Join our senior school

Come & Join Us!

Dear Teacher,

Thank you for your interest. We are pleased you are keen to explore the possibility of working with us.

When you are making your application please keep these points in mind...

• We are a progressive school. If you wish to work in a formal, traditional setting this may not be the place for you!
• We are committed to providing educational environments suited to children's developmental needs, knowledge or at least empathy how children development is crucial
• We are a Montessori school with an extensive range of Montessori materials. Please be willing to learn to use equipment that is relevant to your teaching and practice.
  
• We are a democratic school. There are lots of democratic schools, you may wish to read about these.
  
• So, if you are ready to teach in a community? Try 'democratic schools in the u.k' in Google!
  
• We believe in Children's rights, in the rights of all stakeholders - teachers and parents. Do you want to work in an environment that respects your rights and matches these to your responsibilities?
• We are looking for teachers who have the ability to balance the social, emotional and academic realms fluidly with inspiration and warmth.
• Participation is key for us.
• Ultimately we are looking for skilled, gifted teachers who know they will thrive in an environment that frees them to teach.
• Core curriculum areas of activity include...
• Montessori (Erdkinder for seniors) Active learning, using the land to produce goods to promote real life working situations.
  
• The National Curriculum. To follow the framework.
  
• Mantle of the Expert. Using drama situations to learn key skills and learning objectives for real life
  

• You may wish to investigate the areas mentioned above prior to your interview. (Links through the presentation)
  

Below we describe our recruitment practice...

• Initial contacts are asked to supply short covering letters & C.V's.
• On receipt of these candidates will be contacted by a member of the schools administration
• Invitations to attend First Interview will follow. Here you will meet the school's management. Short lists will go onto...
  
• An informal interview, sometimes with a small panel comprised of management / teachers and perhaps children.
  
• Closing Date: end of May.
• Any questions about the interview process?
• Please contact the office on 01865 358210
• You may email your c.v and covering letter here
• Please see our web pages for more background information about the senior school
  

We very much hope you will be inspired by our school and in return come with us to inspire the children and young adults in our care.


Daniel Ardizzone & Judith Walker. Co-Founders

Senior School Teachers (Job Outline)

Joining our Senior School Department for September 2008!

The School is currently looking for a group of experienced part time senior school teachers to build its new department. You will have 1 or 2 specialist subjects and experience teaching teaching children at either Key Stage 3 and 4. Full time opportunities may be available in the longer term as the school grows.

Initially we envisage a very small group of students between 10 and 15. In time the school will grow to approximately 30 pupils at a mid point and 45 at its maximum. We do not wish to operate a large senior school department, but to offer a path from nursery through primary to senior school years for families mainly attending our school already.

Tuition will take place in the old dairy barn currently being converted for use as a senior class teaching rooms and arts space.

We hope you will be longing for the opportunity to teach in a progressive democratic community based school that is truly child centered and committed to providing children with hand on learning experience that are relevant to their lives! You will have a wealth of experience and enthusiasm to pass on and inspire our pupils with!

Our school is different in many ways. One key difference is the peripatetic nature of the department. Teachers/and people will deliver a practical and relevant curriculum to young people of mixed ability in mixed age groups. Please take time to look at the presentations contained on our web pages for more information about how the new school will be organised. You can find those details here.

Ideally you will have...

• Qualities needed to inspire children to extend their abilities
• Some experience of helping young people with pastoral needs
  

In a little more detail...

We are looking for a teachers to cover subjects at Key Stage 3 and 4.

Organisation: To support our hands on approach with the curriculum tuition is grouped in blocks rather than short time tabled sessions. There will be a minimum time slot of approximately 3 hours teaching in the morning or afternoon. In addition...

• Support: Individual children who need more support will receive additional attention as a wrap around the main am or pm session.
  
• In addition there will be time before and after the core academic day for more practical work (longer time needed for the session/marking work/after school supervision)
  
• In total each session will be approximately 5 hours, Am or Pm.
  
• A Tutorial/Pastoral role is included. This involves arriving for morning preparation and pastoral care with the group if conducting an Am session. Then again for the end of day tutorial/pastoral care.
• We require flexibility, a willingness to take on the wider aspects of the school. There has to be a sense of ownership and community.
• Minimum once per month core meeting with department teachers (mantle of the expert / Erdkinder) Cross curricular opportunities. This is our community building workshop! We collectively care and have responsibility for all of the children. This will be tied to progress monitoring and reporting and looking at assessment results. Please see the curriculum links for more information.
• There will be a guiding and golden rule - lessons are practical, inspirational, hands on!

Money!

• Every penny parents pay in contributions goes back in to running the school. However we recognise that good teachers must be rewarded with good basic pay and terms and conditions.
  
• The new department is being considered as a charitable trust. We will however, try to match basic teaching rates for the LEA. On a typical salary of 27.000 (pro rata) per annum the pay will be in the region of 55.00 per session.
• So, for a typical term of 1 morning or afternoon per week the rate would approximate to 660.00 for the term period. Please note this is just a guide. Details will be provided in the usual contractual terms.

You will play an important role in...

• helping our community offer a new and progressive senior school alternative
  

We are a democratic school, your participation in this is important...

The school is organised around 3 democratic groups

• The Leadership Team (meet every 2 weeks)
• The Children's Council
• The Parents Democracy Group
  

We very much hope that after reading this document and the information published on our web pages you wish to apply to join the senior school team.

Please make your application by email to Daniel Ardizzone at daniel.ardizzone@googlemail.com interviews will be conducted over the next next few weeks. For more information about the senior school please see our web pages here.