Job profile

PART I: THE GEOGRAPHY DEPARTMENT

The Geography Department is a stimulating environment in which to teach. All the current teachers (currently four) are expert subject specialists and most have significant responsibilities within the wider school (there are two Housemasters as well as the current Head of Community Service). All pupils take Geography in Year 9, and the subject has become increasingly popular at iGCSE over recent years. There are currently 70 geographers in Year 11. Approximately 25 pupils per year choose A-level Geography.

Strong examination results are undoubtedly a factor in the subject’s growing popularity, but it is also a consequence of staff delivering highly focused lessons where pupils feel well supported. Pupils studying Geography at Winchester have the freedom to explore beyond the confines of the iGCSE syllabus and are encouraged to read widely around the subject. Much of the stimulus for this comes from the teaching staff and their deep expertise in a range of fields,  from the Geography of Crime to Glaciology. Current events are closely monitored by our pupils, and they are becoming socially, environmentally, economically, and politically aware. Modern Wykehamists aspire to be global citizens.

Examination results are strong; in August 2024, 89% of pupils achieved a grade 7-9 in iGCSE Geography. At A-level, 55% of candidates achieved A*/A and 90% achieved A*-B.

We provide many opportunities for pupils to get involved in the subject outside the classroom; the department supports pupils in the running of the Geography Society and the newly-formed Sustainability Society. The inaugural talk, given by Professor Peter Jackson (University of Sheffield) on the topic of food security, proved extremely popular.

We run annual trips for all year groups. Year 9 travel to the Jurassic Coast to study landforms and geology as well as try their hand at kayaking and coasteering. Year 10 go to Barton-on-Sea to see a rapidly eroding coastline and experience the low energy environment of a saltmarsh by paddleboarding through it at Calshot Spit. Year 11 are taken to Chichester to carry out an investigation of the CBD. In the Sixth Form, Year 12 travel to the Brecon Beacons on a three-day excursion to develop their fieldwork skills and observe post-glacial landscapes.

PART II: ABOUT THE ROLE

Winchester College seeks to employ professionals who carry out their duties responsibly and with regard for the best interests of the students and College. Consistently high-quality teaching is the aim of every teacher and the entitlement of every student. The teacher in this formal academic leadership role exercises accountability for the pedagogy of others by creating and sustaining the conditions to achieve the best for all learners in terms of standards, well-being and progress.

The Head of Department plays an instrumental role in ensuring Winchester College meets its strategic aims.  They should share in the ethos and vision of Winchester College and support its strategic aims and indeed contribute to them.

They should then lead and demonstrate this strategic vision within their department.

In addition to the general duties and responsibilities of a teacher at Winchester College the successful candidate will aspire to lead the highest-achieving department within the College by ensuring:

Outstanding Teaching and Learning

• There is consistent high-quality teaching and learning within the department

• Planning is well thought through, ensures sequential learning and supports the curriculum

• Develop a culture of collaboration where colleagues share resources effectively and look to develop new material to ensure that pupils make progress

• Regularly discuss teaching and learning at departmental meetings

• Develop, implement, and review schemes of work, ensuring consistency across the department

• Engage critically with research and developments in the curriculum

• Promote and support learning beyond the subject boundary e.g. literacy, numeracy and wellbeing, interdisciplinary learning and digital literacy

• Foster innovation by encouraging the use of emerging technologies and evidence-based practices in teaching

Leadership of staff

• Provide constructive challenge and support to develop a high-performing and cohesive department team

• Chair regular meetings of the department

• Undertake the annual performance management of their department

• Support in the deployment of staff astutely to meet the departmental aims

• Agree the teaching allocations each year with the Director of Studies

• Actively promote exceptional pedagogy and evidence-informed practice

• Undertake lesson observations of all staff and provide constructive feedback

• Monitor the quality of marking and feedback across the department

• Encourage the on-going personal development of staff to ensure that pedagogy is relevant and up-to date

• Deal sensitively with staff, recognise individual needs and take account of these in securing a consistent team approach to raising achievement in and enjoyment of the subject

• Work with senior leaders when an issue with a member of staff emerges

• Proactively support the development of Early Career teachers, supporting their professional growth

Data Analysis

• Use data effectively to identify pupils who are underachieving in the subject and, where necessary, create and implement effective plans of action to support those pupils

• Investigate any anomalies between classes and intervene, if necessary

• Ensure that members of the department are inputting data that accurately reflects the ability and the true characteristics of an effective pupil

