West Buckland School
Location
Devon | United Kingdom
Job description
The Economics and Business Department
After eight years of outstanding service, a senior and much-loved member of the Economics and Business Department wishes to step back from full-time teaching. As a result, there is now an opening to join this successful department at West Buckland School. This could be a full-time or part-time appointment.
The Economics and Business Department currently has four members. We provide students with a first-rate education in business from Year 10 upwards and economics at A-level. All member of the department are committed to the imperative that lessons are the start, but not the finish, of student engagement. The department supports student learning with subscriptions to major periodicals such as the FT and The Economist. There is a well-stocked Business and Economics section in the excellent school library.
We run the following courses: in Year 10 and 11 we offer Edexcel GCSE Business; in the Sixth Form we offer Edexcel A level Business; IB Diploma Programme Business Management; CIE A level Economics.
We are keen to develop our ad hoc programme of external speakers and visits, to develop further the richness of our students’ learning. Year 10 students benefitted from the financial planning element of the GCSE being brought to life by a local business owner in their recent Friday afternoon lessons, for example. One of the highlights of the annual Sixth Form calendar is a 24-hour whole Year 12 marketing challenge with the advertising firm Bray Leino. This Friday evening, the HoD will introduce a careers event based around local entrepreneurs and business leaders, including alumni for WBS students.
Uptake is excellent: over half the cohort taking Business as a GCSE option. In 2022-23, every single student bar one continued on from the Business GCSE to at least one of A-level or IB business/economics. This theme continues onto university with around half the Sixth Form students continuing the subjects in some related course. One of the joys of working at the school is variety – one of our most able Year 13 students is going directly onto a professional accountancy apprenticeship whereas we have three Year 12 students contemplating Oxbridge. The school has generously supported the education of two excellent Ukrainian students: one of whom has been working actively with the Marketing Department through, alongside her business A level. You will find our students to be courteous, interesting and interested. It is a pleasure to teach them.
There is now an established EcoSoc group which caters for gifted and talented students from January of Year 12 to December of Year 13 – students who are interested in the social sciences but take other subjects regularly ask to join this voluntary group. All departmental members give generously of their time to support those learners who need a little more help in free lessons, break times and after school. It is reflective of the positive, collaborative approach to education within the Department that senior students worked with their teachers to market our subjects at recent Sixth Form information evenings.
Job Requirements:
This post could be a full-time or part-time position (at 0.4-0.5 of a full timetable). It could suit a new entrant to the profession, or an experienced teacher. Should the applicant have a background in business, then we find that this can help bring the subject to life. However, the key attribute is that you are a capable and committed business educator.
Departmental Responsibilities
• You will need to be able to teach Business at both key stages 4 and 5.
• You will have strong subject knowledge and be comfortable with preparing students for public examinations. A willingness to engage with new curricula is a definite advantage.
• You will have high standards. This will be evident in both the standards that you set for the students, and in your own professional practice.
• To be open in sharing your professional practice – a feature of the department is the easy trust colleagues have in each other, and we frequently see each other's lessons.
• You will adapt your teaching to the individual needs of learners. This will address the aspirations of our best students; take into account both SEN and EAL needs, all whilst being an accessible, admirable role model.
• You will play your part in the overall education of West Buckland students through a personal commitment to life-long learning and education beyond the classroom.
• You will be an active, collegiate member of the Business Department, contributing to the departmental development plan and, through this, to the school’s overall development.
General Responsibilities
• Tutoring a group of pupils from an academic and pastoral perspective.
• Contribution to our broad extra-curricular (ECA) programme at lunch times and after school.
• The possible opportunity to teach another subject, for example, careers, PHSE or EPQ.
Hours of work
This could be a full-time or part-time appointment (0.4-0.5 of a full timetable). The school operates Monday to Friday between the hours of 08:30am and 5:00pm as dictated by the school calendar.
In addition to a competitive salary, we provide free parking, daily lunch and access to our outstanding sports facilities.
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