Lead Practitioner – Modern Foreign Languages

Whickham School is seeking to recruit an engaging and inspirational Lead Practitioner for Modern Foreign Languages. Our MFL & Social Sciences Faculty consists of 10 staff: a Faculty Leader, a Deputy Faculty Leader, a Programme Leader of Social Sciences and a team of very experienced teachers. Modern Languages are valued at Whickham School and the number of pupils continuing their MFL studies to GCSE level is well above the national average. Outcomes in languages have been consistently strong over a number of years.

This is a fantastic opportunity for an enthusiastic and committed individual to make a difference to the lives of young people. We place a strong emphasis on pastoral work and the role of a tutor, and use a restorative approach in supporting pupils. The school is heavily oversubscribed and results are consistently above local and national averages (progress 8 in 24/25 was +0.26).

Our vision for all our pupils is that they are valued and inspired to be the best that they can be. We seek to develop the following 4 qualities in our pupils:

• Aspiration – Whickham students set aspirational goals that are ambitious and without limitation.
• Respect – Without compromise, Whickham students demonstrate respect for themselves, others and their environment.
• Resilience – Whickham students persevere with challenges especially when faced with setbacks.
• Empathy – Whickham students strive to be kind, caring and and understanding of each other’s feelings and needs.

One of our unique strengths and selling points is our commitment to staff which includes:

• Reduced teaching allocation to allow for each faculty to meet collaboratively for an hour each fortnight in specialist subject teams to support subject specific pedagogy and development
• Access to a range of salary sacrifice schemes
• Leadership and Teaching & Learning development opportunities
• A supportive environment where work/life balance issues are considered carefully
• An excellent ECT programme which receives very positive feedback from staff and affiliated training providers
• Access to school fitness facilities out of school hours
• Higher priority for admission of children of staff into the school

Specific details regarding the role and skills and qualities that the successful candidate will need to demonstrate, are in the attached job description and person specification.

We welcome visits by prospective applicants to the school. Please contact Nicola Hill on nhill@whickhamschool.org if you wish to arrange a time to see the school. Applications should be submitted by 9am on 13th March 2025 via TES.

Safeguarding:

Whickham School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of students and young people, requiring all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. We follow strict safeguarding policies, offer induction training, and require satisfactory enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service checks for all employees, following KCSIE guidelines, including online searches of applicants.