Appointment of:
Part-Time Chemistry Teacher
(Maternity Cover: January 2026)
Information for Candidates

The School

Queen Mary’s School is a Christian community that values, nurtures and respects every individual. It is a place where all are
challenged to do their best, serve others, show compassion and act with integrity.

Queen Mary’s School

Strives for excellence in every endeavour
Loves life and enjoys learning
Nurtures spirituality and personal growth
Respects individuality and embraces diversity
Enhances character and builds resilience
Creates independent young people

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• Makes strong and lasting friendships

Queen  Mary’s  School  is  an  all  girls’  independent  boarding  and  day  school  situated  in  beautiful  countryside,  between  Ripon  and
Thirsk.  Baldersby  Park,  the  school’s  current  home,  is  a  Grade  1  listed  building  surrounded  by  40  acres  of  landscaped  grounds,
sports fields and paddocks.

Queen Mary’s has a reputation for high academic achievement to add to a long-standing tradition of building all-round confidence in
pupils through a very wide range of educational and co-curricular opportunities. The current Head, Mrs Fe Beadnell, firmly believes
in happily empowering girls from the earliest years, nurturing leadership skills and a strong sense of self so that every pupil is
equipped to become who – and what – they aspire to be. Our school is a dynamic and supportive environment where academic
excellence, creativity, adventure, and personal growth go hand in hand.

The School is on a very strong footing financially, with a healthy endowment and recent investment in major facilities. The Board
wishes to build a long-term programme of investment to sustain Queen Mary’s into the future.

The School’s Pre-Prep department is co-educational, while the Prep and Senior School is for girls only and spans the age range 7
to 16. The School has a strong boarding tradition with a healthy mix of full, weekly and flexi-boarding. The boarding life of the
School is a central part of the Queen Mary’s culture for both day girls and boarders.

Queen Mary’s is part of the Woodard Corporation, a group of 43 independent and maintained schools. Woodard Schools operate
as stand-alone entities, with professional support from the centre where required. The Woodard ethos promotes Christian education
and high academic and pastoral standards within all its schools.

The Role: Maternity Cover from January 2026

Queen  Mary's  seeks  to  appoint  an  inspirational,  dynamic  and  enthusiastic  Chemistry  Teacher,  with  the
ability  to  inspire  and  motivate  children  of  all  abilities,  and  to  stimulate  the  pupils’  real  interest  and  involvement
in science in all year groups from Prep School to Senior School, teaching to GCSE.

The outstanding candidate will demonstrate excellence in teaching, leading and developing Chemistry in a thriving
Science Department at this successful school.

Would you be willing to contribute to the extra-curricular life of this busy, exciting and successful school? Are you a
pro-active team player, always positive, inspirational, flexible, and calm under pressure, when working in a busy
school environment? If you have the energy, commitment and enthusiasm to achieve outstanding academic
outcomes and infuse children with a life-long passion for learning, we want to hear from you.

As a boarding and day school, we maintain the traditions of boarding, working an extended teaching day
(08:20-16:40 plus one club a week until 17:30).

Girls from Year 8 upwards have Saturday morning lessons (09:00-12:00).

Ideal Candidate Profile

Candidates must be able to demonstrate empathy with, and commitment to, the ethos of an academic, independent boarding
and day school fit for the 21st century.

The successful candidate will:
 Have a passion for the intellectual, co-curricular, pastoral, moral and spiritual development, and the well-being of each pupil; be
supportive of the Christian values of the school, taking a role in the assemblies and chapel services.

 Be an inspirational leader who is a strong, visible and active presence in all parts of the school, and in the wider community.

 Demonstrate a clear educational philosophy, sound expert knowledge and vision, with the skills to communicate that to others.

 Be highly effective in working collaboratively, promoting others and bringing out the best in them whilst maintaining clear
leadership.

 Understand the need to drive continuous improvement and able to demonstrate an ability to deliver cultural change effectively
and smoothly.

 Have a clear commitment to the well-being and professional development of the community.

 Demonstrate a fair approach to maintaining standards with both pupils and staff and have the ability and personal resolve to
make tough decisions when necessary.

 Demonstrate a thorough understanding of the responsibilities in relation to Safeguarding and Child Protection issues and a
clear commitment to delivering best practice in Safeguarding.

 Have the skills to run an inclusive and diverse school community, valuing and promoting inclusion.

 In liaison with the DSL, access safeguarding training and keep this up to date with current developments in child protection.

Overview of Responsibilities

The following is provided as an overview of the main responsibilities:

• Lead by example, providing inspiration and motivation for the pupils, staff, governors, parents and the wider community

• To work in conjunction with the Head of Science and take responsibility for all aspects of Chemistry and the teaching of

Chemistry throughout the school.

Policy, Strategic Direction and Development

• Develop and promote a development plan for Chemistry across the whole school and keep this under regular review with

policy and planning, taking account of the school’s changing needs and the full range of pupils’ needs.

• Ensure that whole-school policies and strategies are embedded in planning throughout the phases.

Teaching and Learning

• Working with the Head of Science, lead the development and monitoring of curriculum provision to ensure continuity and

progression, and the development of cross key stage/cross curricular links.

• Promote excellence and inspiration in learning and teaching as a lead practitioner and leading by example; consult and advise
colleagues in order to establish creative, responsive and effective approaches to Chemistry throughout the senior school.

