Teacher of French and German
Aylesbury High School
Buckinghamshire
- Expired
- Job type:
- Full Time, Permanent
- Apply by:
- 20 April 2023
Job overview
The School Aylesbury High School (AHS) is a forward-thinking girls’ grammar school that values both academic and pastoral excellence and co-curricular opportunities.
Our aim at AHS is to inspire every student to seek challenge, realise their potential and prepare for the world of today and tomorrow, and this is incorporated into our school motto of ‘Prepare, Challenge and Inspire’. The values of Confidence, Respect, Engagement, Aspiration, Teamwork and Enjoyment are embodied in ‘CREATE’ and we want all our community to experience, develop and demonstrate these characteristics both within the curriculum and through our extensive co-curricular offering.
The Vacancy
We seek a full time classroom teacher with a genuine interest in teaching French to our highly motivated and engaged students. The ability to teach German as a second language would be desirable. The post is for a year only and we would consider a part time role (0.8FTE). The successful candidate will be part of a committed and forward-thinking Languages Team and will work alongside other members of the teaching staff, and an enthusiastic team of FLAs, in the development and delivery of the curriculum. The post would suit an Early Careers Teacher or one with more experience. Above all, we are looking for an excellent classroom practitioner to inspire our students by teaching with expertise and enthusiasm. The successful applicant will almost certainly act as a form tutor.
The Department
The team achieves very good results at all levels and the legacy of the Language College system is strong; students understand the value of languages and take advantage of the range on offer at the school. In Year 7 Students do a term each of French, German or Spanish. Thereafter, they have a free choice of which 2 languages to study for the rest of Key Stage 3. They can opt for 1 or 2 languages for KS4. We are committed to all students continuing a modern language at GCSE. All languages currently follow the AQA syllabus for GCSE and A Level. Much use is made of supplementary materials including a wide range of computer based software. The department takes full advantage of the school’s 1:1 scheme. Our Foreign Language Tutors work with small groups and our excellent facilities enable us to make extensive use of computers, video and audio equipment. There is a good take-up for languages at A Level and students regularly study for language degrees, some at Oxford and Cambridge. We have several French visits and exchanges. Year 9s have the opportunity to go on a residential visit to the Loire, and there is an Exchange for Years 10 & 12 to Bourg-en-Bresse. We also take the Year 13 students to Paris. A high level of linguistic competence is essential for all members of the department, as our students work at a fast pace. Teams are committed to promoting enjoyment and enthusiasm for languages and there is a strong emphasis on sharing ideas and materials. Each subject team within the MFL department has a Head of Department, and all heads of subject work closely together. Students generally enjoy being taught in the target language and many attain a high level of oral competency as well as excellent writing skills.
Aims of the Department
- To ensure outstanding practice across the department
- To maintain a strong team who share good practice and aim to continuously improve their own performance.
- To establish a good work ethos amongst students with an emphasis on independent learning and achievement.
- To develop a broad range of skills in students including analysis, evaluation, research, presentation and I.T. skills.
- To contribute to students’ moral and social development.
- To ensure equal opportunities for all students.
How to apply for the role
Applications can be:
- e-mailed to: hr@ahs.bucks.sch.uk
- posted to: Marieke Forster, Headteacher, Aylesbury High School, Walton Road, Aylesbury, Bucks HP21 7SX
Closing date: Thursday 20th April 2023
Interviews: W/C 24th April 2023
SAFEGUARDING STATEMENT
CVs alone cannot be accepted for safeguarding reasons
If you are shortlisted for this post, you will also be required to complete a self-disclosure form as part of the recruitment process; this will not be used for shortlisting purposes.
The School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and expects all staff to share this commitment. Our Safeguarding Statement is here. The appointment will be subject to references which are satisfactory for the advertised post, an enhanced DBS check with a Child Barred List check, identity checks, prohibition orders and qualification checks as appropriate.
