Bedford High School is a community secondary school with approximately 1100 students across two sites. Our last Ofsted inspection was judged Good. Our school values are To Care, To Learn, To Achieve.
We are looking to appoint a well-qualified, talented, and energetic teacher of Modern Foreign Languages (MFL) starting September 2025.
The successful candidate will be able to teach Spanish to GCSE. They will be joining an excellent department of skilled linguists in a very successful department. Recent graduates, ECTs or experienced teachers are equally welcome to apply.
Our vision is for students to see the value in learning and speaking foreign languages; to develop an appreciation of cultures other than their own; to enjoy challenging themselves to be the best linguists; and to engender a curiosity about the beauty of language.
Our department is one of the strongest in the school and in the local authority. We have a track record of consistently achieving outstanding results which we are very proud of.
In previous years, Year 6 students have been offered the option to study either Spanish or French when they start at Bedford High School. In recent times, almost all students have opted to study Spanish. Currently, Spanish is the only language taught in the school. Key Stage 3 students have Spanish twice weekly whilst Key Stage 4 students learn Spanish 5 hours over a two-week timetable. At GCSE, we study the Edexcel scheme of work.
The MFL department at Bedford High School is an energetic and innovative department consisting of a team of five enthusiastic and dedicated language teachers. We operate collaboratively and are passionate about our subject, working hard to inspire our pupils with a love of language and foreign culture. We collaborate on planning and good practice so that we can share ideas, pedagogy, and resources. Our KS3 curriculum is robust and well sequenced, we all use the same shared resources to support the learning journey at KS3 which helps to ensure that we have quality and consistency in all Spanish classes. It also helps to ensure that our colleagues spend less time preparing resources so that they have more time to focus on how to deliver them effectively.
In addition to our classroom activities, we regularly hold events in school to enhance pupils’ enjoyment and appreciation of foreign language learning. We invest and build cultural enrichment into our curriculum. For two consecutive years, we have run a very popular trip to Barcelona. An annual feature is the Year 9 presentation event where students present in Spanish on different Hispanic countries they have studied during their cultural project in the summer term.
To find out more about the activities of the MFL department, please visit the department’s Instagram page: @Bedfordmfl
If you feel you have the necessary skills and qualities to undertake this role, we will be delighted to receive your application form. Please complete the application form, we do not accept CV’s and return to Mrs Claire Taylor, HR Manager, at the school address or by email to recruitment@bedford.wigan.sch.uk. Early applications are encouraged and we reserve the right to close the vacancy early and interview before the closing date if a suitable candidate is found.
All offers of employment are conditional subject to all satisfactory pre-employment checks which include an enhanced criminal record with barred list through the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS), appropriate overseas checks, medical clearance, references and verification of your qualifications satisfactory to the school. In line with recommendations from Keeping Children Safe in Education Guidance we will carry out an online search as part of our due diligence for all shortlisted candidates. Shortlisted candidates are also required to complete a self-declaration of any criminal records or information that would make you unsuitable to work with children. When completing application forms all candidates must provide a full employment history and any gaps to be clearly identified. At Bedford High School safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility. We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment and adhere to the school’s child protection policies and procedures. All candidates must be legally entitled to work in the UK and comply with the Immigrations, Asylum and Nationality Act regulations. Applications from all sections of the community are welcome. The post involves working with children, young people or vulnerable adults and is therefore exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act.
Shortlisted candidates will be notified by email of the interview arrangements. Please ensure your correct email address is provided on your application form.
As we receive many applications for posts, we regret that we will only be able to contact those applicants who are shortlisted for interview. Therefore, if you have not heard from us within four weeks of the closing date, please assume you have not been shortlisted for interview on this particular occasion.
Closing date: Monday 28th April 2025 at 9am. Early applications are encouraged and we reserve the right to close the vacancy early and interview before the closing date if a suitable candidate is found.
Interview date: Week Commencing Monday 5th May 2025 or earlier for the right candidate.