Teacher of english – 1 year temporary Erasmus Darwin Academy is a non-denominational and non-selective Academy, welcoming students of all backgrounds from our local community. Our mission is very clear. To provide ‘Excellence for All’ and to equip students with the knowledge, skills and character in order to prepare them for life in modern Britain. We are incredibly ambitious for our students and believe that providing students with endless opportunities will turn them into confident and determined young people. Our students’ achievements at EDA go beyond the Academic, their achievements as a person are just as important. All students, staff and families support this mission and work hard to make it come alive. At Erasmus Darwin Academy, every teacher has the right to teach and every student has the right to learn. Our curriculum is broad, balanced and aspirational for all students. Our Academy values are lived and not just laminated. All students are here to learn; reading, writing and oracy are at the heart of our daily curriculum. Our students are taught to be confident, articulate and determined throughout their learning experiences and daily interactions with staff and peers. Our Academy’s Personal Development offer is extensive and extra-curricular activities form a huge part of our CARE curriculum. Our students are specifically taught how to behave via a well-designed behaviour curriculum. We have recently introduced Flexible Working arrangements during all PPA and non-contact periods for all Teaching Professionals, which means you can work off-site should you wish too. The development of our staff is core to our well-being strategy and central in ensuring that we are able to deliver our mission. We will offer you:. High standards and high expectations whilst ensuring workload is balanced Professional development opportunities to develop both pedagogy and leadership Friendly and supportive staff body Highly compliant and polite students A work laptop Increased non-contact time to allow for further lesson planning and preparation Increased leadership time if you are applying for a leadership role Friendly cover arrangements A visible and supportive Senior Leadership Team A collective team of staff working under our mission to improve the Academy further The successful candidates must demonstrate a strong passion for working with young people and a genuine desire to improve their life chances. They must demonstrate their understanding in the pedagogy of teaching and learning, alongside the skills required for effective classroom management. All candidates must demonstrate their commitment to ensure our students develop as young people and secure the best outcomes possible for their future. We are seeking to appoint a full time well-qualified and enthusiastic specialist in English to join us at this highly successful, heavily over-subscribed school which is firmly established as one of the highest performing secondary schools in the region (and in the top 10% of schools nationally). We gained ‘Good’ in our 2023 Ofsted inspection and as part of the Local Authority’s quality assurance strategy, we have gained Category 1 status, which is the highest category of school performance, for five years running. We gained ‘Good’ in our 2023 Ofsted inspection and the following quotes were made by the Inspection Team: ‘Leaders across the school have high expectations for pupils’ academic achievement’ ‘Leaders have placed pupils’ personal development at the heart of their curriculum. This means that pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain’ ‘Low level disruption is very rare, and pupils understand leader’s expectations’ ‘Leaders in the school have a clear and precise understanding of the provision and priorities for development. They promote an honest and transparent relationship with all staff’ ‘Staff take a proactive approach to ensure that all pupils are kept safe. They are tenacious in following up concerns’ ‘Leaders are clear about what they want pupils with SEND to achieve’ ‘Teachers have good subject knowledge, and support pupils well to learn the curriculum’ ‘100% of EDA staff who completed the Ofsted questionnaire stated they were happy to work at EDA’ English is a fundamental part of our children’s education. All students study English until the end of Year 11 and we have a healthy uptake of English in the Sixth Form. We also offer a number of extra-curricular English activities. This position is suitable for ECTs. We invite applications from excellent classroom practitioners who can motivate, engage and inspire our students and work collaboratively with colleagues. The English Department is particularly strong with a track record of outstanding results, and the successful candidate will be joining a dedicated and passionate team. In return, we offer an incredibly positive working environment, passionately believing that our human resources are our most important and valuable resources. Therefore, our staff wellbeing strategy is at the heart of our ongoing improvement work, meaning that middle and senior leaders are committed to ensuring that all staff are happy, cared for, listened to and professionally equipped to fulfil their role to the highest possible standard. Furthermore, opportunities for career progression regularly arise, with the Academy having an excellent record of training and developing our own teachers and leaders from within. Salary: Pay range between £31,650 - £49,084 per annum according to the Academy Pay Policy. We welcome visits with the Headteacher, arranged via appointment using the email address below. CLOSING DATE: 9am Friday 10 th January START DATE: Monday 28 th April 2025 (earlier start date if possible) To apply for the post, please complete the application form and return to the Headteacher’s PA, Miss Jade Skelding, either by post or email j.skeldingeda.staffs.sch.uk For further information regarding the Academy, please visit our website at www.erasmusdarwinacademy.co.uk OUR ENGLISH DEPARTMENT Core English Curriculum (Key Stages 3 and 4) We follow a bespoke Learning Journey in English which covers a range of topics such as Tragedy, 19 th Century Literature, Real World Writing, Political Writing and Conflict. In Year 7-9 we have a scheme of learning which we have designed to be ambitious, challenging and engaging. It allows for exploration of all areas of English, ensuring that students have a solid understanding before starting their GCSE course. In Years 7-9 students have 6 hours of English over a fortnight and 1 library lesson which focuses on building up their vocabulary skills. We follow AQA GSCE courses for Language and Literature. In Literature we cover: ‘An Inspector Calls’, ‘A Christmas Carol’, ‘Power and Conflict Poetry’ and ‘Macbeth’. These all build on our topics covered across Key Stage 3 and allow them to delve deeper into the meanings of language and structure. In Year 10-11 students have 8 hours of English over a fortnight. Advanced English Curriculum (Key Stage 5) In Year 12 and 13 we study AQA English Language focusing on topics such as ‘Language change’ and ‘Child Language Acquisition’. We also offer AQA English Literature in which we study ‘Tragedy’ and ‘Political and Social Protest’. Both courses are highly engaging and offer to develop the robust set of skills they covered during their previous key stages. Year 12-13 have 9 taught hours over the fortnight with students expected to do independent study as well as work in class. Extra-curricular Opportunities This year, we have hired a Theatre company to come into the school and perform ‘A Christmas Carol’ and ‘Macbeth’ to support students which their GCSE study. We have also arranged for students to go on a trip to see ‘Othello’ in Stratford for their A Level studies. The Library arranges trips to the book shop for our best readers to choose new books and also invites authors in to inspire students. Facilities The English Department have 7 dedicated classrooms each with a projector, Smart Board/Smart TV and visualisers in each room. We have copies of all required texts which have been recently replaced. To help support with planning and workload, the English Department have a dedicated English Shared Drive for the development of resources. Staffing Our current English Team consists of the following staff: Mrs Gemma Bignell (Subject Leader), Mrs Emma Broadway (Lead Teacher), Mrs Kerry Wallace (Lead Teacher), Mrs Wilson (Lead Teacher), Mrs Copestake (Senior Leader), Mrs Emma Dawson, Mrs Rhiannon O’Grady-Nicholson, Miss Shannon Perry (Part-time), Mrs Eve Norbury (Part-time), Mrs Helen Dickenson (Library Officer) Primitas Learning Partnership is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. As such this post is subject to a ‘disclosure’ check under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and satisfactory Enhanced DBS check, Online Search and references. Further details regarding this check are available from schools or by visiting www.gov.uk/government/organisations/disclosure-and-barring-service. A copy of the school’s Safeguarding Policy can be found on our website. You will also be required to provide proof of eligibility to work in the UK, evidence of your qualifications and suitable references