• Planning and preparing lessons and schemes of work in accordance with departmental and school policies.
• Setting and marking works as required, recording and assessing progress.
• Termly reports.
• Progress of pupils: differentiating for ability as required.
• Playing a full role in departmental life: sharing resources, taking part in trips and visits.
• Form Tutor.

Pastoral care and safeguarding

• Monitor, evaluate and assess the pastoral care of pupils, ensuring continuous and consistent focus on pupils’ achievement

and development: moral, spiritual, physical, cultural and social.

• Coordinate responses to the pastoral needs of pupils throughout the School.

Professional Development

• Regularly review your own practice, set personal targets and take responsibility for your own development.
• Contribute to INSET initiatives to offer support, guidance, innovation and motivation to colleagues.
• Take part in an Annual Appraisal.

Training & development of self and others

• Build effective partnerships with parents to ensure:

o a shared understanding between school and home about pupil progression, and how parents can support their child
o an excellent local reputation for the school through the promotion, profile and success of the pupils
o co-curricular activities that enrich the timetabled curriculum experiences

• Promote excellence and the reputation of the school through events (parents’ meetings, Open Days, workshops etc.)
• Develop links outside the school in order to increase opportunities for sharing good practice, e.g. learning opportunities for

pupils.

• Attend regular Department meetings to:

o establish common, progressive and detailed schemes of work for each year group;
o monitor and to assess progress within each year group and of individuals;
o ensure that common aims, objectives and standards are established;
o discuss and agree methodology in order to ensure that effective ways of learning are implemented;
o support colleagues in the implementation of all aspects of their work.

Person Specification

The successful candidate will be able to demonstrate the following essential characteristics:

Attributes

Qualifications

Essential Criteria

Desirable Criteria

Degree from a leading university in
Science and/or related subject. Qualified
Teacher Status

Teaching experience in more than one
school

Knowledge

Experience of teaching KS4 to GCSE.

Skills and Abilities

Lead  and  manage  a   diverse  team
with skill,  energy,  creativity,  innovation
and empathy

Ability to work under pressure and to
meet  deadlines

Have excellent time management and
organisational skills

Right to work in the UK

Demonstrable leadership of classroom
management experience

iSAMS and CPOMS experience

 Experience of working in an all-age,
 independent, boarding school
environment

Attributes

Excellent literacy, numeracy, IT and
communication skills

Understand and actively support the
ethos and Christian values of the School

Proven ability to work strategically and to
seek and implement creative solutions

Be prepared to undertake daily
operational tasks as required

Experience and ability to use data
effectively

An inspiring educator with experience of
leading curriculum developments and
teaching techniques which embrace
innovation and creativity and
instill the skills required to meet the
demands of an ever-changing world

Ability to cope with multiple demands
shifting priorities and rapid change

A selfless, empowering and collaborative
approach to management and continual
professional development

Awareness  of  the  importance  of  child
protection  and  keeping  young  people
safe from harm

Ability to be discreet and uphold
confidentiality

Willing to play an active role in the life of
the school

Willing to lead by example and work out
of hours as and when  events require it

Commitment to your own development
and willingness to undertake further
training and show evidence of
continuing professional development.

Safeguarding qualifications

Terms and Conditions of Employment

A formal contract detailing terms and conditions will be drawn up on appointment. The following notes provide guidance, without
prejudice, on the likely main provisions.

General Notes
A competitive and negotiated remuneration package is available, with a salary commensurate with the responsibility of the post
and the experience of the successful candidate.

Additional benefits will include a significant fee discount for children to be educated at Queen Mary’s School (subject to places
being available and all relevant admissions criteria being met).

Meals will be provided free of charge during term time hours of work.

Shortlisted candidates will be asked to undertake identity and qualification checks which conform to the School’s Safer
Recruitment Policy. They must also agree to references being taken up at that stage and checks made with past employers. The
successful applicant will be required to complete a medical form before any appointment is confirmed to show there are no

medical reasons why the applicant may not be able to take up the post.

Accommodation is not provided.

The appointee is required to give the School one full term’s notice of his/her intention to leave this post.

Queen Mary’s is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young persons and candidates must be
willing to undergo child protection screening appropriate to the post, including checks with past employers and the Disclosure
and Barring Service.

All employees of Queen Mary’s are responsible for promoting and safeguarding the welfare of children and young persons and
must adhere to, and ensure compliance with, the School’s Safeguarding and Child Protection policy. If in the course of carrying
out the duties of this post, the post-holder becomes aware of any actual or potential risks to the safety and welfare of children in
the school, this must be reported to the School’s Designated Safeguarding Lead and Head.

The Application Process

An application form can be downloaded from the school website and this should be submitted accompanied with a covering letter
addressed to the Head, Mrs Fe Beadnell, explaining the motivation for applying for this post and the experience, skills and
qualities you would bring to the role.

Suitable candidates may be interviewed before the closing date and the school reserves the right to withdraw the position if an
early appointment is made. Applicants are therefore strongly encouraged to apply early.

Closing date for applications:

12:00. Thursday, 25 September 2025

Please send your completed application form to the Head's PA: head@queenmarys.org.

All applications will be acknowledged by email. If you have not received acknowledgment that your application has been
received within two working days of submitting it, please contact Amanda Stringer (Head's PA) by telephone on 01845 575051.

Please be aware that we do not accept or review curriculum vitaes, please do not include these as only completed application
forms will be submitted to the shortlisting panel.

No Agencies Please

Baldersby Park
Topcliffe
Thirsk
North Yorkshire
YO7 3BZ

01845 575000
admin@queenmarys.org
www.queenmarys.org