Urmston Grammar Urmston Grammar School, Newton Road, Urmston, Manchester M41 5UG email: admin@urmstongrammar.org.uk
Telephone: 0161 748 2875
Web site: www.urmstongrammar.org.uk
Fax: 0161 747 2504
School
Science College Languages specialism
Part time Teacher of Physics (0.6) one year fixed term contract Dear Applicant, Thank you for showing interest in this part time position. Please find enclosed with this letter the following information: • Faculty description relevant to the post • Application Form • Person Specification • Post Description Details of selection procedures: We always endeavour to welcome candidates and we will give you the opportunity to talk to staff in post and to look around the school.
• • •
The closing date for applications is 18th May 2009. Interviews for those called will be on 20th May 2009. Completed forms and letters of application should be returned to Mrs. S. Weems at the school.
Application is by completing the enclosed form and returning it to school together with your formal letter of application and curriculum vitae. Your letter should in part address the points identified in the job description as well as the requirements outlined in the person specification. I have been Headteacher at Urmston Grammar School for eight years now and I can say, without reservation, that it is an outstanding school in which to work. The staff are hard working and highly committed to student achievement; moreover their work is supported by a very active Governing Body and Parent Teacher Association. Our recent OfSTED inspection (November 2008) reported that the school is: “outstanding” and they also agreed with the positive views of the children who told them” that this school is as good as it gets!” We are also designated as a ‘High Performing Specialist College’ and this year we run Languages as a second specialism. In making an application, it is important that each candidate has information that encourages a professional approach to the post on offer. The information you receive will provide details about both the school and post that will help match the person with the position advertised. A Person Specification is included on the following page which represents the basis for the selection procedure. A wealth of information you may find useful in supplying further details of the organisation of the school and its ambitions, may be viewed by visiting our web site at www.urmstongrammar.org.uk. However, if you still require further information please do not hesitate to contact us. Urmston Grammar is a prestigious and heavily oversubscribed school where examination successes regularly place us in the top 250 state schools as well as the top 100 Grammar Schools. We are also one of the top twenty providers of A level Sciences in the country. We are proud of what we achieve and there are exciting challenges for us as the school becomes a Science College. This post offers the opportunity to be part of meeting those challenges. Yours sincerely,
M G Spinks Headteacher
Headteacher: Mr. M. G. Spinks M.Sc., Dip.Ed. A Foundation School offering Science and Languages specialism within a Grammar School
URMSTON GRAMMAR SCHOOL POST DESCRIPTION FOR PERMANENT FULL TIME TEACHER OF PHYSICS
Post Title:
full time teacher of Physics .
Responsible to:
the Headteacher through the Senior Management Team and the Head of Faculty and/or Department.
Salary Scale:
CPS.
Main purpose of the post :
to teach Physics to GCSE level.
Main Duties Carrying out duties within the school in accordance with the Conditions of Employment of school teachers as detailed in the most recent copy of the School Teachers’ Pay and Conditions document, and the stated aims, ethos, policies and organisational arrangements of the school.
Specific responsibilities at Urmston Grammar School • •
To be prepared to negotiate and review the responsibilities of the post in the light of changing circumstances. To support the whole school initiatives as defined in the School Improvement Plan
Specific Duties: • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
To plan, prepare, set and mark work. To assess, record and report on the development, progress and attainment of students. To promote the general progress and well being of school students assigned. To provide guidance and advice to students. To participate in administrative and organisational tasks related to general teaching duties. To follow school and faculty guidance and practice. To participate in meetings. To communicate and consult with parents. To participate if necessary in the school performance management procedures. To be involved in the support of students on Initial Teacher Education experience, if appropriate. To participate in in-service training. To fulfil the duties of a form tutor if required. To keep records of and reports on the personal and social needs of students within the pastoral group. To liaise with Heads of School, Heads of Faculty, Heads of Subject and pastoral staff. To attend assemblies. To supervise and, as far as is practicable, teach students whose designated teacher is not available to teach them (within the provisos outlined in the Teachers Pay and Conditions Document). To promote good order through a positive working environment within the classroom or on educational visits. To assist with school visits.
URMSTON GRAMMAR SCHOOL
PERSON SPECIFICATION FOR PERMANENT FULL TIME TEACHER OF PHYSICS Essential
Desirable
Qualified teacher status Relevant academic qualifications (Degree) Evidence of commitment to own professional development Ability to work effectively within a team Ability to excite and motivate young people A good classroom manager High personal standards (including dress) Good ICT skills General Science KS3 Appropriate experience of 11-18 age range Willingness to contribute to school development Ability to accept and promote new ideas Involvement in extra curricular activities Willingness to further develop ICT skills
Evidence for the above to be found through AI = Application Information
(AI) (AI) (AI) (AI) (I) (AI) (I) (AI) (AI) (I) (I) (AI) (AI)
I = Interview
Please forward applications to Mrs S. Weems care of the school.
