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
In 1525, the Mayor of Newcastle, Thomas Horsley, wrote his will, in which he generously gifted his estate to fund a grammar school. Five centuries later, Horsley’s vision lives on in the Royal Grammar School, Newcastle’s corridors and classrooms, and his philanthropic spirit drives the RGS’s commitment to education.
Few schools can claim a 500-year history. Over the years, the RGS, has continued to flourish as the premier independent school in the North East of England and as one of the country’s leading schools – consistently topping the regional table for academic excellence.
Today, RGS is a fully co-educational school with over 1,300 students aged 7-18 (Years 3 to 13). Its academically selective places are highly sought after. The school has more than 250 students in the Junior School, which shares the same outstanding site as the Senior School. Its Sixth Form is one of the largest in the independent sector, with more than 340 students.
While RGS prides itself on academic excellence, the school is also known for its emphasis on a holistic education. The school’s ‘There’s More to Life’ approach informs its holistic education, which is central to students’ success, health and happiness.
RGS is based in the heart of Newcastle, 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 modern 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.
Academic Success
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.
In 2023, RGS was named ‘Independent School of the Year’ overall in The Telegraph Group’s national awards. Most recently, the school was again named North East Independent Secondary School of the Year for Academic Excellence 2025 by The Sunday Times’ Parent Power Schools Guide.
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.
Co-curricular Activities
At RGS, students can choose from over 170 co-curricular activities, ranging from music, drama, and sports to unique options like e-sports and knitting. All students are encouraged to discover what excites and inspires them.
Sport is also a central part of life at RGS, with students actively participating in a variety of activities including hockey, cricket, and basketball, from early morning until late afternoon. RGS views sport as a fundamental vehicle for students to develop lifelong skills, character, resilience – and, above all, a love for daily movement.
While it may seem tricky to balance schoolwork with so many exciting co-curricular and sporting activities, RGS has found that students actively engaged outside the classroom often perform even better academically. Both programmes are designed to help students develop essential life skills, from self-awareness to decision-making and self-organisation.
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