HEAD OF GERMAN
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School:
Royal Grammar School -
Location:
Newcastle -
Salary:
The RGS has its own salary scale (which is above national pay scales for teachers). -
Hours:
Working Hours - Normal working hours will be those necessary to carry out the duties of the post. -
Contractual Status:
Permanent -
Closing Date:
30th Sep 2024
HEAD OF GERMAN
Required from January 2025 or September 2025
We have an exciting opportunity for a Head of German to join our large, dynamic and successful Modern Languages Department. You will be capable of teaching German from Y7 through to A-Level, inspiring our linguists with a love of the subject and its cultures, possessing a willingness to take learners well beyond the scope of the syllabus. There will be opportunities to work with students applying for top universities, as well as native and semi-native speakers. Within the national and regional context, RGS German is a popular subject (over 500 students take the language in the Senior School). An ability to teach at least one other language (ideally, French or Spanish to IGCSE) would also be desirable.
The Head of German takes responsibility for the day-to-day running of German as a large subject area within Modern Languages, leading and supporting an experienced subject team of 7. This involves, inter alia, resourcing the subject, leading on teaching and learning in the subject, overseeing internal assessment, mentoring and coaching of colleagues, including the German Assistant, and contributing to managing high subject performance, as well as coordinating co-curricular events for German.
Being ‘willing to go the extra mile’ is a major part of the role for all teachers at the RGS, not merely in specialist activities, but in a huge range of extra-curricular sporting, artistic and cultural work. We are keen to invite applicants who would like to make their own distinctive contribution to this ethos. We very much value colleagues who are willing to contribute to our extracurricular programme. If you are a teacher wanting to broaden your experience, multi-talented and ready to develop your teaching skills in any of these areas, you should be applying. The RGS has its own generous salary scale and provides ECTs with an appropriate programme of induction leading to QTS, valid in both sectors. Excellent benefits are available (please see job information)
Closing Date: 9.00am Monday 30th September 2024
To Apply: For full details and an application form, please visit www.rgs.newcastle.sch.uk/join-us/work-for-us
RGS is proud to be an equal opportunities employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment regardless of neurodivergence, age, disability, sex, gender reassignment, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief and marriage and civil partnerships. Whilst all applications are considered on merit, we would particularly welcome applications from black and minority ethnic candidates who are currently under-represented in our staff community. We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people, and we expect all staff to share this commitment. All posts are subject to pre-interview referencing, internet searches and pre-employment checks including an enhanced DBS check with children’s barred list check and other appropriate checks.
Royal Grammar School
Thomas Horsley, the original settlor of the Royal Grammar School Newcastle (RGS) pledged his legacy to the School in 1525. Almost 500 years later, RGS continues to flourish as the premier independent school in the North East of England and as one of the country’s leading schools. In 2023 RGS was named overall ‘Independent School of the Year’ in The Telegraph Group’s national awards. RGS also consistently tops the region’s academic league tables and in 2024 RGS was awarded the Sunday Times’ North East’s Top Independent Secondary School, both the overall winner and for Academic Performance. While we pride ourselves on academic excellence, we are as well known for our high level of pastoral support, involvement in a wide range of sports and other co-curricular activities, and our commitment to bursaries and partnerships.
Today RGS is fully co-educational with over 1,300 students aged 7-18 years (Years 3 to 13) and our academically selective places are highly coveted. We have more than 250 students in the Junior School, which shares the same outstanding site as the Senior School. Our Sixth Form is one of the largest in the independent sector with more than 340 students.
The school is based in the heart of the City, immediately opposite Jesmond Metro station. The school occupies over 30 acres of land and has state-of-the-art facilities, including five brand new art studios, a new library, a new Sixth Form Centre, a 25m swimming pool, two Sports Halls, a Performing Arts Centre, outdoor football/rugby pitches at Mooracres, an artificial turf pitch for hockey and the former County Cricket Ground.
RGS is a special place, known and respected throughout the whole country as well as the North East. It’s a place where aspirations are high, results are outstanding, and opportunities are endless. Our students go on to study highly selective courses at the most sought-after universities, but also leave the school realising that life outside the classroom has been equally beneficial.
Academically, the school is highly selective. Students are assessed for entry at the key entry points (Y3, Y5, Y7, and a handful at Y9, plus Sixth Form). The biggest entry points are Y3 (60 students), Y7 (c.75 students) and Y12 (c.45 students). Beyond the academics, in Junior School (Y3-6) entry is assessed through activity days whilst at Y7 students are assessed through online tests and an interaction day. Sixth Form entry is through interview only.
Students sit baseline tests in Y7, Y10, and Y12 – the average GLA CAT score for both the current Y7 and Y12 is 117. We have several students who have the assistance of our dedicated Learning Support Team, which works across Junior and Senior School.
Academic selection and excellent teaching mean that the school’s results are exceptional. The published figures for 2024 are on the school’s website. For A-Level, 37.1% of A-Level grades were at A*; 71% A*- A; and 91.1% A* – B. For GCSE, the proportion of grade 9s was 44.7%; 9 – 8 was 70.1%; and 9 – 7 was 85.6%. In 2023, our results placed the RGS 51st nationally in The Sunday Times Parent Power league tables, up from 73rd place in 2022. Additionally, Top School Guide ranked the RGS 16th nationally for co-educational schools; and overall, 37th for A-Levels and 48th for GCSEs. Furthermore, School Sports Magazine recently ranked the RGS as the 27th best sports school (independent and state) in the UK.
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