Personal Development

• Engage in reflective practice and maintain a growth mindset to enhance leadership capability

• Build and sustain professional and personal credibility by modelling their commitment to on-going professional learning, integrity and ethical practice

• Stimulate an appetite for professional learning that is valued, has impact upon pedagogy and supports professional growth across the Department

• Continuously widen their knowledge and understanding of leadership and management concepts and practices related to their context and work collaboratively with others to ensure this is embodied in practice

• Keep up to date with and respond to national and international developments in the subject area and pedagogy

• Encourage a culture of lifelong learning within the department

Development of Culture and Collaboration

• Have a genuine desire to do the best for their pupils and staff

• Support and enable a culture of trust and respect

• Establish a culture where staff and pupils can learn from their mistakes

• Build a climate of mutual support in which effective collaboration flourishes within the Department and between Departments to spread effective pedagogy

• Work collaboratively and constructively with members of the Leadership Team

Scholarship

• To develop a culture of scholarship within the Department to enrich and elevate the intellectual life of the school

• Encourage and support colleagues who are wishing to engage in and pursue rigorous, scholarly projects in their own discipline, especially those resulting in academic publications and position Winchester as a leader in education

Communication

• Communicate effectively, orally and in writing, with leadership, other colleagues, pupils, parents, governors, external agencies and the wider community

• Ensure good communication with, and between, staff who teach and support the subject

• Encourage the use of pupil voice within the department

• Ensure that written reports are of consistent high-quality across the department

• Meet and communicate with parents, staff and pupils as required

Compliance

• Produce and implement a departmental development plan on an annual basis

• Attend meetings of the Academic Curriculum Committee (HoD Meetings)

• Assist in the preparation of pupils for university interviews

• Take responsibility for the management of the marking of coursework and NEA work across the department

• Ensure that pupils are fully prepared for their public examinations

• Support senior leaders and the examination office in all aspects of the public examination process

• Implement the department’s strategy for behaviour management to create an effective and safe classroom environment

• Take responsibility for the setting and marking of entrance tests and interview external candidates wishing to join the school and take the subject

• Monitor and develop, as necessary, the extra-curricular life of the department (trips, visits, speakers and school-based and national competitions)

• Work with senior leaders to ensure that the department is ready for inspection

• Monitor staff absence and liaise with the Director of Studies

• Support senior leaders during the process of internal and external recruitment of staff

• Contribute to employment processes e.g. capability, disciplinary, requests for flexible working, and any matters regarding employee relations

• In conjunction with the Director of Studies, the Head of Department will be responsible for the overall preparation and effective management of the departmental budget

• In conjunction with senior leaders be involved with the design of whole-school policies and procedures where relevant

• Support in forging links with external stakeholders, such as relevant heads of subject in prep schools and university departments

• Ensure compliance with safeguarding and child protection policies in all departmental activities

PART III: PERSON SPECIFICATION

Professional Development

The successful candidate will:

• show evidence of, and a continuing interest in, professional and personal development

• participate in the school’s Professional Review system

• provide support and guidance to colleagues in the department for the maintenance of good order and discipline

• share best practice with the rest of the department

Qualifications

Essential

• An excellent Geography degree

• The ability to teach to A-level and university entrance

Key Qualities

The successful candidate will have:

• the ability to inspire and motivate pupils

• the enthusiasm and confidence to lead and manage a team

• excellent interpersonal skills

• emotional intelligence and the ability to empathise with both staff and pupils

• good time management skills, and superb organisation

• the ability to use initiative

• the resilience and stamina needed to deal with the demands of boarding school life

• a genuine enthusiasm to contribute to the wider life of the school, with the ability, skills, and experience to contribute in some capacity to the school’s extra-curricular activities

• commitment to promoting and embedding an inclusive culture, with equality of opportunity for all

PART IV: BENEFITS, TERMS AND CONDITIONS, AND APPLICATION

Start date

This appointment will commence in September 2025.

Salary

Winchester has its own generous salary scale, which is above the national scale. In addition to salary, the school allocates a Special Responsibility Allowance (SRA) to those with additional roles, ranging from running a sport to Head of Department or House.

Accommodation

Accommodation may be available with this position.

Induction and Continuous Training and Development

The school is fully committed to the induction, training and development of all our staff, with staff supported to grow and reach their full potential. All staff are well supported when they arrive, with help and advice available from Heads of Department, Housemaster/mistress, the Director of Teaching and Learning, who has specific responsibility for overseeing the induction process, and the Director of Studies. 

