Teacher of English or English and Drama
TEACHER OF ENGLISH OR ENGLISH AND DRAMA
Appointment to take effect from September 2010
GENERAL
Malvern College is particularly fortunate in its location. Situated on the lower slopes of the Malvern Hills and close to the centre of Great Malvern, the main College campus commands striking views across the Severn Plain towards the Cotswolds.
From 1865, when it was founded, until 1992, Malvern was an independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. In 1992 a neighbouring girls’ school and a prep school were incorporated to form a new school offering co-education from the age of 3 through to 18.
There are some 659 pupils in the school, with 256 in our affiliated prep school The Downs, Malvern College Prep School with its own Pre-prep department. At age 13+ pupils join the Senior School. Just under half of the pupils in the Senior School are girls and approximately one-fifth are day pupils.
The school is proud of its high academic standards and of its pastoral care. There is a broad curriculum which is intended to give both younger and older students breadth and depth in a range of disciplines. The International Baccalaureate is offered as an alternative to A-level in the Sixth Form and just over a half of our Sixth Form following this course. There are many opportunities for pupils to undertake community service, sport and recreation, drama, music and art, as well as to gain other practical skills in the areas of design and technology.
The excellent facilities include a newly opened world class sports complex which includes a twenty-five metre pool, an eight-court sports hall, squash courts, fitness gym, dance studio, climbing wall and rifle range. In addition a new hospitality site will allow the College to host a variety of functions throughout the year for the benefit of pupils and parents. We have also recently completed a substantially expanded and refurbished teaching block. Our other facilities include an Arts Centre, a Music School, a Theatre, a Library and a purpose-built Technology Centre. An all-weather athletics track is planned at the College playing fields together with new changing rooms and a viewing gallery.
The school expects that all staff will play an active role in helping to safeguard and promote the welfare, security and safety of all our pupils. In addition all staff will be required to attend regular training on safeguarding children issues.
All applicants are encouraged to view our website on www.malcol.org
ENGLISH DEPARTMENT
For many years English has been one of Malvern’s flagship departments. It is singled out not only in The Good Schools Guide but also in the most recent school inspection report: “Pupils’ attainment is very high… Results in the IB and A level examinations are excellent… The Reading Ladder Scheme in Year 9 is particularly impressive… the teachers are fully committed to all the other activities which characterise this successful English department, such as creative writing, visiting authors and theatre trips.”
In addition to the Head of Department there are currently twelve (full / part time) teachers of English. There is close liaison between the Drama and English departments.
Currently, over 200 pupils take specialist English courses in the Sixth Form. All IB students take English at either the Higher or Standard level. The department adopted the new OCR syllabus for A Level from September 2008. Normally, there are two A Level English Literature sets each year, two IB A1 English Higher sets and five A1 English Standard sets, though in 2009-10 there are 8 IB Standard sets in the Lower 6th. The department regularly prepares candidates who are applying to Oxford and Cambridge.
All pupils are taught English in the Lower School (Years 9 – 11) with extra provision for those whose native language is not English. In the Foundation Year (Year 9), there are currently five sets, the middle three of which are of mixed ability. Debating is also a formal part of the Foundation Year curriculum. Debating lessons are additional to the regular English timetable but are taught by members of the department. Full streaming is applied in the Remove (Year 10) when the GCSE English course (currently OCR) begins. In addition, the College has just launched the Malvern Literature Certificate, a course aimed at expanding and exploring pupils’ literary horizons well beyond those of conventional GCSE courses. There are six sets in the Remove. In the Hundred (Year 11) a seventh set is added to cater for new arrivals to the school that year.
Extra-curricular elements led by the department include creative writing; debating and public speaking in internal, local and national competition; the literary society; author visits and academic lectures; the Reading Competition; theatre trips.
DRAMA DEPARTMENT
The department plays an important part in the cultural life of the school, with three major Theatre productions mounted per year, as well as organisation of the annual House Drama Festival. Since 2007 AS/A level Theatre Studies and IB Theatre have been offered. GCSE Drama currently follows the AQA syllabus. In the Foundation Year, Drama is offered as part of the FY Circus, which enables all students to explore theatre skills before making GCSE course choices.
Practical lessons take place in the Rogers Theatre, a former Gymnasium/Boxing Ring that has been transformed into an exciting, atmospheric, intimate and highly versatile theatre space. The Green Room is also utilised for non-practical lessons. In addition the department operates a Theatre Production Management activity and a Technical Theatre session, when students undergo training in aspects of production such as lighting, sound, costume and set construction.
THE APPOINTMENT
The successful applicant will have a good degree in English and/or Drama and will teach either in the English or English and Drama Departments. He or she will be required to teach across the age range of the school, and to contribute outside the department(s) to the busy life of a boarding school. Given the departmental strength and focus in debating, applicants with experience and/or interest in this area would be particularly welcomed.
PURPOSE OF THE JOB
To provide pupils with high quality teaching within the English and/or Drama curriculum areas. The teacher will report to, and provide support for, the Head of the English Department and/or Drama Department.
To raise the profile of English and/or Drama throughout the College and to help drive the development of English and/or Drama as a curriculum subject.
To contribute fully to the life of the school through, in addition to teaching, participating in the normal supervisory and co-curricular duties undertaken by all members of staff, including fulfilling a commitment to the boarding life of the school.
KEY AREAS
• To be responsible for the teaching of English and/or Drama throughout the College (Years 9 – 13)
• To be involved with any other aspects of school life associated with the English and/or Drama curriculum
• To support the teachers in charge of English and/or Drama in the organisation of Schemes of Work and in all aspects of the management of the curriculum
• To be a fully integrated member of the departmental teams
• To support pupil development in the role of either Lower School or Sixth Form Tutor or as a House Tutor
• To play a full part in the life and running of this successful Boarding and day Independent School
• To encourage and support the full integration of use of ICT within the English Department.
LIMITS OF RESPONSIBILITY
• To be ultimately responsible to the Headmaster
• To carry out duties within the Department in line with school and departmental policies, under the direction of the Director of Studies and the Head of English and/or Head of Drama
• To undertake a pastoral role, including that of either Lower School or Sixth Form Tutor, in accordance with school policy, reporting to the Deputy Head and Housemaster/mistress.
CRITERIA FOR SUCCESS
• Evidence that high standards of teaching and learning in the English and/or Drama Departments are being maintained
• Improving, where necessary, or maintaining positive departmental “value added” results, year on year
• Maintaining positive relationships with staff, pupils and parents
• Actively supporting the ethos of the school.
APPLICATIONS
Applications, consisting of a handwritten covering letter together with a completed application form and a full CV together with the names, addresses and telephone numbers of two current or recent professional referees should be sent to the Headmaster, c/o the Head of Human Resources, Mrs Margaret Harper, Malvern College, Malvern, Worcestershire WR14 3DF by 9 April 2010.
Applicants may contact the Head of the English Department, Mr Dominic Oliver and/or the Director of the Drama Department, Mr Keith Packham to discuss the post if they wish. Mr Oliver can be contacted on 01684 581641 or by email: dto@malcol.org. Mr Packham can be contacted on 01684 581529 or by email: krcp@malcol.org
The successful candidate will be subject to Enhanced Disclosure by the Criminal Records Bureau.