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Head of Junior School (Key Stage 2) - Full-time

Gad's Hill School, Rochester

  • Ref:KCC886-6007-85L
  • Posted:27/11/2019
  • Pay:GHS relevant leadership scale curr £44,021-£48,637
  • Start Date:20th April 2020
  • App Close Date:29/11/2019 at 10:00
  • Interviews:w/c 2nd December 2019

Advert

An opportunity to lead an ambitious primary-age department within an exciting 3-16 independent day school. Our close-knit team of Junior School teachers delivers a SATs-free curriculum to small classes, drawing inspiration and well-being from its beautiful, leafy setting in the grounds of the home of Charles Dickens.

Gad’s Hill School requires a talented and experienced primary school teacher to lead our team in Key Stage 2. Full details of responsibilities can be found within the job description but, in summary, the successful candidate will provide effective leadership of an efficient and collaborative Junior School team, so that all pupils learn and make good progress. In our school, all children are nurtured and educated as individuals. Teachers know the children well and enjoy wonderfully strong relationships with their classes. As well as ensuring that Junior subjects are taught to a high standard across Years 3 to 6, you will be required to oversee pastoral support delivered by our Junior form tutors, including maintaining behaviour through our reward system, providing pastoral care and tracking individual academic progress. You will be able to communicate effectively with parents via email, telephone and face to face. The Head of Junior School ensures that children have the opportunity to take part in after-school clubs provided by all teachers and helps coordinate planning for evening musical performances, pupil social events run in conjunction with our excellent parent helpers, whole school evening events such as Prizegiving and Carol Concerts and also the annual evening performances of our Junior Production.

Information about the school

Gad’s Hill School operates as three distinct departments within one school. The Kindergarten takes children from age three in our Nursery through to Year 2. Here, alongside the foundation in literacy, numeracy, sciences and humanities, there is a strong emphasis on play, physical education, music and drama with all pupils performing in a number of short productions each year. The school places particular emphasis on communications and therefore pupils from Reception upwards receive twice weekly lessons in Spanish and also ICT.

The Junior School is two-form entry from Years 3-6. Our Junior pupils receive a high proportion of lessons with subject specialists; in particular Modern Languages (Spanish), DT, Computer Science, Art, Music, Science & Games. By Years 5 and 6 nearly all lessons are delivered by specialist tutors. In sport our students have the opportunity to represent the school in fixtures against other schools.

Our school is located geographically within a selective secondary system and historically many of our pupils would leave to attend grammar schools at the end of Lower Shell (Year 6). However, in the last few years, the growing success of our Charles Dickens Scholarship Award, providing financial assistance to the most able pupils from our own Junior School and many from the wider community, has resulted in the development of highly capable and aspirational cohorts at Key Stage 3. Our strength is to make the most of our small class sizes and supportive atmosphere to add significant value to every individual.

The Upper School generally has a two-form entry. The curriculum is relatively broad, with all pupils taking a spread of subjects including Art, DT, Food & Nutrition, Spanish, Computer Science, Music and Drama. Students choose a range of options at the conclusion of Year 8. They follow a core of Maths, English (Literature & Language), Separate or Combined Science and CCF (comprising BTEC Teamwork & Personal Development and Institute of Leadership & Management diplomas). As options they may choose from History, Geography, Spanish, Art, Food & Nutrition, DT, Computer Science, Music, Drama and PE, and in recent years we have supplemented these options with Psychology and Statistics exam courses for our increasingly able cohorts.

At present there is no sixth form education at Gad’s Hill and pupils currently depart for local schools, colleges or other independents. In the last year we have partnered with the University for the Creative Arts and several of our leavers have commenced Extended Diploma courses with them.

The school operates a good number of after school activities and would welcome new additions to the extra-curricular programme.

Job Contact Information

Fax: Fax: 01474 822977

Documents

Below are documents that have been added to this vacancy.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all our students. You are advised that this post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and therefore this post is subject to an Enhanced Disclosure Application to the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS). Please be aware that schools are also required to undertake online recruitment checks on shortlisted candidates under changes to Keeping Children Safe in Education.