French Language Assistant

• Job title:French Language Assistant
• Job Type:FTC 25th August - 11th December 2026, 5 days per week. Term time only. 8am-4pm with an hour unpaid lunch (35 hours per week)
• Salary:£10,400.20 - £10,813 for the period (£11,847 - £12,317 if full pension flex benefit is utilised), FTE - £27,125 - £28,200
• Department:Modern Foreign Languages
• Reporting to:Head of French
• Location:Highgate Senior School, North London
• Start:25th August 2026
• Closing Date:1 June 2026 at 5:00 pm

Highgate School seeks an enthusiastic and highly capable French Language Assistant (Fixed Term) to join its Modern Languages department. Applicants must be outstanding linguists with an excellent command of French, whether as heritage speakers or through advanced academic study.

Candidates from French-speaking backgrounds are warmly encouraged to apply, whatever their academic specialism. The successful applicant will share the School’s educational vision and, above all, enjoy working with young people. We are looking for a passionate advocate for French and for language learning more broadly, and someone able to convey the subject’s value persuasively to pupils and parents alike.

The ideal candidate will be energetic, imaginative, and intellectually curious, combining responsiveness to guidance with the confidence to shape and lead their own sessions. They will model scholarship, inspire enthusiasm for learning, and demonstrate a clear commitment to their own continued intellectual growth.

Highgate’s curriculum offers five modern languages: French, German, Mandarin, Russian, and Spanish from years 7 to 13. French is studied by all pupils at KS3 and remains a very popular choice through to KS4 and into the sixth form. A-level numbers are strong, and pupils contribute enthusiastically to a vibrant programme of talks, societies, clubs, trips, and exchanges. Current visits include Rouen, Montpellier, and Paris, while all year 8 pupils take part in a three-day trip to Lille.

The Modern Languages department comprises around twenty specialist teachers, supported by nine language assistants, all based in well-equipped classrooms. The school has a strong culture of language learning throughout every key stage, with many year 13 pupils progressing each year to highly competitive language courses in the UK and overseas.

A key part of the language assistant role involves working individually with sixth-form pupils, providing focused support across a range of A-level topics, as well as teaching small groups. The successful candidate will also work across all key stages, supporting classroom teachers in developing pupils’ confidence, fluency, and accuracy in spoken and written language.

Person Specification

• The energy, dynamism, and stamina to contribute fully to the life of a busy co-educational independent day school.
• Willingness to contribute to the extensive range of activities provided for pupils and to support them in their co-curricular pursuits.
• Capacity for industry and initiative in both independent work and as part of teams of colleagues in academic work, pastoral care, sports, and co-curricular activities.
• Profound and continuing interest in the academic subject / s to be taught.
• The depth of knowledge and agility of mind to allow flexibility in lessons, adapting delivery as appropriate in the light of pupils’ responses.
• Empathy with pupils across the age and ability spectrum at Highgate and the ability to implement a range of teaching strategies to cater for each individual pupil.
• Awareness and understanding of matters relating to the personal, social, health, and emotional development of Highgate’s pupils.
• General knowledge of Child Protection issues and good practice, particularly relating to professional obligations on safeguarding the welfare of each child and avoiding guarantees of confidentiality in any disclosure.
• Capacity to deal sensitively with problems raised by pupils, in line with Highgate’s pastoral policies and sanctions system, working in partnership with Highgate’s designated staff i/c pastoral care.
• Ability to create effective rapport and a sound relationship with pupils, earning their respect and trust but maintaining proper professional boundaries by not deliberately courting popularity or friendship.
• Willingness and ability to liaise effectively and professionally between pupils, staff, and parents when required, making accurate records of these exchanges.
• Patience and thoughtfulness to see any issues that may arise with pupils, parents, or colleagues from a variety of perspectives.
• The ability to diffuse difficult situations using different strategies such as careful listening, sensitive use of humour, praise, and recognition – where due – utilising the School’s reward system.
• Retention of a sense of perspective and, on occasion, the invaluable ability to laugh at oneself.

Location | Highgate Village, adjacent to Hampstead Heath, with quaint shops and easy connections across London.

Pension | AVIVA workplace pension scheme offered – 26% employer contribution, with the ability to flex up to 16% of this as additional non-pensionable salary, employees contribute a minimum of 5%.

Personal development | Comprehensive induction support for new staff. Focus on continued professional development for all employees.

Leisure facilities | Free access, at stipulated times, to our sports facilities, including a fitness suite and swimming pool (recently refurbished).

