JOB DESCRIPTION Job Title: Head of French Department: French Hours of Work: Approximately 0.65 FTE Responsible To: Assistant Head Responsible For: French Department Summary of Role: We are seeking a well-qualified, experienced and dynamic Head of French to lead and develop the teaching of this popular and important subject. We pride ourselves on ensuring that the students in our care receive the very best teaching, as well as opportunities to participate in trips, visits, competitions and cultural events. The Head of French works closely with the Heads of Spanish and German to ensure consistency between languages, the sharing of best practice, and to promote the learning of Languages at Woldingham. French is a popular and successful subject at Woldingham. In Year 7 students take either French or Spanish as their first MFL and follow a course that includes metacognitive sessions aimed at helping them strengthen their generic language-learning skills. In Year 8 they may take up a second MFL in addition or opt to continue with a greater number of lessons in MFL1. At KS4 and at A Level we follow the AQA specification, and students achieve impressive results, with some of the highest value-added scores in the school. In the 6th form, students may opt for the full A Level, or take AS after one year of study. We have a number of bilingual students, and their needs are catered for on a case-by-case basis. The French department offers a variety of trips and visits. These include a weekend stay at Château du Broutel for our year 7 and 8 students, a week-long exchange to a school in Annecy for year 9 students, and GCSE and A Level daytrip to London for conferences. The French classrooms are situated together in Marden House, next to the French office. The department is well- staffed with 5 French teachers and a French assistant. All classrooms have interactive whiteboard displays and sound systems, as well as more traditional whiteboards. The languages departments are well-resourced and prominent within the school and remain an important priority for both students and parents. Objectives (1) QUALITY ASSURANCE: To secure and maintain high standards of teaching and learning in the subject. To ensure that the quality of the educational experience provided within the department for all pupils, regardless of ability, serves as a positive advertisement for Woldingham School. (2) PUPIL ASSESSMENT AND MONITORING: To establish maintain and review practices for the close monitoring of every individual pupil’s progress. (3) LEADERSHIP OF STAFF: To support, guide and motivate all teachers within the department. To work closely with the School Leadership Team (SLT) to identify, anticipate and resolve any problems affecting the morale of the staff in the department and their ability to perform their jobs to a high standard. To take an ongoing interest in the professional development of all staff in the department. (4) EFFECTIVE STRATEGIC THINKING: To continually evaluate the effectiveness of teaching and learning practices, schemes of work, qualifications and courses on offer in order to ensure that pupils are always being provided with the best learning opportunities available. To identify and anticipate needs in the subject and consider these in relation to the overall needs of the school. (5) RESOURCE MANAGEMENT: To ensure that human and other resources within the department are always employed to maximum positive effect. (6) MARKETING AND PUBLIC RELATIONS: To work closely with SLT and the Marketing Department to advertise the strengths and achievements of the department and the school. (7) CONTRIBUTING TO WHOLE SCHOOL LIFE: To share in all aspects of school life. Under Objective 1 • To hold regular fortnightly department meetings which include routine sharing of good practice and resources. • To clearly communicate the teaching and learning standards and objectives of your department and the whole school to all members of staff under your leadership. • To develop an atmosphere of intellectual enthusiasm and the open sharing of ideas and good practice within your department. • To carry out a regular annual calendar of quality assurance activities within the framework laid down by the school. • To respond to concerns regarding any aspect of the teaching of a member of department with swift, effective and fair quality assurance activities. • To ensure that the appropriate members of SLT are kept promptly and fully informed of any serious quality assurance concerns. • To ensure that appropriate differentiation is occurring in all classes within your subject. • To ensure that – both within and outside the classroom – those pupils that show a particular aptitude for or interest in your subject are provided with appropriate opportunities for academic extension and enrichment. • To have a clear and practical set of strategies in place for dealing with underachieving pupils in your subject. Under objective 2 • To ensure, through standard quality assurance activities, that assessment is being carried out according to the criteria laid down in the academic section of the staff handbook. • To work with the Deputy Head (Academic) and Director of Studies to use baseline data such as CEM test scores and predictions to inform teaching and learning, grade predictions for pupils, setting/banding of pupils and intervention to support underachieving pupils. • To ensure that all reports produced by members of the department meet the criteria laid down in the academic section of the staff handbook. Under objective 3 • To ensure that all the staff under your leadership – particularly those who are new to the school – know what is expected of them. • To ensure that any new members of your department know where to access all the information they need and are closely monitored and supported during their initial months. • To support staff who are facing a challenge in a particular area of their teaching with a professional blend of firm direction and emotional support. • To get to know the particular strengths and interests of your staff and to ensure that these are recognised, employed and developed. • To ensure that staff CPD is a part of your annual cycle of quality assurance. To have a