The Science Faculty Head of Faculty: Mrs. R. S. Wall Urmston Grammar School achieved Science college status in 2004. At Urmston we are using our specialist status to create a challenging environment which raises standards of achievement and the quality of teaching and learning in Science and Mathematics for all our pupils. The Science Faculty work effectively as a team of fourteen teachers supported by four experienced technicians. Our aim is to help pupils to develop an understanding of themselves and the world around them. We seek to stimulate curiosity, interest and enjoyment of Science, and at the same time help pupils to develop a responsible attitude to safety and a respect for living organisms and the physical environment. The pupils in Years 7, 8 and 9 follow an ‘in-house’ course based on the Exploring Science schemes of work. The course covers the new and National Curriculum. KS3 pupils have 6 x 35 minute lessons per week and teaching is carried out in mixed ability groups. Science is delivered as part of a broad and balanced course. The curriculum is delivered in modules. In Years 7 and 8 the course is composed of a variety of units. Pupils are set tests during the term and these are closely linked to relevant National Attainment Targets. Several units have self-assessment sheets for the pupils to record their achievements and to indicate any difficulties. Self-assessment sheets also contain space for comments from both teacher and parent, and this helps parents to take an active interest in the progress of their child’s work. Formative assessment is an important part of monitoring pupils’ progress. Units in Year 8 include Earth Science, Microbes and Disease, Atoms and Elements, and Sound and Light. Aspects of CASE are incorporated into our schemes, which is designed to promote higher levels of thinking in our pupils and to raise their achievement in GCSE. In Year 9 a co-ordinated approach is adopted to give pupils the benefit of specialist teachers in Physics, Chemistry and Chemistry. Towards the end of KS3, all pupils take an internal National Curriculum attainment test in Science. Experimental work forms a large part of all units and occasionally part of homework. The schemes of work promote the teaching of scientific enquiry to ensure that pupils are properly prepared for SATs and the coursework element of the KS4 curriculum. New courses designated this year introduce HSW at KS3 In Year 10 all pupils are studying the new GCSE specifications in the sciences. The courses are designed to promote a spirit of enquiry and will provide a firm foundation for further learning in science. The new courses highlight the scientific process and the implications of Science for our society. We intend that the at least a third of pupils will take Biology Chemistry and Physics as separate sciences leading to 3 GCSE awards. Some pupils will follow Core Science as a single GCSE qualification in Year 10. This will be followed by the Additional Science course in Year 11. In the Sixth Form we offer Advanced Level and A/S courses in Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Environmental Science. Electronics is available at A/S level. All these courses are modular. Day field trips and residential field studies are arranged by the faculty and all ‘A’ level Biology students spend 3 days carrying out practical ecological studies in Yorkshire. The Faculty also have a greenhouse, school pond and Biology garden, which are valuable resources used to enrich the curriculum. Year 12 and 13 Biologists also have the opportunity to make use of our electron microscope which was donated to the school by Electron Optical services. Our continued Science College status has enabled us to offer a variety of enrichment activities to our pupils. Various activities are offered each year and are aimed at pupils from all year groups. The Science and Engineering club takes places once a week after school and provides pupils with the opportunity to pursue areas of interest and use more sophisticated equipment. It is currently aimed at the lower school with Sixth Form students offering assistance. This club has allowed pupils to participate in the bronze CREST awards.
Year 8 pupils participated in a “Science Enrichment “ project during the autumn term, looking at compression in bovine invertebral discs. This allows the majority to enter the bronze CREST awards. Groups were supported by a “Researcher in residence” from Manchester University. One of the first school based “Café Scientifique” in the U.K. has been established at Urmston Grammar School. This informal event is organised by students for students. It provides a forum to discuss topical scientific issues in a relaxed café atmosphere. The cafes continue to be sponsored by Starbucks. The school participate in the Engineering Education Scheme which involves sixth form students working on a design brief with engineers, recent projects have involved Whitbybird a civil engineering company based in Manchester and United Utilities. In Summer 2008 this scheme was extended to include Year 9 pupils who were set the task of conserving water in school, the group worked with an engineer from United Utilities. Year 8 pupils take part in the Salter’s Chemistry Festival at Manchester University each year and this year a group of Year 10 girls will take place in an engineering event called “Dragonfly”, which encourages pupils to pursue careers in Science, Mathematics and Engineering. The Sixth Form students attend evening lectures of scientific interest and we regularly enter them in a variety of competitions. These have included ‘Young Analyst of the Year’ competition run by the Royal Society of Chemistry and the International Biology Olympiad. Keen scientists in the Sixth Form are offered the opportunity to win Nuffield Bursaries. This year 4 students are involved in a range of projects: looking at the incidence of skin cancer, investigating epidemiology, carrying out an engineering based research project and working with patients who have cardiovascular disease. Previous students were awarded CREST gold awards for their research carried out at Manchester and Manchester Metropolitan Universities. In the past, students from Urmston have been winners of the North West Region for their projects and others achieving CREST gold awards for Geology. Our partnership with Manchester University allows us to offer evening classes to our local community on a wide range of topics. The partnership is enabling local residents to get a taste of University life on their doorstep, with teachers and courses provided by the University. The “Frontiers of Medicine” course offered this year proved to be very popular with our students, those from local secondary schools and the local community. We are continuing to extend our links with primary schools. The Science and Mathematics Faculties have worked closely with our partnership primary schools on a variety of projects. Over the last few years we have invited all Year 6 pupils in our feeder schools to Science lectures which are sponsored by the Royal Institution. Various lectures have been enjoyed by the youngsters; the last lecture was held in June 2008 and was entitled “Music to your ears”. We have also established Science and Maths Clubs at the primary schools run by Urmston Grammar staff and sixth form students. Pupils from primary school have also taken part in lessons and clubs in the laboratories in school. This has helped to ensure that the transition process runs as smoothly as possible. R. S. Wall Director of Science College