Modern language assistant (Spanish)

Modern Language Assistant (Spanish)

THE ROLE Reporting to the Head of Department, the Language Assistant will work directly with the Modern Languages Teachers to help develop students’ communication and understanding of Spanish.

Key Responsibilities The key duties and responsibilities of the role are as follows: • Help students prepare for oral exams by providing conversational practice with a native level speaker. Language Assistants are expected to have a knowledge of the course specification and oral assessment format and marking criteria, to be able to fully prepare students for their final exams.

We currently teach CIE IGCSE, IB Language B and AQA A Level.

• Plan and lead one-to-one oral lessons with students to reinforce basic language skills and improve linguistic ability.

• Encourage students of all abilities to be ambitious and outgoing, and assist in developing their communication, own believes and view of the world.

• Given that oral lessons take place on a one-to-one basis, emotional intelligence and sensitivity are key attributes of our Language Assistants.

• Help students understand different cultures.

• Contribute to cross-curricular work in collaboration with other subject areas.

• Our Language Assistants also develop lessons and extra-curricular activities focused on the country’s culture, as part of our activity schedule.

• Work in accordance with the Department Guidelines for Language Assistants.

PERSON SPECIFICATION Skills and Attributes • Native level speaker on Spanish.

• Excellent communications skills.

• Good interpersonal skills with the ability to relate to young people.

• Previous experience of working in a school or classroom environment preferred.

• Resilience, with the ability to work under pressure.

• Smart appearance and professional manner.

• Eligible to work in the UK. • Our Modern Languages staff and students have always benefited from the energy and cultural perspectives our Language Assistants bring. The ideal candidate would be keen to share their passions and experiences with our department to help bring languages to life.

• Flexibility to allow for oral lessons taking place outside of student’ normal timetable including before and after lessons.

Modern Languages at Fettes College We are an enthusiastic department and like to bring fun to language learning whilst stretching each of our students and fostering a genuine academic interest in languages and linguistics. We are passionate about the languages we teach and the cultures to which they give access, and we aim to share our enjoyment with our students through a variety of events and activities. We run regular visits to China, France, Germany and Spain; the Modern Languages Society hosts film evenings and talks; students take part in various speaking, translation and essay competitions; we run Immersion Mornings in conjunction with five nearby schools; and we organise school-wide events such as Languages Week, Chinese New Year and Carnival Week.

At the start of 2016 we moved into a new, state of the art building. Each classroom is equipped with reflective technology. There are purpose-built rooms for the language assistants who meet regularly with students for one-to-one oral lessons. Each teacher is issued with a Surface Pro laptop. We make good use of the school VLE (Firefly) for hosting blogs, building reference pages, making video tutorials and setting work. We also use OneNote for sharing resources across the school including students.

Students study two modern foreign languages in the Third Form (choosing from French for non-beginners, German, Mandarin and Spanish) and they continue at least one language to GCSE. In the Sixth Form, students choose between the IB and the Pre-U. IB choices are Standard or Higher Level French, German, Mandarin and Spanish; Ab Initio German, Mandarin and Italian. We offer A Level courses in French, German, Mandarin and Spanish. Other languages (e.g. Arabic, Italian, Japanese, Modern Greek and Russian) can be studied outside the curriculum. We enjoy excellent links with the Prep School where we offer taster sessions in German, Mandarin and Spanish.

We spend time reflecting on the best teaching and learning practice to get the most out of our students academically and to instill a love of languages for life. Our results are excellent: last year, 83% of IB students achieved grades 7-6, 96% of Pre-U students achieved A*-B equivalent, and at GCSE 80% of students scored 9-6. We encourage our students to become independent, resilient learners so that we can create a strong next generation of linguists. Indeed, many of our students continue studying languages at university, including Oxbridge, and beyond.

BENEFITS • Fettes follows the British Council pay guidelines that determine the hourly rate and gross monthly salary. Please enquire for more details.