clear record of which INSETS and CPD opportunities your staff are attending. • To encourage and develop particular responsibilities among your staff (e.g. key stage coordination, ICT development and training responsibility, G&T responsibility etc.) but also to be sensitive to the risk of overloading. • To take responsibility for, and work with SLT to successfully intervene in, any tensions that arise among the staff under your leadership. Under objective 4 • To continually review the effectiveness of all of the following: i) ii) iii) iv) v) vi) The courses offered by your current exam board in relation to those on offer from other exam boards. The qualifications currently pursued by your pupils in relation to any others on offer for the equivalent age/ability groups. Departmental SoWs for each year group. Departmental trips, visiting speakers and other such enrichment activities. Technologies, textbooks and all other non-human resources used by the department. Teaching practices employed within the department. • To communicate any proposed strategic changes to the appropriate members of SLT in a clear and concise fashion that sets out the advantages, costs and risks of any proposed change. • To be open to new technologies and teaching practices that are proposed by others, whether from within or outside your department. • To make use of student-voice when undertaking strategic reviews. Under objective 5 • To nurture the staff under your leadership as laid down under objective 3. • To review physical resources as laid down under objective 4. • To ensure that, as far as possible within whole-school timetabling constraints, the departmental timetable is employing all staff where their particular strengths and enthusiasms will have the most positive impact. • To anticipate future resource needs (whether staffing or non-human) as accurately and early as possible, to aid whole-school recruitment and budgetary processes and help ensure that your needs can be effectively met by SLT. • To liaise closely with the Library Manager, and to keep abreast of paper and electronic resources in your field, to ensure that students have access to – and training in – research opportunities beyond the use of standard textbooks etc. Under objective 6 • To ensure that the profile of your subject is sufficiently prominent, both within and beyond the school, through strategies. • To use academic enrichment events and/or subject-related societies to combine academic benefit for the pupils with effective marketing for your department and the whole school. • To ensure that your department contributes fully to the positive image of the school on occasions such as Open Days - through careful preparation of the staff under your leadership, of physical displays and resources and of any activities on offer to visitors. • To ensure that the department is well organised for the preparation and marking of Sixth Form entrance and scholarship papers (where necessary). • To ensure that all requests for the updating of course booklets and other materials for existing and prospective parents are responded to with due care and attention and carried out to-deadline. • To ensure that all your staff are well prepared for parent-teacher meetings. • To ensure that any staff absences from parent-teacher meetings are, as far as possible, flagged up in advance, and that any absences are compensated for by swift and useful communication to parents both before and after the event. • To ensure that any communications from parents (whether direct to you or passed on from Heads of Year or SLT) are dealt with in a prompt and thorough manner. Under objective 7 • To communicate with SLT regarding whole school developments or procedures in a way that is honest but constructive. • To be sensitive to whole-school perspectives when engaged in dialogue concerning allocation of time or physical resources for your department. • To take an active and positive role in whole staff sharing of educational ideas and initiatives. To encourage the staff under your leadership to do the same. • To undertake any additional duties, as laid down by school policies (e.g. study supervision) or as reasonably requested by the Head. PERSON SPECIFICATION Essential Desirable Operational Excellence • Experienced teacher with a proven track record of success • Experience of teaching A Level French • Experience of preparing students for Oxbridge • Well qualified graduate with a degree in French or entry closely related subject • Someone who is able to teach from Key Stage 3 to A Level. • The ability to blend firmness, patience and empathy when dealing with difficult individuals or situations • The ability to show an interest in the welfare, happiness and professional development of those under your leadership. • Fluent and accurate written and spoken English Personal Behaviours • The ability to communicate effectively with a range of staff, pupils and parents. The ability to defuse potentially difficult communication problems • The ability to anticipate and solve problems, making decisions within the wider context of whole school • The ability to plan time effectively, organise oneself and balance strategic development with day-to-day events • A team player who can adapt to unforeseen challenges while maintaining their professionalism Ethos and Whole School Values • An enthusiasm for the subject area and an ongoing interest in developments within it. A clear vision of how the department should develop over the next few years with the ability to communicate this to staff and pupils under your leadership • Able to operate at the heart of the school community • Committed to the Sacred Heart Values • Commitment to Woldingham as a school with high academic standing providing a holistic education and outstanding pastoral care Safeguarding and Pastoral • Committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people • A satisfactory Enhanced Disclosure from the DBS Leadership and Management • The ability to lead and manage people to work towards a common goal • Willingness to foster an environment where colleagues can grow and fulfil their personal ambitions • Ownership and implementation of a short- and long-term vision for the department