Teacher of English
Brighton College is seeking to appoint a Teacher of English, to start in late August 2024 or January 2025. Join us at Brighton College to take your first steps into teaching. Here are 5 great reasons why:
- We run established pathways to QTS (Qualified Teacher Status) and ECT (Early Career Teacher) support
- We are the ‘UK’s Top Co-Educational Boarding School’, blending traditional values with a forward-thinking curriculum, fostering both academic excellence and personal growth
- The English department is moving into a stunning new building, opening in September. Teach from the start in world class facilities and a dynamic and scholarly environment
- All of our teachers are enrolled into the generous and increasingly rare Teachers’ Pension Scheme
- Live in the UK’s most vibrant coastal city that combines all the benefits of the seaside, countryside and cosmopolitan buzz.
Many teachers joining the College have a proven track record of effective teaching, having obtained excellent public examination results with previous classes. However, we are also equally happy to appoint candidates who are currently on a PGCE, or candidates with no formal teaching qualification. Several members of our teaching staff have pursued different career paths, and have made the move to teaching at a later point. We view this diversity as a strength.
Candidates should have a strong academic record, including a good degree in a relevant subject. Those without teaching experience must be able to demonstrate a genuine interest in young people and teaching. We will look for evidence of the capacity to contribute to the broader life of the College, and for evidence of passion and enthusiasm for the relevant subject.
THE DEPARTMENT
The department currently consists of eleven full-time and four part time members of staff. The subject is taught throughout Years 7 to 11 in mixed-ability classes which generally range in size between 20 and 25. There are currently 71 pupils taking the subject at A-Level. At present, we follow the OCR syllabus for GCSE and A-Level English Literature and the Edexcel IGCSE for English Language. Familiarity with these specifications would be welcome.
Over the past few years, we have focused very carefully on keeping GCSE standards and results very high through excellent classroom teaching and targeted intervention. A passion for engaging pupils of all abilities with the techniques of analysis and essay construction would be very desirable. At A-Level, 100% of our pupils regularly achieve A*-B. The department also has a comprehensive Oxbridge programme, with much recent success: 70% of applicants have been awarded offers in the last three years. Results aside, we pride ourselves on the diversity of our teaching: last year, over sixty different texts were taught to pupils in Year 7 to 13.
The English Department is currently housed in a purpose-built suite of six classrooms, each equipped with interactive touch screens and full audio equipment. However, in 2024 the department will move to the College's new performing arts complex which is currently under construction, and will offer significant opportunities to collaborate with the Drama Department.
The department offers an extensive programme of activities not related to specifications, including theatre trips, creative writing, journalism and debating clubs, extension sessions and both Junior and Senior Literary Societies. We work closely with the College Library to run reading groups and arrange author visits for all age groups.
ROLE SPECIFICATION
The successful candidate will be expected to teach mainstream English across the curriculum, from Year 7 to A-level, as well as potentially small-group lessons to high-ability dyslexic pupils.
An ability to contribute towards the department’s extension programme, including a willingness to support pupils with applications to leading universities (including Oxford and Cambridge), will be a distinct advantage.
All teachers within the department are expected to assist in the development of schemes of work, as well as in the creation of teaching resources and the compilation of content for our Microsoft OneNote Notebooks and SharePoint.
Additionally, all teachers at Brighton College are expected to contribute to the school’s pastoral system, generally as a tutor in one of our 13 houses (of which five are boarding houses and eight are day).
There is also an expectation that all teachers will contribute to the co-curricular life of the school, through the extensive Games programme, and/or through the leadership of one of almost 100 school societies. Candidates are encouraged to point to interests and enthusiasms as part of their application.
All teachers joining Brighton will have the benefit of guidance by an experienced mentor, whose role it will be to provide support during their probationary period. Thereafter, all teachers are expected and supported to participate in continuous professional development, throughout their time at the College.
Safeguarding responsibilities:
• This role will involve daily contact with pupils and you will be engaging in regulated activity relevant to children.
• All staff and volunteers have a responsibility for promoting and safeguarding the welfare of children and young persons for who you are responsible and with whom you come into contact.