Birkenhead School, awarded the Sunday Times Independent Secondary School of the Year in the North West for 2025, was founded in 1860. It is an HMC independent day school providing education for boys and girls drawn from the whole of the Wirral, Liverpool and as far afield as Chester and North Wales. Situated in the leafy suburb of Oxton, the School enjoys excellent facilities. The main campus has a ‘village green’ atmosphere, with classrooms and laboratories looking out over the cricket square.
The School comprises Nursery and Pre-Prep (Early Years), Prep and Seniors and integrates their objectives and activities within a ‘One School’ concept. Birkenhead School prides itself on being a family school and this has been greatly strengthened by the opening of the Nursery in 2006. It is attractive to parents to have all their children in one school and it is a great advantage for the School to be able to establish strong, long-lasting relationships with families.
A key feature of the School is its strength of community, which runs through the student, staff and parental bodies. The School is embedded within the wider Wirral community, has strong links with local business and charities, and offers an extensive bursary programme.
A dedicated, talented and collegiate staff body is required to achieve these aims. Birkenhead School recruits on attitude as much as the quality of an individual’s qualifications on paper, an approach that has played a considerable role in the winning of the Sunday Times award – in short, staff go above and beyond in delivering outstanding academic grades and an expansive co-curricular programme which leads to a fulfilled, inspired and happy community.
The Department
The department consists of five teachers, led by the Head of Department, Mr Stephen Hope. We follow the AQA course for GCSE and Edexcel for A level, offering students the opportunity to study both Mathematics and Further Mathematics at A Level.
We use the latest IT in our teaching, developing in-house resources to use with Promethean ActivInspire software on touchscreen technology. Students in years 7 to 11 make extensive use of Sparx both for homework and independent learning while A Level students use Pearson ActiveLearn.
At Key Stage 3 we follow a curriculum based on Collins Key Stage 3 Maths Now, while at GCSE we have developed a course using White Rose resources. For A Level, we use the Pearson Edexcel A Level Mathematics texts.
Students from years 7 to 13 enter and are very successful in competitions including the UKMT individual challenges and we are the host school for the local round of the UKMT Team Challenge.
Groups of students regularly travel to and enjoy lectures including those produced by Maths Inspiration.
The Person
The ideal candidate will
* Have a secure knowledge and understanding of own subject/curriculum area including current developments in teaching and learning.
* Have QTS/PGCE qualification.
* Have prior teaching experience at Key Stages 3, 4, and 5.
* Be an excellent classroom practitioner with evidence of good teaching skills, leading to consistently high standards of achievement.
* Be enthusiastic, confident and diligent.
* Develop and maintain good relationships with students and colleagues.
* Have a sound understanding and awareness of Safeguarding procedures.
* Develop creative and innovative teaching techniques.
* Be IT literate to support teaching and learning.
* Inspire staff and students through action.
The successful candidate will balance a determined work ethic and strong academic rigour with good humour, teamwork and perspective. All applicants should be outstanding Teachers, but also possess the wider interests and passions that will inspire students outside of the standard curriculum. All staff are expected to contribute fully to the wider life of the School and the co-curricular provision.
The full list of responsibilities can be found on the Information for Candidates, available on the school website under Employment Opportunities.
We will value and support your contribution to School life and in return provide you with excellent rewards:
* Working with fantastic young students
* Working as part of a committed team
* Wellbeing support through the Employee Assistance Programme
* Term time is approx. 34 weeks
* Free use of the fully equipped on-site gym
* Support for your continuous professional development
* Children of permanent staff enjoy a reduction in School fees
A letter of application indicating skills and experience, together with a completed application form, including the names and addresses of at least two referees, should be sent for the attention of the Headmaster via Cheryl Wallace (Personnel Manager).
Candidates are welcome to contact Tom Whitworth, Deputy Head (Academic) with any questions relating to the role.
To meet our safeguarding obligations, an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check is undertaken as part of the recruitment process for all new staff. As Birkenhead School is an educational provider, it is permitted to ask whether an applicant has any convictions, cautions, reprimands or final warnings which would not be filtered in line with current guidance, as defined by The Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (2013 and 2020). It is a criminal offence for an individual who is barred from working with children to apply for a role which is classed as regulated activity.
The closing date for applications is 9.00am on Monday 24th March 2025
We reserve the right to close this vacancy and complete the recruitment process when we are in receipt of sufficient applications. Should you wish to apply for this post you are advised to complete and submit your application form as soon as possible.