Head of MFL– to start January 2025 (1 year maternity cover)

Interview date: Friday 4^th October 2024

We are looking for a Head of MFL in a school which offers excellent opportunities for professional development.  The new post-holder will be joining us at a time of growth especially as we prepare for the new GCSE in MFL with a Trust-wide approach to developing curriculum for the new specification. The Twyford Trust offers exciting development opportunities and good promotion prospects for motivated and energetic teachers who support the ethos of the Trust. 

This is an exciting opportunity for an innovative teacher and curriculum planner who is looking to take on a role within departmental leadership. The successful candidate will have responsibility for leading the department in planning and delivering the curriculum which is being developed at Trust level, and for monitoring the progress of students.  The new post-holder will ensure that the quality of teaching and learning in the department is consistently high and will support the development of a culture of sharing good practice.  S/he will be responsible for the delivery of a rich wider learning offer in MFL and the role will also focus on creating a high-quality extended school provision.

As language specialism schools, William Perkin places languages as central to their curriculum.  All students have languages almost every day and languages is compulsory at GCSE which means that the students make excellent progress.  Our results at GCSE are outstanding in both the school as a whole and in the languages department specifically. The value placed on languages in the school is evident in our A level numbers – we run A levels in French, German and Spanish. 

We additionally run extracurricular Language provision clubs with a range of activities such as film, board games and competitions in the target language.  The Twyford Trust Languages Specialism provides a range of exciting and collaborative ventures, such as trips to target language countries to enable our students to experience and use their language learning in an authentic context.

We offer:

• Exceptional professional development and career progression
• Positive working relationships at all levels
• A supportive Leadership Team
• A full-range of Trust services providing support and development

The successful candidate will have:

• A good degree and Qualified Teacher Status
• Ability to teach Modern Foreign Languages (French – to KS4; KS5 teaching is a possibility for the right applicant)
• An understanding of recent curriculum / learning developments
• An understanding of the strategies required to motivate and enthuse all students across the ability range as part of a whole school approach to raising achievement
• An understanding of the processes and techniques required to assess, record and report students’ learning effectively
• Ability to be reflective and driven towards self-improvement
• Energy and enthusiasm
• A commitment to the ethos of the school

The school reserves the right to research shortlisted candidates on social media platforms and the internet, and the recruitment panel may take this information into consideration during the recruitment process

The Twyford Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.  The successful applicant will be required to undergo the child protection screening appropriate to the post, including an enhanced disclosure from the DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) and references from previous employers.  For more information about the DBS please see https://www.gov.uk/disclosure-barring-service-check.  The post-holder will also be expected to read and adhere to the Trust’s Child Protection Policy, and any other Safeguarding documents stated within this.