Lunch | A complimentary lunch including hot meals, sandwiches, salads, fresh fruit and dessert.

Help with sustainable travel  | Access to the Cycle to Work Scheme and a Season Ticket Loan scheme for public transport.

Family-friendly policies | Highgate appreciates that employees sometimes have family commitments so we try to be as supportive as possible, for example with enhanced maternity pay (8 weeks’ full pay, then 10 weeks’ half pay) and paid dependant leave.

Highgate is a caring, open-minded community, where we promote kindness, empathy and friendship. Everyone who works and studies with us deserves to feel they are part of a welcoming environment that enables them to be themselves and to thrive as individuals.

Our community extends beyond the school, through partnerships, charity work and our commitment to equality, inclusion and sustainability. All members of our school community are encouraged to look outwards and play an active role.

Following a visit from the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI) in September 2024 to assess Highgate’s regulatory compliance and school standards, we are pleased to share the inspection findings, which reports compliance in all five areas and a ‘significant strength’ in our teaching expertise.

Highgate is committed to staff wellbeing, which we promote by encouraging a strong work-life balance; trying our best to support flexible working requests; providing a nutritious complimentary lunch in the dining hall; and offering access to sporting facilities including our recently renovated swimming pool.

The Staff Wellbeing Committee, with representatives across the School, meets regularly to drive forward initiatives, and a selection of staff have been trained as Mental-Health First Aiders.

We encourage an open culture throughout our school, with regular staff surveys, action committees and opportunities to feedback. We strive for continual learning and improvement, and staff training and development is paramount. There are opportunities to participate in the wider life of our school, such as taking part in trips or societies and getting involved in partnership projects.

More details about working at Highgate can be found here:

As an independent school, we want to use our position as a charity effectively: to make high-quality education accessible to as many children as possible – through our bursary programme at Highgate and through our work with local state schools. We have partnerships with over 60 state schools across 7 London boroughs, and we are the principal educational sponsor for London Academy of Excellence, Tottenham – an academically-selective state sixth form in a community where such opportunities are lacking.

Alongside this, our staff and pupils undertake charitable activities throughout the year. These range from staff giving up their time to neighbourhood schools and charitable organisations, focused fundraising campaigns, to pupils undertaking community work in the local area or further afield.

As a school, we have a central role to play in educating our pupils, staff and parents about the importance of environmental sustainability. We are taking positive action to adapt our operational performance to tackle the negative effects of climate change. We encourage all our staff to reflect upon their personal and professional practices, to support our environmental agenda and to make positive changes wherever possible.

• Closing Date:1st June 2026
• First Interview:w/c 8th June 2026

Contact: Recruitment Team are happy to answer any questions about this post

Early Application: Applications will be considered ‘as and when’ received and we may close the vacancy if we appoint before the closing date.

We know that more diverse teams are stronger teams, and that the more inclusive we are, the more our staff and pupils will feel a sense of belonging and will thrive. To enable us to make reasonable adjustments, please let us know of any disabilities (including neuro-divergence) when you submit your application.

As this role will have regular unsupervised contact with children you must, if appointed, comply with Highgate’s Safeguarding Policy and Staff Code of Conduct. If in the course of carrying out the duties of the post the post holder becomes aware of any actual or potential risks to the safety and welfare of our pupils, these concerns must be reported immediately in accordance with the Safeguarding Policy.  If whilst in the post, Highgate becomes aware of any safeguarding concerns to staff, pupils or the community; these will need to be followed up in line with the safeguarding policy and code of conduct which is underpinned by KCSIE and other legislation. These concerns may need to be shared with other agencies.  A copy of these policies will accompany all offers of employment. Training will also be provided to all staff to support Safeguarding practice.

Highgate is committed to the safeguarding and welfare of children and applicants must be willing to undergo child protection screening appropriate to this post, including checks with past employers, the Disclosure and Barring Service and overseas police check if necessary. Candidates from overseas must provide information about their past conduct, for example, by providing documents issued by overseas teaching authorities. DBS Privacy Policy

Please note that this role is ‘exempt’ from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and therefore, you are required to declare any convictions, cautions, reprimands and final warnings that are not ‘protected’ (i.e. filtered out) as defined by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (as amended in 2013). Shortlisted candidates will be asked to provide details of all unspent convictions and those that would not be filtered, prior to the date of the interview. DBS Code of Practice

In accordance with the latest guidance from KCSIE, we shall be conducting online searches on any candidates who are shortlisted.