What skills and experience we're looking for
Crestwood Community School is one school, with two campuses serving Eastleigh. We are looking to appoint an enthusiastic and ambitious person to join our Mathematics faculty from September 2025. The department is exceptionally upbeat, forward-thinking, and innovative and one which is cohesive, team spirited and very well led. We are looking for someone who can play an active role in contributing to the already high standards within the department. We are seeking to appoint someone who will be ambitious for our students and have a vision for the further development of the Maths curriculum and intervention program.
For the successful candidate, a commitment to raising standards and a passion for developing young adults is essential: this entails a commitment to all learners, to excellence for all, and a belief that a good school makes a significant difference to learners’ life chances, levels of attainment and the wellbeing of the community as a whole.
What the school offers its staff
We continue to be a ‘good’ school. The report stated that at Crestwood “there is a welcoming, friendly atmosphere”. They also said that “teachers and support staff, including those in the early stages of their career, are proud to work at the school. They particularly value school leader's careful consideration of their workload and well-being so that they can focus their efforts fully on pupils’ education.” In addition, Ofsted report that “many pupils, staff and parents describe the school as a ‘big family’. This is a happy school, where staff and students want to be. The #Crestwoodfamily pervades through everything we do.
We will ensure that the successful candidate has:
• comprehensive induction including a dedicated mentor
• continuous professional learning, development and improvement
• the opportunity to contribute to raising standards for all our students
Our Ofsted report from February 2024 stated that at Crestwood “there is a welcoming, friendly atmosphere”. They also said that “teachers and support staff, including those in the early stages of their career, are proud to work at the school. They particularly value school leader's careful consideration of their workload and well-being so that they can focus their efforts fully on pupils’ education.” In addition, Ofsted report that “many pupils, staff and parents describe the school as a ‘big family’
As a school we take staff well being seriously. We offer staff the following:
• wellbeing weeks, with no commitments scheduled after school
• free lunch every day
• free tea and coffee
• half termly cooked breakfasts
• accrued inset days, taken as twilights, giving staff an additional 4 days off a year
• One wellbeing day per year (during term-time), to be taken at their chosen time (after a qualifying period)
• weekly thank you bulletin
• birthday cards
• heads discretionary leaves of absence for family events
• acts of random kindness
• access to mental health first aiders
The Mathematics department comprises an Achievement Leader, two Assistant Achievement Leaders, a lead practitioner, an Assistant Head Teacher and eight main scale teachers, as well as a fully qualified maths specialist, delivering our intervention programme. The department is forward thinking, knowledgeable and fully committed to supporting the students to achieve their very best. The close staff team regularly do maths together, enabling them to develop and challenge the teaching of mathematics, sharing of research, resources and current thinking. The team plans together each week driving up the standards of teaching and learning, ensuring our students learn effectively and providing effective CPD for teachers.
We have worked hard to create classroom environments where expectations are high and getting things wrong is a recognised part of the learning journey. Our students are grouped carefully to ensure that all make progress and are challenged and supported appropriately, whilst offering additional focus sessions for students who need further challenge, or extra support.
The department is housed in six classrooms on the Shakespeare campus and six at the Cherbourg Road campus. All students are taught Mathematics at KS3 and KS4.
In Mathematics at Key Stage 3, students have seven one hour lessons every fortnight. They undertake a wide range of topics within the National Curriculum with opportunities to reason and practise their mathematical fluency. At Key Stage 4, students also have eight one hour lessons every fortnight, with year 11 also experiencing an additional hour of maths, per fortnight, in their enhancement sessions’.
This is an exciting time in our school’s history. Eastleigh is a changing town, with much development in both business and residential areas. There has been an expansion in the primary sector with several local schools undergoing expansion to their buildings to accommodate the growth in student numbers. Crestwood merged with the former Quilley School in 2016 to provide one secondary school for Eastleigh, something new and exciting, offering high quality education for the children of Eastleigh. In 2022 we became oversubscribed in every year group and are operating a waiting list across both campuses. The two campuses are situated at Shakespeare Road and Cherbourg Road and both offer the same high quality education to all year groups with little movement of students. Staff are expected to teach across both sites and play an active part in their innovative and high-performing teams. Our first six years of operation has been successful in establishing a strong culture and ethos, typified by the #Crestwoodfamily.
As Head Teacher, I have a clear vision and an absolute determination, alongside my team, to continue to improve even further the provision of education across Eastleigh.
The Ofsted report states that “Leaders and governors are driven by a strong sense of moral purpose. They are ambitious for pupils’ futures and drive to provide the best opportunities for them. Staff share these aspirations and are loyal and committed”.
We care deeply about our school, the staff, the students and the community we serve, we are a school with a heart. We as a school are clear about our improvement agenda and we work cohesively as a school wide team. As this was our fifth consecutive “good” grading it demonstrates that at Crestwood we are continually providing a consistent quality in all we do, against a backdrop of tougher standards and criteria to be judged against.
We have enhanced our campuses significantly over the past few years. We have refurbished nearly all areas across the school. We have had a new crescent area and roof at Shakespeare which has enhanced the building significantly. The Cherbourg Campus is situated between the town’s two post-16 providers. The site is well maintained with specialist facilities in excellent condition throughout, including 5 new Science rooms and refurbished Sports Hall. In totality we are a school continually on the up and have a can-do-more attitude.
As a new member of staff you will be well supported: we have a comprehensive induction process, and you will be given an Induction Mentor and a ‘professional buddy’. We have the Investors in People standard, and see professional learning as a major strategic priority.
Further details about the role
Your application should comprise a completed Hampshire teaching application form, and a letter in which you should outline your experience to date, the reasons for your interest in the post and your suitability for it. Please include a paragraph on your philosophy of Maths teaching and what specialisms you could bring to Crestwood Community School.
Applications, with the names and addresses of two referees, should be returned to me, Krista Dawkins, Head Teacher
Commitment to safeguarding
Crestwood Community School and Hampshire County Council are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. We will ensure that all our recruitment and selection practices reflect this commitment. All successful candidates will be subject to Disclosure and Barring Service checks along with other relevant employment checks.