This is an excellent opportunity to join one of Oxfordshire’s largest and most successful schools. Effective administrative systems support the two sites. Students are well-behaved and motivated, and there is a strong sense of community in Thame, with a committed parent support base.
We are exceptionally strong in terms of pastoral support for all students and have the highest expectations for individual achievement whatever the starting points. Outside the classroom there are wonderful extra-curricular activities for all. Students leave the school successful and well-rounded individuals. There is a ‘buzz’ about learning in the school and our students are fortunate to be supported in their learning by dedicated teachers and support staff. Staff training and professional development are always a priority and many of our staff move on to promotions in other schools.
The School
The school is the only school serving the market town of Thame and surrounding villages. It is a popular school and always oversubscribed. It is a split site school – Years 7-9 on our Lower School site and Years 10 -13 on our Upper School site. There are around 540 students in our Sixth Form and we attract many students from other schools, post-16. Teamwork is a key feature of school life and so is partnership with our feeder primary schools. There is a strong drive to establish powerful curriculum links cross phase with teachers collaborating on a range of projects. The department and school is a welcoming and supportive place to work.
The Humanities Faculty
The faculty currently consists of 26 teaching staff (16 full-time and 10 part-time) along with a part-time administration assistant. While teachers focus primarily on their specialist subject there is opportunity, particularly during parts of their Key Stage 3 teaching, for staff to teach in other Humanities-related areas. One of the great strengths of the faculty is the support and detailed programmes of work provided for non-specialists, both in terms of resources and in terms of the close team-room friendship and support provided.
Key Stage 3
In years 7 and 8 tutor groups are taught Geography, History and Religious Studies modules by the same teacher or by the same pair of teachers. In year 9 the same modular approach is taken in Geography and History, though with RS being taught separately by a subject specialist. History topics include a range of familiar English and global periods, “Slavery and Resistance”, ”Holocaust and Genocides” and a "Conspiracies and Mysteries" module. Geography topics include Tectonics and The Geography of power and conflict, whilst RS topics include a study of work religions and Ethical Decision making.
Key Stage 4
Students in year 10 and 11 can opt to take one or more GCSE course in Business Studies, Geography, History or full-course Religious Studies. If not taking the full-course Religious Studies, students are automatically entered for the half-course GCSE.
Key Stage 5
Students in years 12 and 13 can opt to take one or more of the following A level subjects: Business Studies, Economics, Geography, Government and Politics, History, Religious Studies and Sociology. Students can also take the BTEC Level 3 course in Business Studies.
The Politics department is a very popular A Level choice at Lord Williams's, we currently have two classes in both Year 12 and Year 13. We study the Edexcel specification, with Global politics. This is a popular option and we have many students who go on to study Politics and/or International Relations at University. We achieve consistently strong results and you will be supported by an experienced teaching team. In the two most recent externally examined years we have achieved strong results; 70% A*-C last year and 100% A*-C in 2023.
Extra Curricular Activities
The Politics team offers a number of extra-curricular opportunities; a visit to the Houses of Parliament and Supreme Court annually, attending the Model United Nations along with Education days with Oxford University Politics department at the Bodleian Library. During the last election, the department arranged a hustings for the entire Sixth Form. All party candidates for our constituency were invited and students asked questions and probed the potential MPs.
Humanities offers several trips each year to students. This usually includes visits each year to the Black Country Museum, the Imperial War Museum, Berlin, Southall Gurdwara and GCSE and A level Geography fieldwork trips to city and coast, as well as to local and London Conferences and the hosting of conferences at the school. There is also a plan to resume the annual trip to visit World War battlefields in Belgium and France.