academic excellence. We provide a broad and balanced range of subjects, holding a parity of esteem between the traditionally academic subjects and the creative and practical ones.

Our Character Virtues: Beyond academic achievement, we place a strong emphasis on character development. Through our virtues-led approach, we ensure that character building is a deliberate and integral part of school life. Character virtues are explicitly taught and demonstrated within the curriculum, pastoral programme and through our enrichment offering.

Thinkers and Speakers: We believe in the transformative power of knowledge to open doors, enhance self-esteem and improvement life chances so that children truly achieve freedom through education. We encourage children to articulate their learning effectively and develop as confident thinkers and speakers who engage thoughtfully and critically with the vast array of information they will encounter in both life and work.

Enrichment and Opportunity: We are proud of our child-led enrichment offer and tailor bespoke programmes to meet the needs and interests of our children. This runs in parallel to us acting on our responsibility to ensure that children have the desire to experience beyond their comfort zones and sphere of familiarity. We organise trips to local, national and global destinations, organise workshops for music and drama and support children to access sports, STEM activities, competitions, cultural experiences and more.

Ofsted 2022

…Pupils have a variety of places they can go if they have a worry or concern, such as the ‘pastoral hub’ or ‘oasis centre’. They know that staff will listen and try to help with any bullying issues. Most pupils feel happy and safe…

…Pupils learn an ambitious curriculum, where they build up their knowledge over time. They are enthused by the practical activities they get to do in subjects like design and technology, and the whole school musical production…

…Leaders have ensured that teachers have been involved in the design of the curriculum. As a result, in all subjects, teachers have carefully planned the key knowledge they want pupils to learn. Leaders have also ensured that the curriculum offered is sufficiently broad and balanced. This includes a suitable balance of vocational and academic options in the sixth form…

…Leaders have implemented an effective whole-school focus on reading. This includes an appropriate progression of high-quality texts in the English curriculum and regular opportunities for pupils to participate in guided reading during form time. Those at the earlier stages of reading receive specific intervention support…

…Pupils have access to a wide variety of clubs and opportunities, including participating in musical and sporting activities and going on trips. Pupils joining the school are made to feel comfortable, especially through the summer school that is on offer…

…Leaders have ensured the school has an appropriate programme for personal, social and health education. Pupils are taught about relationships and fundamental British values. Careers education is well developed in the sixth form. Sixth-form students receive appropriate advice and guidance…