• The Fettes academic year runs from the end of August until the end of June (exact dates vary each year) and the Language Assistants’ contract is offered for these 10 months.

• There is likely to be between 20-25 hours per week depending on the update in the 2022 cohort.

In addition to being part of a great team you will be entitled to a range of benefits that include: - Free parking within the campus grounds. The campus is easily accessed by car and bus; there is a bus stop located outside the campus serving a number of routes across the city and to rail stations.

- Membership of Westwoods gym and health club which offers a range of excellent fitness and leisure facilities including a 25m swimming pool.

- Free lunchtime meals during term time, and at other times when catering is provided and you are on duty.

- Life insurance scheme.

- Excellent Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) You will be opted into the Fettes Trust Non-Teaching Staff Pension Scheme after 3 months service. This scheme is a money purchase one and full details of it and your options will be made available to you prior to your opt-in date. The Fettes Trust will contribute to the scheme and your contribution will be subject to the minimum overall combined employer and employee contribution limits set by the Pensions Regulator. Fettes operate a contribution matching scheme up to 10% of base salary.

APPLICATION PROCESS To apply please apply via www.TES.com or submit your CV and a covering letter outlining your suitability for the role via email to recruitment@fettes.com, and applications will close on Wednesday, 15th June 2022, with interviews held w/c 20th June 2022.

If you would like further information prior to applying for this role Ms Sonia Gausinet Serrano (s.gausinetserrano@fettes.com) is available for a zoom/phone call.

An offer of employment will be subject to two satisfactory references being obtained from your referees and a clean report being obtained on you from the Disclosure Scotland PVG Scheme in view of the contact you will have with children during your normal duties.

We are keen to welcome applicants from diverse backgrounds into our staff body. If you would like a friendly conversation with an employee who identifies as an ethnic minority, please feel free to contact Sara Medel Jiménez (s.medeljimenez@fettes.com) who will be happy to share her experience of Fettes.

ABOUT FETTES Fettes College is a leading HMC co-educational boarding and day school close to the heart of Edinburgh. It has a strong tradition of academic, sporting and cultural excellence underpinned by outstanding pastoral care. Fettes opened its doors in 1870 and became fully co-educational in 1980: it is now an independent school of some 800 students. There are 598 students in the Senior School (13-18 years) and 202 students in the Preparatory School (7-13 years). The academic staff in the College consists of the Head and 91 full-time members of the Common Room. Our Prep School shares the same site and consists of a further 29 full-time teaching staff.

The school stands on a magnificent site of approximately 100 acres, but still within walking distance of Edinburgh’s city centre. The historic main building holds the Chapel, Library, the English, Classics and History Departments as well as the Medical Centre and two boarding houses. A large newly built teaching block (the Spens Building) houses Art, Modern Languages, Mathematics, Economics, Geography, and Music. The Theatre, Science Laboratories and Dining Hall are adjacent. The Preparatory School and seven further boarding houses (including a purpose-built U6th House) are also on the campus. Our sports facilities (including extensive playing fields, two all-weather pitches and a private Health Club) are excellent.

As well as our teaching staff we employ over 220 Non-Teaching Staff across the many departments, including Estates, Security, Housekeeping, Finance, Human Resources, Admissions and Marketing with a pervading sense of community amongst staff, students and parents alike.

The Aims of the College Fettes College aims to nurture the individual while fostering a happy, wellordered and caring community with strong family values at its core.

To this end, we will do our utmost to ensure our students: • Receive the highest possible quality of education within a boarding environment • Feel safe, valued, have a sense of personal worth and are thoughtful and considerate of the needs of others, possessing a willingness to take on responsibility • Develop their self-confidence, integrity, emotional resilience, loyalty, good manners and humour, leadership skills and teamwork • Value a sense of community and service, and develop a clear sense of right and wrong, equipping them for life beyond Fettes • Are provided with equal opportunities regardless of gender, sexuality, ethnic origin or religion • Are encouraged to stretch and challenge themselves in everything they undertake