Specialist Art Teacher One Morning a Week - Part-time

St Peter's Church of England (VC) Primary School, Aylesford

• Ref:KCC886-3057-96T
• Posted:18/09/2021
• Pay:MPS
• Start Date:Term 2
• App Close Date:03/10/2021 at 22:00
• Interviews:7th October

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The government and LA obsession on SATs and league tables has severely damaged teaching generally and particularly the teaching of creative subjects such as art, music, PE and MFL.

We think that these creative subjects are extremely important, and in order to both protect them and promote their value, we timetable every Thursday as a Creative Day, when we only teach these four subjects in every year group.

Our children and staff attend school on a Thursday wearing PE kit. One of our own staff delivers PE to every class; peripatetic teachers deliver music to KS2 and French to the whole school. To augment this team, we wish to recruit a peripatetic art teacher to teach art to all four of the KS2 classes through the course of every Thursday morning.  

We are a small primary school, so we don't have an art room, although we are well resourced for the subject. We have recently reviewed our art curriculum and we have a very able and committed art co-ordinator who has drawn up comprehensive plans for each year group. She would no doubt welcome the chance to teach art throughout the key stage herself! However, we want to employ a specialist teacher to do so, because we plan to provide PPA to our KS2 teachers, of which our art co-ordinator is one, whilst other staff, including you, teach the art, music, PE and MFL lessons on a Thursday morning. You will have our plans, but in consultation with the art co-ordinator, you would be able to develop them further.

We would base you in one classroom and have the children brought to you. You would be teaching the children alone. You would have to be a solid classroom practitioner. Our children are lovely but you would be expected to develop a relationship with them and to maintain order within our behaviour and rewards systems. You will be an art specialist, able to teach the subject to a level beyond what would normally be expected of a non specialist class teacher.

The contract would initially be for the academic year, as we monitor our budget during these uncertain times. However, our long term plan is to have these four curriculum subjects permanently taught by specialists on a Thursday.

We would hope to be able to recruit someone who is child centred as we are, and who values a broad, enriched education for our chidlren just as we do. If we can recruit the right candidate, we would wish to move to a permanent contract as soon as our finances allowed. We would discuss the pay scale with you, but our finances are such that we would ideally like to appoint someone to a pay level initially no higher than MPS4/5.

We would love to show you around the school and discuss the position in more detail. Please contact us to arrange a visit. You can learn more about the school and our distinct ethos by looking at our website.

We are committed to safeguarding the well being of our children and any appointment will be subject to established procedures and suitable, acceptable checks and references.

Information about the school

St Peter's is a small, delightful village primary school situated in the medieval village of Aylesford, housed in a Victorian building and the old vicarage, opposite the village church. We take pride in our caring and supportive attitude to everyone at the school and aim to ensure that the continued professional development of all staff is a priority.

We currently have 202 children in seven classes. Our PAN has recently been increased to 30. We expect to have a roll of 210 within the next 3 years.

Our ethos is that we aim to develop the child as a whole. We are not focused on SATs league tables or achieving a judgement of Outstanding from Ofsted. We want to deliver to our pupils the type of rounded education that we would wish for our own children. This means delivering the widest and richest curriculum possible. We aim to provide our children with an education which prepares them for the adult life ahead of them.

Children learn a modern foreign language from Year R and continue to do so throughout their years here. Every Thursday is a Creative Day, when we only teach art, music, MFL, computing and PE. Education is not about focusing your efforts on achieving the highest possible SATs grades; real education is about providing our children with the best possible teaching and the widest possible curriculum.

We want our children to be both supported, and to be shown that it is quite alright to take a chance and to fail. They must learn that being taken out of their comfort zone is exciting and not frightening. We are preparing our children for life, not a test. But if we do so professionally, with high quality teaching, then they will succeed in tests as best as they are able, as well as being fully prepared for the life which awaits them.

We have a small team of dedicated staff who love their school and work extremely hard to ensure that our children receive the best possible education. We support each other and appreciate each other's strengths. This is a friendly and supportive environment and we welcome like minded individuals who wish to join us.

Job Contact Information

• Name:Mr Jim Holditch
• Address:Mount Pleasant, Aylesford, Kent, ME20 7BE
• Telephone: 01622 717335
• Email: headteacher@stpetersaylesford.kent.sch.uk

Fax: 01622 717235