Art Teacher
What skills and experience we're looking for
Thank you for your interest in the post of Teacher of Art currently advertised at Churchdown. I thought it would be useful if I gave you a personal perspective of our unique school to help you to decide if this role is the right opportunity for you - a role where you would be happy, thrive and make a valuable contribution to our community.
Churchdown never stands still. Our school is part of the SSAT Leading Edge – a group made from the highest performing schools nationally. As a Leading Edge school, we are able to share the best educational practice. This means that we will never stand still as a school and always seek to improve.
Through working with the best educational leaders in the county, we have taken a number of excellent strategies which you will find in our school - such as ensuring teachers are under allocation to help ensure well-planned lessons, and adding more INSET days: we passionately believe professional practice is vital to our proud profession.
Similarly, if you visit some of the schools in our national network, you will also see elements of Churchdown in them – such as our simple strategies to achieve distraction free classrooms and our careers programme which has seen more Oxford and Cambridge candidates than ever before.
Working in this way has resulted in our students achieving excellent Progress 8 scores and value added at KS5 – results that put us in the top 4% of all schools nationally. Our attendance figures are also significantly above national figures.This is a headline we are particularly proud of; it tells us that the students value their school and value their time here.
Regardless of the position of responsibility we hold at Churchdown, all the staff are responsible for inspiring and encouraging those we work with; first and foremost, the students. Our goal is based not on focussing on what’s standing in our way; it is about taking steps that will be positive and that will have a lasting effect on everyone around us.Collective actions from all of us are carried out with excellence every day for our students. As a result, we provide a school that allows every student to achieve far beyond what they even dreamt was possible.
Our students deserve the best and proudly I can say as headteacher that we aspire to give the best for our students. I know this because in our school are people who will care for them; want the best for them; will not allow them to fail; will make them feel part of something by calling them by their name and asking if they are ok today; help them succeed; provide a place where they can do their best and allow them to see a life they didn’t know existed.Could that someone be you?
Indeed, if you are teacher who can have this impact for our students, we would certainly do all that we can to make you a permanent member of our school community.
I hope this is an insight which inspires you to apply for the post of Teacher of Art. Please do call the school to speak with me so you can decide if Churchdown really is a place you can develop your career. It would be my pleasure to tell you more about our school, discuss this role and find out more about you.
David Potter
What the school offers its staff- • Employee Benefits
- Comprehensive Employee Assistance Programme
- Electric Car Salary Sacrifice Scheme
- Onsite parking and cycle storage
- Cycle-To-Work Scheme
- Discounted Nuffield Health gym membership
- Free access to school fitness suite
- On site car valet service
- Dry cleaning delivery service
- Family-focused leave
- Free financial health clinics
- Free onsite winter flu vaccine
Teacher Benefits
Simple structures and systems- All teachers teach below standard allocation
- No written reports
- Strategically planned INSET to support PPA
- No marking policy
Further details about the role
Working at Churchdown
School Curriculum
We believe in every student’s right to a broad and balanced curriculum which allows them to be culturally rich, curious and accomplished individuals, with the ambition and opportunities to shine in adult life.
We take every opportunity to ensure that all students, regardless of ability, make the best progress possible and achieve the highest possible standards in subjects and qualifications. We strive to narrow the gaps in achievement and enable those not achieving age-related expectations to catch up with their peers.
Curriculum Organisation
We deliver the National Curriculum to all students at 11-16 to develop a broad and balanced diet of learning. At Key Stage 3 (Years 7 - 9) the school curriculum consists of core subjects: English, mathematics, science; and non-core subjects: modern foreign languages, design technology, ICT, history, geography, art, music, drama and physical education; PSHE (including sex education) and learn to learn.
At Key Stage 4 (Years 10 – 11) the school curriculum consists of compulsory subjects: English language and English literature, mathematics, science and physical education and a broad range of academic and vocational courses leading to external qualifications.In Key Stage 4 the students also take part in prep lessons that are used for focussed independent study. At Key Stage 5 (Sixth Form) the school curriculum consists of a broad range of courses leading to external qualifications.
Commitment to safeguarding
Churchdown School is committed to ensuring the welfare and safety of all our children in school and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. We believe that students have a right to learn in a supportive, caring and safe environment, which includes the right to protection from all types of abuse, where staff are vigilant for signs of any student in distress and are confident about applying the processes to avert and alleviate any such problems.We have a Safeguarding Policy and procedures in place. All staff must ensure that they are aware of these procedures.