All members of the Common Room are encouraged to pursue CPD. In addition to supporting external courses, we deliver a range of training, run by both our own staff and external providers, varying from highly practical First Aid courses to seminars and learning lunches on many aspects of teaching and learning, as well as access to Udemy, an external online learning platform. 

There is an annual professional development review offering the opportunity to reflect on professional practice and development opportunities.

For those new to teaching there is the opportunity to work towards a PGCE whilst working with us.

Private Health Care and Pension

The successful applicant will be enrolled in the school’s Corporate Health Scheme in accordance with the current rules of the Scheme. Membership of the Scheme does not extend to family members and is a taxable benefit in kind.

A generous pension scheme (either Teachers’ Pension Scheme (TPS) or Defined Contribution (DC) Scheme) and Life Cover (4 times salary) are part of the package.

The successful applicant will be automatically included as a member of the TPS, where both the employee and employer will each meet their statutory contribution rate to the scheme.  At Winchester College, where teachers choose to participate in the TPS, the cost to the College of employer pension contributions is capped at 23.68%.  From 1 April 2024, employer contributions will rise to 28.68%, and the 5% differential will be deducted from the employee’s gross salary with effect from this date.    

Should the successful applicant opt out of the TPS and elect to join the DC Scheme, there is no corresponding reduction in salary.  The default employee and employer contributions are 9% and 21.5% respectively.  The DC Scheme offers the flexibility to reduce employee and employer contributions below the default percentage, should the employee wish to, with a minimum contribution of 5% for employee and 5% for employer contributions.  Any differential between the employee’s chosen employer contribution and 21.5%, net of additional employer payroll costs, will be paid as non-pensionable salary via salary exchange.  

Probation and Notice Periods

The first twenty-four months of employment will be a probationary period. Regular reviews with line managers take place over the probation period with the opportunity to discuss progress, identify any areas for action and ensure there is appropriate guidance and support in place to enable successful completion of the probationary period.

During the probationary period, the notice required by either party to terminate employment will be one month within the first term of employment. After the first term, the notice required by either party to terminate employment will be one full term. 

Once employment is confirmed, the notice period will be one full term.

Annual Leave

This is a Teaching position which benefits from school holidays. 

Wider Benefits

• Free staff lunches during term time

• Access to Staff Counsellor

• Use of sports facilities, including gym membership, tennis courts and in 2026, a new 25m swimming pool. Exercise classes, including spinning and circuits are also available

• Cycle to work scheme

• Access to an ongoing cycle of cultural, musical, theatrical and sporting talks and events

• Employee Referral Scheme, with a reward of up to £250 for staff (subject to scheme conditions)

Enhanced Disclosure Check

As Winchester College is an educational establishment, a condition of employment will be that the successful candidate must consent to the school obtaining an Enhanced Level Disclosure Check through the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS). This will reveal all spent and unspent convictions, warnings, cautions and bind-overs. A policy on the recruitment of ex-offenders is available on the school’s website.

Safeguarding is one of the primary responsibilities of this role. The jobholder is responsible for promoting and safeguarding the welfare of children and young persons for whom they are responsible, or with whom they come into contact with, and will need to adhere to and ensure compliance with the school’s Child Protection and Safeguarding Policy at all times. A Head of PRS should be conversant with the responsibilities and procedures detailed in this policy and with the Department for Education’s Keeping Children Safe in Education.  If, in the course of carrying out the duties of the post, the Head of PRS becomes aware of any actual or potential risks to the safety or welfare of children in the school, they must report any concerns to the school’s Designated Safeguarding Lead or in their absence the Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead.

References and Other Pre-employment Checks

The appointment will be dependent upon the receipt of a successful medical check and satisfactory references. The College will usually seek references from shortlisted candidates before interview and may approach previous employers for information to verify particular experience or qualifications. At least one referee must be the current or most recent employer. Where applicants are not currently working with children but have done so in the past, one referee must be the person by whom they were most recently employed when working with children. 

How to Apply

Please attach a full CV and covering letter with your application.

Closing date for applications: Wednesday 29 January 2025.

Please note that applications will be dealt with as they arrive. Winchester College reserves the right to appoint before the deadline passes.

Interviews are expected to take place on Thursday 6^th February.

Those wishing for an informal conversation about this role are invited to speak to Andrew Reeve, Director of Studies apr@wincoll.ac.uk.

If you have any questions about this vacancy or the recruitment process, please email recruitment@wincoll.ac.uk.