Attached documents
About Aylesbury High School
Aylesbury High School is a friendly community with a real sense of purpose, preparing students for life in a fast-moving world which they will play a major role in shaping and leading. We serve the towns and villages of Aylesbury Vale and the neighbouring counties.
AHS is modern and forward-looking with a curriculum and philosophy to suit the twenty-first century needs of our diverse community. We are not a stereotypical grammar school and visitors often remark that they have their preconceptions overthrown within a short time of being here.
Our learning environment is very good, with a range of new buildings and facilities made possible through successful development campaigns and a planned programme of further refurbishment.
Students are able, motivated and rewarding to teach but they also bring exactly the same challenges and demands as any group of 11-18 year olds so we have a strong support systems starting even before students join us. Whilst high attainment should be expected in a selective school, our value added/progress scores, both overall and for different groups, confirm that students really do flourish here.
We believe in providing a broad and balanced curriculum for all of our students, which we term our ‘STEAM’ agenda (Science Technology, Engineering, Arts and Maths). We have a strong reputation for valuing all areas of the curriculum but we also appreciate that not everyone has to be good at everything, and provide a supportive framework that recognises that each of our students is unique in their abilities, achievements, ambitions and aspirations.
Teaching is best when it actively involves our students and stretches their imaginations. We encourage our students to look outwards and to develop the confidence to live, work and make friends anywhere in the world. They get involved in a wide range of extra-curricular activities, as well as a full programme of educational visits in Britain and abroad.
We have a strong emphasis on community links both locally and further afield. With over 60 feeder primary schools, we have well-defined strategies for liaison and outreach activities, many with a focus on providing our students, in all year groups, with leadership opportunities. A very large number of students each year take up volunteering opportunities and we are a Champion School for the National Citizen Service.
Our students have an amazing capacity for hard work in the classroom, but also participate in a range of inter-house competitions run by Sixth Form students, fund raise and campaign for their chosen charities, take part in a very popular Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme (we have the highest participation and completion rates in the region), link with partner schools in Europe and Asia, joint music and drama productions with Aylesbury Grammar School, and much, much more.
Our school ethos produces students who are grounded and altruistic but we also encourage them to be exceptional in their chosen fields. Our students have enjoyed considerable success in recent years, with sports teams, chefs, musicians, Young Enterprise teams, technologists, writers and mathematicians all performing at the highest levels; we have National, Regional and County Champions in a variety of team and individual pursuits.
None of this success happens by chance. Staff would describe their jobs at AHS as demanding but recognise that whatever they invest in their job tends to reap real rewards. The school has a strong induction programme for all new staff, a commitment to continuing professional development and an excellent system for supporting newly qualified teachers. There is an expectation that our staff will want to develop their careers and we offer plenty of support and encouragement for them to do so. All teachers are provided with a laptop that is linked to our wireless network and can be used off-site. There is encouragement for innovation and experimentation in teaching and there has been considerable investment in the ICT infrastructure and teaching facilities. Our 1:1 scheme means every student in the school has their own computer in lessons and staff have embraced the change in learning style enthusiastically and creatively. This has been recognised by us becoming a Google Reference School through our ‘exemplary’ work with these devices.
We have strong links with the Astra Teaching School Hub, which leads to significant professional development opportunities - in terms of supporting ITTs and ECTs, both in school and throughout the partnership.
Non-Teaching staff make an invaluable contribution to the smooth and effective running of the school and provide administrative, technical and pastoral support to students and staff.
The enthusiastic and committed Governing Body works alongside the Leadership Team and other members of staff to create, deliver and evaluate the annual School Improvement Plan and develop the strategic direction of the school. In July 2011 we became an academy and are therefore independent of the local authority, although we continue to work closely with them where appropriate, and with local primary and secondary schools. We see our autonomy as a definite advantage to help us tackle the challenges ahead.
Aylesbury High School is a very busy school, we are a friendly, outward-looking school, we are a girls’ school where students can take risks, and we are a high-achieving school. We believe in preparing our students for the tests of life, rather than a life of tests and above all, we are a happy school with a terrific future ahead of us.
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