Further information about the school can be found at www.winchestercollege.org.

Data Protection

Winchester College collects and processes relevant personal data as part of its everyday operations and is obliged to process it in accordance with the Data Protection Act 2018. The school is the Data Controller of this data under the Act and is registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office; its registration number is Z5751669.

Any queries about this policy or how personal data is processed by the school should be referred to the Data Protection Liaison Officer.

PART V: ABOUT WINCHESTER COLLEGE

In February 2021, Winchester announced a bold new vision and a significant programme of change. ‘Winchester College in the 21^st Century’ describes the School’s ambitions for its future and heralds the start of an exciting new phase in Winchester’s development.

Winchester was a pioneering institution when it was founded in 1382 and this new vision will ensure the School continues to be a leader and influencer of great education on the modern global stage. The commitment to provide an intellectual education of exceptional quality and breadth remains unaltered, as do the values which have underpinned Winchester since its foundation. ‘Winchester College in the 21^st Century’ will build on these strengths and bring multiple benefits to current and future generations of Wykehamists.

Winchester currently has 735 pupils. Over time, the School plans to admit each year a minimum of 30 day pupils into the Sixth Form (of whom roughly half will be girls) and up to 50 girl boarders. The School will be some 900 pupils, roughly the same as Rugby and Harrow, but smaller than Sevenoaks, Oundle, Wellington and Eton. The number of pupils boarding at the College will remain the same.

The new vision for Winchester includes the following significant changes:

Increasing Access

• The admission of girls and day pupils into the Sixth Form. The College welcomed day pupils, both girls and boys, into the Sixth Form in September 2022, and it is anticipated that the first girl boarders will join in 2026.

Academically, Winchester is among the very best schools in the country and is sought after for its combination of superb teaching, pastoral care, sports and activities.

At all levels Winchester encourages pupils to look beyond the curriculum. Div is our unique programme of general cultural studies and offers an excellent preparation for university study. In these lessons, pupils engage with a wide range of subjects, from English Literature to Ancient History to the History of Science.

Pupils in the Sixth Form study linear A-level courses and will ordinarily study three A-level subjects and an Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) alongside Div. Linear A-levels are complemented by the flexibility of the EPQ where pupils are able to more deeply explore their cross-curricular research interests. The EPQ encourages pupils to develop first-class research skills, to synthesise information from a variety of differing sources, and to become accustomed to the demands of independent study.

Music has been central to life at Winchester ever since its foundation, and the school is unique in having maintained its Choral Foundation to the present day. The Music Department is now one of the leading departments in the country, and offers outstanding opportunities to all.

Sport is a major part of Winchester life. There are many fixtures against other schools, the redevelopment of the sports facilities is a state-of-the-art complex that opened in the latter half of 2024 allowing all pupils to enjoy and participate in a variety of sports, whilst simultaneously enabling the most talented and driven pupils to train and compete at the highest level.

Much energy is also invested in the Combined Cadet Force, the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme, Community Service, and in links with local primary and secondary maintained schools. This commitment provides pupils with many opportunities to work for the benefit of others, inside and outside the classroom, developing the knowledge and skills, and the rights and responsibilities, which will enable them to grow into valuable and productive members of society.

Pupils eat all meals in their boarding houses, talking with their Housemaster/mistress, and interacting with friends, visitors and teachers. We believe that conversational ability, developed both inside and outside the community, equips pupils to talk to anyone, about anything, in practically any situation.

This unparalleled combination attracts pupils from across the world, making Winchester a truly international and diverse community which celebrates every pupil’s individuality, passions and potential.

Winchester College is committed to maintaining the founder’s original intention of offering an outstanding education to any pupil who would benefit from it, regardless of their financial circumstances, and many of the pupils in the College are being helped financially through the school with substantial bursaries. 

Winchester College embraces diversity and inclusion in the workplace and is committed to promoting a fair and supportive environment for all our employees. We work hard to create an inclusive culture where different perspectives are recognised, and our staff feel valued for their individuality and share a sense of belonging. Our aim is to reflect the diverse nature of society and of our pupil body. We are seeking to attract a diversity of talent at all levels, so that our pupils understand and benefit from the breadth and depth of such a diverse community. This means recruiting from the widest possible pool of talent.

Sustainability

Both staff and pupils at Winchester College are committed to being the most sustainable school possible. You can learn more about our goal of creating a more sustainable school here.

Full details about the school may be found at www.winchestercollege.org.